Han Yuefu And The Society Of Han Dynasty

Yuefu (music bureau). the music and dance agency of Qin and Han dynasties, was a crucial sector in the government structure. As a signature symbol of Han culture, Han Yuefu poetry was an important element of Chinese literature history. They contained rich social and cultural information, with certain literature appreciation and historic value. Current researches on Han Yuefu are mainly conducted from the literature perspective, while more attention should be attached to the poetry’s historic value. Adopting the method of mutual reflection of literature and history and combining historical and unearthed materials, this thesis probes into Han Yuefu and the society of Han Dynasty reflected by the poems of Han Yuefu from the historical perspective.Firstly, the thesis discusses the development course of Yuefu. It makes a brief introduction to the origin of Chinese music and dance by exploring the hominid music and dance. With the increased productivity, China entered the patriarchal aristocratic society. Music and dance witnessed a rapid development due to the gentry’s entertainment needs. In Xia Dynasty, there were professional musicians and Guzong, a professional music and dance bureau, was set up during Shang Dynasty. Inheriting that heritage, Zhou Dynasty had a more mature music and dance bureau. with the music masters responsible for the music and dance arts. Though short in history, Qin Dynasty officially set up the music and dance bureau, which played a crucial role developing Yuefu. Han Dynasty fully inherited and developed Qin Dynasty’s Yuefu. During Emperor Wudi’s reign (141-87 BC), Yuefu experienced big transformation, and an expansion in size, reaching the summit in its development. However, during the reigns (74-7 BC) of Emperor Xuandi, Emperor Yuandi and Emperor Chengdi, the number of Yuefu professionals was cut, resulting in the decline of Yuefu. Being not keen to music and faced a tight budget and weak national power. Emperor Aidi abolished Yuefu, and from then on Yuefu was reduced to a mere literary genre. Secondly, the thesis discusses the relationship between Yuefu and the politics of Qin and Han Dynasties. As a national institution, Yuefu inevitably cooperated with other national institutions and played corresponding political functions, with its function being constantly improved and its power being continuously enhanced. Yuefu in Qin Dynasty collected the newly-emerging folk songs and was responsible for the manufacture, storage and distribution of musical instruments. Maintaining its main functions, Yuefu was inherited in the early Han Dynasty and responsible for the etiquette development. Emperor Wudi expanded Yuefu, which performed two new functions:Etiquette of outskirts sacrifice and Collecting poems and reciting them in the evenings. The function of the then Yuefu was already mature, and its newly-performed functions highlighted the role played by Han Yuefu in the etiquette system of Han Dynasty. Yuefu substituted the role played by Fengchang, an official position responsible for the imperial court and etiquette, in the construction of national etiquette system. The function of collecting poems reflected the Han authority’s aim to "observing customs, learning its gain and lose, and assessing its ruling", so as to consolidate its governing.In the last part, the thesis analyzes the social, economic, political and female aspects embodied in the poetry of Han Yuefu. Such analyses elaborated on the Han Dynasty society reflected in Han Yuefu from various perspectives. Its wide content described the social and economic situations, such as the husbandry, handicraft industry’and commerce. The poems of Han Yuefu made a detailed description of the husbandry, from the cultivation, to agricultural crops and to cash crops. In the political aspect, the poetry reflected the Han Dynasty systems, such as its officer system and officer-selecting system, and the interactions among peoples. Besides, the poetry also made a detailed description of female lives, from which we can learn their attire, social status, marriage etc. In a word, the poems of Han Yuefu are vivid pictures reflecting the society and history of Han Dynasty, thus more attention should be attached to their historic value.