Culture of Xixia

The culture of Xixia was y influenced by the Han culture of Hailong and the cultures of Tubo and Hui migratory birds. It actively absorbed the Han culture and its rules and regulations. It developed Confucianism and promoted Buddhism, forming a Buddhist kingdom with Confucian rules and regulations. However, it was also an empire that advocated Confucianism and Chinese law, and actively Sinicized before its founding; although Xia Jingzong promoted Dangxiang, Tuofan and migratory bird cultures in order to preserve his own culture, and created the Xixia language, set up the Pan officials, and established the Pan customs and other measures; however, from Xia Yizong to Xia Renzong, Xixia had already transformed from a Pan-Han counterpart to a generalized Sinicized empire. Literature was dominated by poetry and proverbs. In terms of art, the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang and the Yulin Grottoes in Anxi are rich in Buddhist frescoes, which are characterized by "green frescoes". In addition, in sculpture, music and dance are unique.

Xixia was initially a nomadic tribe, Buddhism in the 1st century after the east of Liangzhou assassination department, the region's Buddhism gradually flourished, in the Xixia after the founding of the state began to create their own unique Buddhist art and culture. Inner Mongolia Ertuoqqi hundred eyes kiln grotto temple, is the treasure trove of western Xia Buddhism mural art. Western Xia is the period of construction of a large number of pagodas and Buddhist temples, to Chengtian Temple Pagoda is the most famous. In Ejinagi Banner Blackwater City found in the Western Xia Buddhist scriptures, Shakyamuni pagoda, colorful Guanyin statues, etc., is a major discovery of the desert. In addition the Western Xia also vigorously developed the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes. After attacking and destroying the Returning Righteousness Army in 1036 A.D., Western Xia occupied Guazhou and Shazhou, and claimed the Mogao Grottoes. From Xia Jingzong to Xia Renzong, the Western Xia emperors ordered many times to modify the Mogao Grottoes to add a few more glories to them. At that time, Mogao Grottoes were painted with green paint, accepting the culture of the Central Plains and the styles of Dreadnought and Turpan. In addition, the manifestation of Xixia culture, there is Xixia language, also known as Tomato book. Xixia set up the tomato and Chinese studies, so that the Xixia national consciousness, the people "through the tomato and Chinese characters", culture has increased a lot.

Li Yuanhao once issued a baldness decree, ordering all men in the country to go bald in three days and killing those who violated the decree. The Western Xia also established the Fan School and the Imperial School. Historian Dai Xizhang "Xixia record" has said: "The Xixia statement of cultural relics, can not match with the Song, but look at its system of state books, categorization of the official system, the new law, the rise of the Han school, the establishment of the Yangxian service, set the Dr. Disciple member. Respect for Confucius as Emperor Wen Xuan, Binhou quality has its own text, not to be compared with Liao Jin than Lie!" The development of Confucianism in Western Xia is a bureaucracy and political culture under the influence of Confucianism, the system is y influenced by Confucianism, from the beginning of Li Jiqian to the end of Western Xia, successive emperors did not learn and imitate the Han system. For example, Li Jiqian "submerged in the establishment of the Chinese officials, as different as possible from the body of the Qiang people, Qu Yan Confucianism, gradually practicing the style of China." For example, when Li Jiqian set up the Chinese government, he "set up the Chinese officials in a different style from that of the Qiangs, and extended the Confucian scholars to follow the Chinese style." The Chinese system. Xixia Dang Xiang generations of royal family clan, worship Confucius, admiring the Han culture. In addition to Confucianism and literature, but also wrote some integration and promote Confucianism books, such as "Sheng Li Yihai", "three talents of miscellaneous characters", "Virtues", "new set of filial piety biography", "new set of jinhao reasoning", "Virtues to be written" and so on. The Confucianism was promoted by Emperor Xia Jingzong, Emperor Xia Yizong, Emperor Xia Huizong and Emperor Xia Chongzong, and flourished at the time of Emperor Xia Renzong.

In addition to the establishment of the governmental system, Emperor Jingzong Xia set up the Fan Academy and Han Academy as the cradle of cultural cultivation. In order to emphasize the importance of the Han school, the learned Noryeong presided over the Han school, and professors were set up in the Han school in each state to teach the Han school. There were five types of schools in the Western Xia, namely, the Fan School, the National School, the Primary School, the Palace School, and the Imperial School. The purpose of establishing schools was mainly to cultivate talents, and Confucius was honored as Emperor Wen Xuan. Xixia in the middle and late development of the imperial examination system, Xia Chongzong late began to set up a child section of the implementation of the imperial examination, 1147 A.D. Xia Renzong cited people, the establishment of the law of the name of the song, and re-establishment of the child section. Xixia late basic selection of officials, regardless of tomatoes and Han and clan nobles by the examination and into the career has become inevitable way.

The Xixia revered Chinese culture, but not many literary works written in Chinese have been handed down, mostly in poetry and proverbs. There were several types of poetry, including court poetry, religious poetry, enlightenment poetry, chronicle poetry and epic poetry. Xixia poetry has rhyme, generally symmetrical structure, usually five or seven lines, but also multi-language style, the number of syllables in each verse is different. Some of the more famous poems include the "Great Ode", which celebrates the creator of the Xixia language, Noori Renrong. The epic work "Hymn to the Sacred Roots of Xia" is mostly folklore, with a strong folkloric coloring in its wording. The first three lines of the poem, "By the desert waters of the black-headed stone city, on the white river of the red-faced father's mound, and on the other side of the country of the medicine of Gomi," have been used by scholars of Western Xia to study the historical origins of the Dangkang. In addition, there is the Song of Newly Repairing the Imperial College, which praises the rebuilding of the Imperial College and has the style of court poetry. Xia Chongzong emphasized literature, and he himself composed the Song of the Lingzhi, which was sung in honor of his minister Wang Renzhong, and became a popular story.

The Western Xia proverbs are neatly coupled and well-structured, with varying numbers of words, reflecting the various aspects of the Western Xia society and involving the people's production, customs and religion. The famous Xixia proverbs collection "new set of brocade rhetoric", is by the Xixia people Liang Deyang in 1176 at the beginning of the side, 1187 by Wang Ren hold supplements, *** have 364, its content has "proverbs do not familiar do not speak" records, "thousands of people", "Ten thousand people", "ten thousand people" are inseparable from the proverbs, highlighting the importance of proverbs to the people of Xixia.

The Xixia Emperor attached great importance to the compilation of Xixia history. Good offices Daocong in Li Deming period in charge of writing Xixia national history of the job, and its descendants are also the same. Xia Renzong set Hanlin Academy, Wang Kyun, Jiao Jingyan reference to the Song dynasty compilation of the method of compiling the history of the state, responsible for repairing the Li's Record. 1225 South House Xuan Hui Luo Shichang dismissed, writing the Xia Shi Shi Shi, but unfortunately, has been lost.

Western Xia was founded on the eve of the Xia state, Xia Jingzong in order to suggest belonging to the country's language, sent Noli Renrong imitation of the structure of the Chinese characters to create the Western Xia language, issued in 1036 A.D., also known as the "national book" or "book of tomatoes", and the surrounding dynasties to and from the table, the document, all use the Western Xia language. The Xixia script was used in all communications and documents with the surrounding dynasties. The composition of the script is similar to that of the six Chinese characters, but with more strokes than the Chinese characters. According to Bong Le Mao Cai, a Xixia literati, the relationship between Xixia script and Han script was "different at the end, but the same at the beginning". After the creation of Xixia script, it was widely used in history, law, literature, medical writings, engraving inscriptions, casting coins, symbols, etc. Xixia script was also used. The Xia court also set up a tomato school, presided over by Noli Renrong, selected and sent the children of noble bureaucrats to translate Chinese texts and Buddhist classics. In order to translate the Chinese and Summer script, there is a bone Le Mao Cai in 1190 AD, written by the "Han and Han together in the palm of the pearl", the preface has two kinds of Western Xia and Chinese, the content is the same. It says, "If you don't learn the language, you will not be able to get into the number of the Han people." Indicates that the purpose of this book is to facilitate the Xixia people and the Han people to learn each other's language, is now an important key to the study of the history of Xixia.

Source of the album The Xixia state was founded at a time when it was in need of consolidating and developing slavery and launching large-scale captivity and suppression, and the conservative Confucianism was of course totally unsuitable for the needs of the emerging Xixia state. Yuan Hao and Noh Li Ren Rong tried their best to eliminate the influence of Confucianism, and in response to the development needs of their nation, they also carried out a series of reforms in the cultural field.

Fixing the ceremonial clothing--Yuan Hao founded the country and became the emperor, no longer using the Song dynasty's clothes and crowns, changed to wear a white narrow shirt, wearing a red felt hat, the top of the head after dropping the red knot ribbon. This is a selection of the Zanpu of the Tubo and migratory birds Khan's clothing system. Civilian and military officials also have provisions. Civilian officials wear wear turban (turban note f*), wearing boots and wattles, wearing purple, scarlet, basically still the style of the Song Dynasty. Military officials wore gold, silver, and black lacquer crowns according to their rank, purple clothes, and gold-painted silver sashes. Civilians wear green and green clothes, to separate the noble and lowly rank.

Making rituals and music--Yuan Hao took the Song system as reference and reorganized the rituals of the imperial court. Every six days, the officials went to see the emperor, which was called the "regular participation". Nine days to meet the emperor, called the "living" (greetings to the emperor's living). All auspicious and bad luck, guests of honor, Zongsai, Yanxiang, etc., to change the Song nine rites of worship to three worship.

During the reign of De Ming, the rituals and music were based on the Song system. Yuan Hao said to Noori Renrong: "The custom of this clan is to be faithful first and to fight. The red tape (音褥r)) sections and complicated sounds of the Tang and Song dynasties are very much disliked by me." Yuan Hao ordered the abolition of the Song dynasty's five tones and their replacement with one.

Built the Tomato Study--After Yuan Hao created the Western Xia script, he ordered Noli Renrong to preside over the establishment of the Tomato Study (Danghang Study). He used the Xixia script to translate books such as Xiaojing, Erya, and Siyanmuzhi, and selected the sons and daughters of Dangxiang and Han bureaucrats to enroll in the school. After completion of the study, the test questions. Those who studied well and wrote correctly were given official positions at their discretion. The Xixia people generally take Buddhism as the main belief, before the founding of the state is to nature worship. When the Dangshang were in the Songpan area of Sichuan during the Tang Dynasty, they worshipped "Heaven". When the Dangshang migrated to northern Shaanxi, the nature worship developed into the belief in ghosts and gods. After the founding of the country, still advocate multi-god faith, there are mountain gods, water gods, dragon gods, tree gods, land gods and other natural gods. For example, Xia Jingzong once "went to Xiliangfu to worship the gods". Xia Renzong had set up a monument of Heishui Bridge by the Heishui River in Ganzhou, offering sacrifices to the gods and praying for the protection of the bridge and the calming of floods. In addition to worshipping ghosts and gods, the Dangshang also worshiped witchcraft, and it was highly valued. The Danghang people called witch "guy", and the witch was called "guy medium", which was a bridge between people and ghosts and gods, mainly responsible for driving away ghosts and divination. Before the war, they practiced divination to ask for luck or misfortune, and during the war, they often practiced the sorcery of "killing ghosts and inviting souls".

Besides Buddhism, the Western Xia also embraced other religions. For example, Ning Ming, the son of Xia Jingzong, died after learning the Taoist art of grain cultivation. The Wenhai (Sea of Writings) explains the word "Xian" as "one who seeks Taoism in the mountains" and "one who seeks longevity in the mountains". In the late Xixia period, Nestorianism and Islam were also practiced in Shazhou and Ganzhou. For example, Marco Polo's Travels recorded that there were some Nestorians and Islamists in Dunhuang (Tangut Province) and Ganzhou. The arts and culture of the Western Xia were diverse and rich, with achievements in painting, calligraphy, sculpture, dance and music. Painting In terms of painting, Buddhist paintings have been handed down to the present day, mainly in the form of murals in caves and temples, and are now most abundant in the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang and the Yulin Grottoes in Anxi. In the early days, they studied the style of the Northern Song Dynasty, but later on, they were influenced by the frescoes of migratory birds and Tibetan Buddhism in Turfan, and finally formed a unique artistic style. In the line using iron wire and orchid leaf description of the main, supplemented by folded reed, Brunswick strip; coloring a large number of use of stone green base, so that the picture is a unique style of cold tones of the "green murals". The contents of the paintings include Buddhist stories and sayings, images of Bodhisattvas and human figures, and decorative motifs of the caves, etc. The most famous paintings are "Manjushri Transformation", "Pratyekabuddha Transformation", "Water and Moon Goddess of Mercy", and "Thousand-handed, Thousand-eyed Goddess of Mercy Transformation". In addition, in the Thousand Hands and Thousand Eyes Guanyin Statue, you can also observe the Xixia social production and life content in the Farming, pestle and pestle, brewing and iron forging. Most of the woodblock prints are from the Xixia and Han Buddhist scriptures. In the Heshui City unearthed a large number of Buddhist paintings, there are "Manjushri", "Puxian", "Sheng three Ming Wang Mandala" and so on. The content is thick and colorful, with deep tones. And the prints "Flesh Selling" and "The Devil's Present" are vividly depicted, reflecting the depth of Xixia paintings. Calligraphy Calligraphy in regular script is mostly found in scriptures and inscriptions, while seal script is found in inscriptions and official seals. During the reign of Emperor Renzong, Liu Zhizhi, a scholar of the Hanlin Academy, was a skilled calligrapher, and his brush, made of yellow goat's tail hair, was a model for his contemporaries. Sculpture is very developed, there are cast bronze, stone, brick, wood, bamboo, clay and ceramics. Characterized by balanced proportions, delicate knife skills, very realistic. Clay sculpture is represented by the statues of Buddhist temples, mostly using realistic and artistic exaggeration to portray real-life characters. For example, Xia Chongzong period built Ganzhou Buddha Temple Sakyamuni Nirvana statue, Dunhuang Mogao Cave Cave No. 491 Western Xia to feed the celestial maiden color sculpture and so on. Other ceramic works of art are also fine and vivid carving. Music and Dance Western Xia in the Danghang period of musical instruments to pipa, horizontal blowing, percussion-based, of which the horizontal blowing that is the bamboo flute. Later on, they accepted the music culture of the Central Plains and adopted the Song system of music making when Li Deming was in charge of the music production and gradually became more and more popular. After the establishment of Xia Jingzong, he removed the red tape of the Tang and Song dynasties, and "replaced the five tones of music with one tone". In 1148 A.D., Emperor Renzong of Xia ordered Li Yuanru, a music official, to change the sound law and gave the name Dingxinliao (鼎新律). The music of Western Xia was very rich, and there was an institute of music for the Han people, and during the time of Emperor Huizong of Xia, he had recruited prostitutes and musicians from the Han community to join the institute, and operas such as "Liu Zhiyuan's Songs of Various Palaces" had also been introduced to Western Xia. Dance in the Western Xia period in the inscriptions and grotto murals left vivid images, rich in Tang and Song dance and Mongolian dance style. Such as "Liangzhou Guoguo Temple induction tower monument" monument on both sides of the line carving of the dance kabuki, dance symmetry, naked and barefoot, holding a scarf and necklace, in the bold and charming. Yulin Grottoes, Cave 3 of the Western Xia murals in the "music and dance", the left and right relative to the sucking leg dance, posture and robust. Architecture and sculpture Danghang people live in felt tents. Settlement of the house, only those who have official title to tile. Before and after the founding of the country, a large number of Han craftsmen came to Xia and Dangshang craftsmen together, built palaces and temples. The Emperor's tomb was also of a large scale, and the Xia Wangling Mausoleum No. 8 (which was presumed to be the tomb of Emperor Zunxu of Xia Shenzong) cleared in 1972, consisted of the Que, the Pavilion of Steeples, the Moon Castle, the Inner Castle, the Dedication Hall, the Spirit Terrace, the Inner Divine Wall, the Outer Divine Wall, the Corner Terrace, etc. They spread out symmetrically along the central axis, right and left. They unfold symmetrically along the central axis, strictly following the format of the Tang and Song buildings, but also showing some of the ethnic characteristics of the Danghang and the influence of other ethnic burial customs. The existing Tianyou Zhisheng first year (A.D. 1050) built Chengtian Temple Tower (in Yinchuan, Ningxia) and Tianyou Min'an five years (A.D. 1094) rebuilt Liangzhou Guoguo Temple Induction Tower (in Wuwei, Gansu), although the later generations of restoration, is still present at the time of the architectural grandeur.

The Reclining Buddha of Ganzhou Reclining Buddha Temple, with its stout body and solemn appearance, is a masterpiece of sculpture. Summer King's mausoleum area unearthed stone horse, the whole body round carving, vivid demeanor. The king's mausoleum monument pavilion site found in stone statues of peculiar shape, thick lines, face and limbs are prominent in showing a sense of strength. Found in the same area has been mutilated on the bamboo carving, there are courtyards, pine trees, rockery, flowers and figures, the arrangement is appropriate, beautiful form.

Party people from the Sui and Tang dynasties since the prevalence of the collection of marriage system, allowing the marriage of concubine mother, uncle mother, brother and sister-in-law, son and sister-in-law, just do not marry the same family name. Rich families with male parents can adopt many women, the practice of polygamy. The old custom of the Dangshang people was to burn their bodies when they died, which was called cremation. After the founding of the Western Xia, the royal family, nobles, more than to change the burial, and imitation of the Han system to build lavish mausoleums.