What measures did Zhu Yuanzhang take to respect Confucius and Confucianism?

After Kublai Khan of Yuan Shizu established the Yuan Dynasty, he implemented the national policy of "making Inner Mongolia a foreign country, with Mongolia as the standard", which marginalized Confucianism, which was originally in an exclusive position. Although he also runs a school, he delayed the imperial examination and marginalized Confucian scholars.

Yuan Renzong reopened the imperial examination during Yan You's reign, clearly put forward that "The Four Books and Five Classics in the Ming Classics were mainly annotated by Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi brothers (Zhu Huian)", and made Zhu's Notes on the Four Books and Sentences an official edition, which completed the process of official learning of Neo-Confucianism. However, Yuan Ting still adheres to the ethnic policy focusing on Mongolia, and the marginalization of Confucianism and Confucian scholars has not changed. Therefore, the development of traditional culture with Chinese culture as the main body has been severely suppressed and hindered.

After the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang was determined to reverse this situation. He took a series of measures to respect Confucius, advocate Neo-Confucianism, the system of rites and music, the law of legislation, set up schools, carry out the imperial examination and vigorously revitalize traditional culture.

Shortly after the Ming Dynasty was founded, Zhu Yuanzhang wrote to the palace in February of the first year of Hongwu (1368), studied in Guozi to offer sacrifices to Confucius, and sent envoys to Qufu to offer sacrifices to Confucius, and solemnly warned them:

"Zhong Ni's way, mighty and long-standing, spans the heavens and the earth, so future generations have the world, and they must pay tribute and cultivate their respect. I am now the master of the world and look forward to enlightened cultivation of sages. " Confucianism then resumed its exclusive position.

In order to establish the lofty position of Confucianism, Zhu Yuanzhang strongly advocated respecting Confucius and Chongru. In the first month after he ascended the throne, he summoned the Duke of Feast, the last son of the Yuan Dynasty, and Kong Kejian, the 55th grandson of Confucius. In April, Kong Kejian made a pilgrimage to Beijing, and Zhu Yuanzhang said, "Er Zuming knew the way of saints and taught the world. In the eternal world, Jun Jun, ministers, father and son really depend on it. " And give two thousand hectares of land, a house area, a horse and twenty stones of rice a month. 1 1 month, the imperial edict took Kong Kejian's son as the duke, and his rank was raised from the third class in the Yuan Dynasty to the second class, and he was given a silver seal, making him a hereditary magistrate of Qufu, and setting up three hospitals for professors Kong, Yan and Meng, Nishan and Zhusi, and exempting the descendants of Kong, Yan and Meng from the corvee. In April of the 15th year of Hongwu (1382), Confucius was sacrificed all over the country. In May, imperial academy, the capital, was completed and returned to Confucius, the former teacher. By February of the following year, according to the report of Guan Xian, an admonition officer, "the society worships Confucianism and enjoys teachers in the spring and autumn, and the internal and external expenses amount to more than 10 thousand." Confucianism is very popular.

In terms of Confucianism, Zhu Cheng's Neo-Confucianism in Song Dynasty focused on solving the problem of "inner sage" in addition to the "outer king" of pre-Qin Confucianism, effectively linked the inner sage with the outer king, and formed a complete and exquisite theoretical system, which was more suitable for rebuilding the feudal ruling order after the war. Therefore, Zhu Yuanzhang spared no effort to advocate Zhu Cheng's Neo-Confucianism. After he ascended the throne, he continued to employ Zhu's inheritors and scholars in Jinhua (Wuzhou), such as Song Lian, Liu Ji, Wang Yi and Xu Cunren, and let them participate in the decision-making of major national policies, or participate in the construction of rites, music, culture, education and other systems, further establishing the dominant position of Neo-Confucianism.

Zhu Yuanzhang also strongly advocated reading classics through various channels. He repeatedly said to the minister: "The Tao is unclear and cannot be taught. The five classics of husband embody the way of sage, and family is indispensable. People can't think of food and clothing unless they are rich in rice and silk; If you don't have the Five Classics and Four Books, you have no reason to know. " In addition to often ordering Confucian scholars to teach Confucian classics as princes, kings and civil servants, he also stipulated that school students must have four books and five classics, and specially ordered Professor Xu Cunren of imperial academy to propose a toast to students to "learn a lesson from Zhu" and "make Confucian scholars not read the Five Classics, Confucius and Mencius, and not talk about the study of Luo, Guan and Fujian". The national imperial examinations are all based on the propositions in the Four Books and Five Classics, and Zhu Cheng's comments shall prevail. In this way, the thoughts and speeches of the whole country were brought into the orbit of Confucianism of Confucius and Mencius and Zhu Cheng.

Zhu Yuanzhang himself studied four books and five classics hard. He studied in a private school for several months when he was a child, and then dropped out of school because his family was poor. Wandering in Huaixi for three years has opened my eyes. After returning to Huangsi, I "learned to study hard" and studied Buddhist scriptures with several old monks, and my cultural level gradually improved. After taking part in the uprising, during the interval of fighting, I took the time to study. "I was very happy to read the classics." I looked around for Confucian scholars and asked them about them. Wherever I went, I tried my best to attract Confucian scholars, stay in the shogunate, get along with each other day and give lectures on the history of the classics. After the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, although there was no banquet system, Confucian scholars were still told to read Confucian classics from time to time, such as Song Lian and Wang Yi, Chen Nanbin, Shang Shu Hong Fan and Zhu Shan's Zhouyi. When I have nothing to do in the palace, I "need to learn from Confucius." "After long-term study and research, he is not only familiar with Confucian classics, but also has his own unique insights as the theoretical basis and guiding principle for governing the country.

Zhu Yuanzhang hated the mixed etiquette system of Mongolian and Chinese in Yuan Dynasty. After the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, he devoted himself to building a etiquette system dominated by Confucianism, saying that "etiquette is the discipline of the country. When the ceremony is established, people must be safe. " Ceremony and law are two hands, and Zhu Yuanzhang paid special attention to the construction of ceremony system. Ceremony is the core content of Confucian culture and is regarded as "the handle of the country". Rites in Confucian legends generally include joy. The meaning of the ceremony is very broad. It is not only the national code system, the norm of benevolence and morality, but also the norm of interpersonal behavior. There is a distinction between respect and inferiority, and there is a distinction between respecting the old and loving the young. Confucian music refers to elegant music endowed with certain moral attributes, which plays the role of cultivating temperament, beautifying people's hearts, coordinating people's hearts and uniting society. Rites are used to distinguish differences and rank high and low; Music is used to seek common ground while reserving differences and to ease the contradiction between superiors and subordinates. Before the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang was in June of the first year of Wu (1367), but he didn't do his job well, that is, he opened the ceremony to enjoy the second bureau, widely recruited Confucianism and divided Cao. By September of the third year of Hongwu (1370), 50 volumes of Daming Hui Dian had been compiled, in which "five rites are all accurate, and the crown, chariot, ritual, calligraphy, music, festivals and system names are well known". Since then, it has been compiled into books such as Records of Filial Piety, Hongwu Ritual System, Etiquette Formulation, Duties of Officials, Etiquette Essentials, Imperial Rites System, Daming Rites System, Hongwu Rites Law, Rites Collection, Etiquette, Taichang Rites Collection and Rites Book. , and determined to include Ji Li and angel lee. These etiquette systems are determined by "considering the ancient system", and "Ming History" says that "its degree exceeds that of Han Dynasty". According to Zhu Yuanzhang's intention of "being determined to be elegant in music" and the instructions of "being right with the sum of music", "being natural with the sum of music" and "being natural with the sum of music", some Confucian officials who know the laws have successively made the rhythm of music songs and sacrificial songs, the musical rhythm of sacrificial songs and the dance costume system of sacrificial songs. Zhu Yuanzhang also wrote Waqiu Movement, Fang Qiu Movement, Sacrifice to Heaven and Earth Movement and Emperor Movement of Ancient Saint Huang San.

Zhu Yuanzhang emphasized that "Li Ming should guide the people" and also attached importance to "the law should be stubborn". On the eve of the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, the Hui Law was promulgated in October of the first year of Wu (1367), and in December of that year, 285 laws were compiled on the basis of the Tang Law, which was combined with 145 laws recording the system of various departments to form the Daming Law. After the founding of People's Republic of China (PRC), the law was revised several times in Hongwu for seven, nine, sixteen and twenty-two years. Finally, it was officially promulgated nationwide in the first month of Hongwu's thirtieth year. This is the Daming Law that prevailed in the Ming Dynasty. In addition to the Daming Law, Zhu Yuanzhang personally collected a number of cases of extrajudicial punishment against "stubborn people", and with some strict orders and his own instructions, compiled four volumes of Imperial Letters, which were promulgated as the Daming Law in October of the eighteenth year, March and December of the nineteenth year and December of the twentieth year of Hongwu. When Hongwu re-promulgated the revised Daming Law in the first month of the thirtieth year, he chose the relevant items in the imperial edict, compiled the Letters Patent of Qin Dynasty together with relevant laws, and attached it to the Daming Law, stipulating that "everything is prohibited in the next year." In the future, the Ministry of Justice will only discuss crimes with Dagong according to law. "

Daming Law is based on the law of the Tang Dynasty, but it is more developed than the law of the Tang Dynasty in style, structure and content. In terms of style and structure, the Daming Law compiled by Hongwu for seven years lists the last chapter of the Tang Law as the first chapter. In the twenty-second year of Hongwu's revision, the remaining eleven chapters of Tang Law were merged into six chapters, which were divided into official law, household law, etiquette law, military law, criminal law and trade union law according to the six official systems. This is not only more reasonable in classification, but also more concentrated in content, clearer in organization and closer to modern departmental legislation. In terms of content, in order to strengthen the autocratic monarchy, the Daming Law established a "traitor" and added provisions to punish ideological and speech crimes; And set up a special volume on "accepting bribes" to increase the punishment for official corruption; In order to adapt to the social and economic development in the early Ming Dynasty, the Daming Law also increased the proportion of economic legislation, set up two special chapters, namely, the Household Law and the Industrial Law, and several special volumes, such as taxation, money and debt, and market funds, and abolished the provision of "over-quota land occupation" in the Tang Law. Ming law fully reflected the will of the ruling class in Ming Dynasty and became a highly mature code in the late feudal society of China.

Based on the spirit of the unity of ceremony and law, knowing the law leads the ceremony into the law. In the first volume of Daming Law, two punishment maps (five punishment maps and prison equipment) and eight ceremony maps (one mourning map based on Confucian principles and ethics) are listed in particular. Zhu Yuanzhang said: "Anyone who puts the two punishment pictures in the first place and the eight rites pictures in the second place in this book will pay great attention to the ceremony." Starting from the principle of respecting ceremony, there is also a clause in Daming Law that "keep relatives after committing crimes", which stipulates that those who commit capital crimes are not within the scope of "great evils". If grandparents or parents are old and have no dependents, they can be asked to avoid execution and leave their lives to support their relatives; There is also a clause of "relatives keep secrets from each other", which stipulates that cohabiting relatives can conceal from each other crimes other than the "ten evils". In addition, the Ming law also stipulates that, except for the "ten evils", handmaiden shall not inform on master, and children shall not inform on father and brother; Sue a person's grandfather, not his descendants; A brother shall not testify to his brother, a wife to her husband, and a handmaiden to her master.

The development of school education in the Yuan Dynasty was extremely limited, and the imperial examination was delayed again and again. After Yuan Renzong reopened the imperial examination, Han Confucian scholars were still not reused. "Anyone who makes great achievements, holds great talents and practices monasticism is not allowed to engage in politics with him." Zhu Yuanzhang was extremely dissatisfied with this situation, saying, "Since Hu Yuanjia entered China, China has been polluted, schools have been abandoned, and people's discipline has been chaotic. Since then, people have learned to fight, but they know little about etiquette and benevolence. Today, I will unify the whole country and restore the rule of my former king in China. It is appropriate to vigorously promote education. " In the first month of the fifth year of Longfeng (1359), the county school was established in Wuzhou, and the Chinese studies were established in Yingtian in September of the eleventh year. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Hongwu vigorously developed education and formed three types of schools: Chinese studies, county studies and social studies.

Sinology is an institution of higher learning established by the central government. Its predecessor was Guo Zi School established in Yingtian in the 11th year of Longfeng, and it was changed to imperial academy in the 15th year of Hongwu. In March of the eighth year, Hongwu set up imperial academy in Fengyang, and in the twenty-sixth year, it was merged into the capital imperial academy. After the merger of the two imperial academy universities, the number of students reached 1 124, making it the largest institution of higher learning in the world at that time. Guo Jian students are divided into official students (including children of quality officials, children of Tusi, and overseas students) and people's livelihood (including Gong Jian, that is, old Gong Sheng and Guo Jian students selected by local officials from government and state schools (that is, those who recommend sending them to prison to pay tuition fees). Guo Jian students not only study the Four Books and Five Classics, Imperial edicts, Daming Law and Liu Xiang's Shuo Yuan, but also learn mathematics and calligraphy, as well as riding and shooting. After the exam, you can be an official directly, or you can take part in the imperial examination, and then you can be an official.

County school, also known as Confucianism, is a middle school established by the government, states and counties. The school of Longfeng County established in Wuzhou in five years is the earliest Confucianism. In October of the second year of Hongwu (1369), Zhu Yuanzhang issued a letter to the effect that "all counties and counties in the world should build schools together", and Confucianism was successively opened in various places. Throughout the Hongwu period, there were 13 1 1 Confucian schools in China.

At first, the number of students in Confucianism was set at 40 in official schools, 30 in state schools and 20 in county schools, and later it was expanded to an unlimited number. Students "once specialized, they should teach etiquette, music, shooting, command (driving), books, mathematics and other different subjects", and also learn the imperial edict and Daming Law. After passing the exam, students with excellent grades can enter imperial academy at the age of 20; You can also take the provincial exam and become a juren. If you fail to study for ten years, or make a big mistake, you will be sent to the official department to collect food.

In addition, the Confucianism established by Du Si and Wei is similar to that of prefectures and counties. During the Hongwu period, Du and Wei established 26 schools of Confucianism in China. In addition, there is Tusi Confucianism established by Tusi, a frontier minority.

Sociology is an elementary school with the nature of enlightenment, which is located at the grass-roots level and distributed in towns and villages of prefectures and counties. At first, it belonged to the official office, but later, because local officials often used it to disturb the people, it was closed. In October of the sixteenth year of Hongwu (1383), Zhu Yuanzhang ordered the people to establish their own social studies, so private social studies appeared again. Social studies also takes imperial edict and Daming Law as compulsory courses. During the Hongwu period, each government had an average of 6 1 school. In the middle and late Ming Dynasty, although it was a remote place, it was "all learning".

In addition to the above schools, there are religious studies for children of the royal family, martial arts for children of military officers and so on.

In order to promote the development of education, Zhu Yuanzhang took many measures. First, evaluate the achievements of local officials in running schools. In the fifth year of Hongwu (1372), it was stipulated that "in the future, if there is a department examination class, the achievements of agriculture, forestry and schools will be recorded, and offenders will be punished". For example, in places where "teachers don't teach and students are lazy scholars", local officials "all speak the law". Second, attach importance to the selection of tutors and stabilize the teaching staff. In October, the fifteenth year of Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang ordered the instructors of all schools to have a strict examination and follow the inspection department. Those who failed were sent to the official department to be transferred to other posts, and those who could write articles through classics were suppressed. Improper appointment shall be arranged by the court. In October of the 26th year of Hongwu (1393), the examination method for instructors was formulated, which stipulated that after nine years in office, nine instructors would teach, six in official schools and three in county schools, and those who passed the examination and were proficient in the four books and five classics would be promoted to official positions. If the number of students I teach is small and I don't understand classics, I will be demoted and transferred to a post other than the instructor. In addition, Zhu Yuanzhang also prohibited instructors from being transferred from the school at will and taking other positions. Third, be polite to Confucianism. It is stipulated that students are provided with food by the government, enjoy the privilege of exemption from military service, and exempt from family obligations except themselves. Teachers are not allowed to be sent at will, and those with excellent teaching results can be promoted to the central and local offices. Fourth, it is stipulated that books and pens are tax-free. The implementation of these measures has effectively promoted the development of education, thus forming a situation of "learning nowhere, teaching nowhere, rules and regulations, and going down to the wild mountains and seas". "The prosperity of schools in the Ming Dynasty surpassed that since the Tang and Song Dynasties." Schools are important communication positions of traditional culture, and their prosperity in Hongwu period played a positive role in the revival of traditional culture.

Zhu Yuanzhang, while running a university, also carried out the imperial examination. In March of the first year of Wu (1367), the Ministry of Civil and Military Affairs was ordered to set up two departments to recruit scholars, and the administrative agencies at all levels were ordered to "pre-advise folk scholars to be brave, so as to study hard at that time and pay tribute to the capital as soon as the school started." After the founding of Hongwu, the imperial examination system was formally established in the third year of Hongwu (1370), and the imperial examination was scheduled to be held in August of that year. Those who are not in the imperial examination are not allowed to be officials. "Four years in March, make the provinces try again for three years, and then every three years. After three years of continuous examination, I found that most of them were young people and lacked the ability to work. In February of the sixth year, Hongwu ordered to stop the imperial examination and prevent Chaju from becoming a talent. After that, the imperial examination was suspended for ten years. However, many people recommend them. Zhu Yuanzhang also decided to test the recommended candidates and resume the imperial examination in the whole country. In the seventeenth year of Hongwu (1384), he ordered the Ministry of Rites to draw up the imperial examination forms, promulgated the provinces, and customized them.

The imperial examinations in Hongwu period were divided into three levels: Zhongju, Zhongju and palace examination. The content of the examination is consistent with the school education, and it specifically tests the propositions of the four books and five classics that students have learned. "The text is slightly like the meaning of Song Jing, but with the voice of the ancients, the body rejects couples, which is called stereotyped writing. The four books and five classics shall be subject to the annotation specified by Zhu Cheng. After obtaining the provincial entrance examination, the admission quota is initially set at 500, except for Zhili 100, 25 in Guangdong and 40 in Guangxi. " Versatile people, the amount is not limited. " In the seventeenth year of Hongwu, he ordered unlimited admission with actual results. The pilot called for a lift. Those who take the exam must be the juren in the pilot after the rural examination, and the admission quota will be decided by the court recently. The pilot's name is Gong, and he can take the court exam. The court exam entered the top three, and only three of the former ones were given to Jinshi and; A number of dimethyl, given Jinshi origin; The top three are several, and they are endowed with Jinshi origin. Taking a Jinshi, or awarding an official to the Imperial Academy, or practicing in the Imperial Academy, a supervisor and other places near the Shimen Gate, is called getting familiar with government affairs, and then taking a specific official position. Other posts may be awarded to ministers, consultants, principals, calligraphers, pedestrians, judges, Taichang, and Dr. Guo Zi. Hold positions as government officials, magistrates and magistrates in the central departments or local administrative agencies. Juren and Gong, who have failed many times, can be admitted to imperial academy. After graduation, they can also serve as small officials in Beijing, or government officials, or lecturers of Confucianism. The marginalization of Confucian scholars in Yuan Dynasty was fundamentally reversed. The appointment of officials in the Ming Dynasty was a way to recommend and supervise students and officials at the beginning of the country. Because Zhu Yuanzhang stipulated that "all Chinese and foreign officials should take the imperial examination, and those who are not in the imperial examination should not be officials", the imperial examination gradually attracted the attention of the court, and "all important departments at home and abroad belong to scholars". Later, the so-called tripartite confrontation pattern of Jinshi, Gong Ke and officials was gradually formed, and Confucian scholars were the important carriers and inheritors of traditional culture. The importance of Confucian scholars, especially Jinshi, just confirms the old saying that "books have their golden family", thus attracting more people to study in schools, thus further promoting the development of education and promoting the revival of traditional culture.

Zhu Yuanzhang overthrew the Yuan Dynasty, unified the whole country, took measures to stabilize society, develop production and revitalize traditional culture, which laid the foundation for the prosperity in the early Ming Dynasty. These historical achievements are worthy of recognition. Of course, he strengthened feudal autocratic rule, abused punishment and slaughtered heroes, which had a great negative effect at that time and later, which must also be pointed out. But on the whole, he is worthy of being a prominent figure among feudal emperors.

Daming method