A Study On The Mao Clan In Rugao Of Ming Dynasty

Generation after generation, the Mao clan is the most famous in Yangzhou for its culture, longevity in Ming Dynasty. They consider confucianism as the way to govern the family and keeps profound relationship with the central government. Friendly social environment and their great achievements in imperial civil examinations help the Mao clan in its rise to fame. However, its meaning is more than this. The Mao clan is well known for its excellent cultural achievement. During the several hundred years, the Mao clan has created its family culture. More than ten people from the Mao clan succeed in the field of literature. Meanwhile, as a distinguished family and gentry in Rugao in the vast social changes through the Ming and Qing Dynasty, the value orientation of Mao clan follows the social trend while sticking to the tradition, therefore, to maintain its prosperity. Thus, it is meaningful to figure out the development process of the Mao clan in Rugao, and the clan culture view on the interplay between the imperial civil examinations and culture; to discuss the role the gentry plays in dealing with the social relationship between the clan and the locals. All the discussions are significant in helping people understand the way of doing of the gentry class in Ming and Qing Dynasty, and the ethic morals originating from social life.The body part of this thesis consists of four parts. The first part mainly introduces the emergence and development of the Mao clan in Rugao, as well as its achievement in imperial civil examinations. The paper displays the attempts the gentry have made during this process through presenting some famous examples of the clan, as well as its influence on the clan and local social life.The second part is about the Mao clan's cultural achievement and how it comes into being. To some extent, the Mao clan is regarded as a cultural clan, with many literature works left behind. However, most of them have not been passed on. The writer of this thesis attempts to illustrate the literature achievements of the Mao clan by examples. Both The unique idea of "governing the clan by literature" is the center of the clan cultural education tradition and the profound family culture origin promotes the Mao clan to be regarded as a local cultural family for generations.The third part discusses about the relationship between the Mao clan and local society. The Mao clan always sticks to ethic and morals. All the family members follow the rules. Gradually, they form a political and official network of their own. The Mao clan emphasizes that family members should be well matched in social status and personal interest, and they have developed their own marital relationship and cultural activity net. In Rugao, the Mao clan resettles refugees, does charity work, taking part in the maintenance and reconstruction of local social order and so on. All these activities are influential in public, and build up the reputation and status of the family. The effort the family gentry have made during different times is the stick to the tradition, but timely change.The fourth part is a brief summary of the several note-worthy characteristics during the development of the Mao clan. The clan can keep honest and upright, and charitable without being very wealthy. As a result, they win the public approval and establish high reputation in Rugao. Provincialism helps exert the family influence in Rugao.