The Study Of Zhou Of Raozhou In The Yuan Dynastie

The Zhou’s clan was a respected and influential clan in Raozhou. They enjoyed a great reputation in regions south of the Yangtze River since Song Dynasty. Not only the descendants Zhou Yingji, Zhou Boqi, and Zhou Zongren admitted as officials in middle and later Yuan dynasty, but also the literary achievements made the Zhou’s clan famous in Jiangnan area. The profound family origin made Zhou’s descendants famous in a series of achievements such as calligraphy, painting and philology.This essay based on the wide range of material and predecessors’research does a systematic research with a family history point of view on the Zhou’s clan in Yuan Dynasty for the first time. The study of Zhou’s Shihuan, making friends and family literary revealed all the aristocratic families’endogenous development orientation, survival condition and the effect of regional Cultural Environment. This essay can be divided into six sections:The first section introduced one of the first descendants Zhou hou’s life. The Zhou’s Clan in Raozhou was originated from Runan Zhou’s clan. After the ancestors moved to Raozhoupoyang in Jiangxi from Luling, they finally settled down and constantly reproduced. Zhou hou was one of the first descendants of Zhou’s clan who once admitted officials in South Song dynasty, since he was loyal to the emperor of Song dynasty; he just lived a reclusive life in Yuan dynasty. Although Zhou hou didn’t enter political stratum, Zhou’s clan must acclimatize themselves to the new era if they want to be prosperous forever.The second section focused on Zhou’s descendants Zhou Yingji and his brother Zhou Yingkui, introduced the process of Zhou’s mind-changing and political stratum attending. Raozhou Zhou’s clan built up their fortune by Confucianism, so they use the literature as a key to success. Zhou Yingxing regulated their properties to make fortune for his brothers. Zhou Yingji was famous for literature accomplishments in Yuan Dadu, and was recommended to Yuan Wu emperor by Yuan Ren emperor, which opened the door for the Zhou’s descendants in political life. Different from Zhou Yingji, Zhou Yingkui was a veteran assistant in the early years, and then became a civil service officer. Zhou’s clan were mainly admitted officials by literature.The second section mainly introduced the period of great prosperity of Zhou’s clan which was created by the efforts of Zhou’s descendant Zhou Boqi. Zhou Boqi was the incorporeal character of Zhou’s clan, and made incomparable achievements at both official position and literature. Boqi not only became the model for the descendants, but also improved the status of Zhou’s clan in politischer Kreis and the literary world, especially won a high admiration for the Zhou’s clan in Jiangnan area.The thirth section introduced the continuous development of Zhou’s clan in the later Yuan dynasty, and the representative figure was Zhou Zongren. Zhou Zongren was special because he gave up his prospect and quit back to his hometown. The reasons why he chose to do so was related to his characters and the social context. We could peer the hostile social environment according to Zongren’s experiences, and find a relationship between the development of a clan and the whole society.The fourth section introduced the continuous development of Zhou’s clan in the later Yuan dynasty and early Ming dynasty, and the representative figure was Zhou Zhen. Zhou Zhen was one who lived from Yuan to Ming and the first descendant who admitted officials in the new era. The reason why Zhou Zhen took a positive political life was because of HuaYiZhiFang.The fifth section mainly introduced the Greater Lore of Raozhou Zhou’s clan. As a local clan with fame and cultural background, Zhou’s clan had a profound erudite through paternal teaching and influence, most descendants did very well in poetics, calligraphy, painting and philology. For example, Zhou Boqi was unique in his writing style that the characters were mellow and full, bold and unconstrained. He advocated singing the praises of true nature. At last, this essay discussed the reasons why Zhou’s clan made so many achievements that besides personal reasons, the human and social environments also made great effects.