HIST 141 - Final Primary Sources

A Censor Accuses a Eunuch was about

a censor’s efforts to stop a eunuch from being able to continue abusing his power

Example from A Censor Accuses a Eunuch

It is possible for a scrap of paper to kill someone in the middle of the night without Your Majesty or the grand secretaries knowing anything of it.

Debate on Salt and Iron

scholars and ministers disagreed over whether the government should continue to hold a monopoly on salt, iron, and other goods

In the Debate between Salt and Iron, scholars argued that

a profit-driven emperor is a bad model of behavior for the people to follow

In the Debate between Salt and Iron, ministers argued that

the monopolies were needed because Emperor Wu had restarted the Xiongnu War

Example of the scholar’s argument:

If a country possesses a wealth of fertile land and yet its people are underfed, the reason is that merchants and workers have prospered while agriculture has been neglected.

Example of the minister’s argument:

The salt and iron monopolies and the equable marketing system are intended to circulate accumulated wealth and to regulate consumption according to the urgency of need.

The Lady Who Admired Vermin was about

a woman that rejected the beauty and cultural expectations tied to her gender

Example from the Lady Who Admired Vermin

Their final assessment is only to be expected, that natural attractiveness is insufficient and must be supplemented by art and conventionality

Eisai

founder of Zen Buddhism sect in Japan

Eisai introduced

tea to Japan by promoting it as a drink that improves health

Zen Buddhism’s core tenet was that

every man has a Buddha-nature, and to realize it he need only look within

Example of Eisai’s writing

Outwardly it favors discipline over doctrine, inwardly it brings the Highest Inner Wisdom

Honen

founded the Pure Land sect in Japan

The Pure Land’s core tenet was that

enlightenment could be achieved through reciting scriptures (the Nembutsu) and the grace of Amida

Example of Honen’s writing

Thus without pedantic airs, they should fervently practice the repetition of the name of Amida, and that alone

Jia Yi

wrote The Faults of Qin

The Faults of Qin were about how

legal ministers were unable to report faults or criticism to the emperor, which led to the downfall of the Qin dynasty

Example from The Faults of Qin

The three sovereigns lost the proper way while loyal officials offered no remonstrance and advisors no plans

The Tale of Genji was about

the death of the Emperor’s favorite consort and the life of her son

Example from The Tale of Genji

I now understand how damaging my love for her really was, because the way I insisted despite my better judgement on favoring her to the point of scandal meant that it could not have gone on very long

The Tale of Heike was about

the battles between the Heike (Taira) clan and the Genji (Minamoto) clan

Example from the Tale of Heike

Yoshinaka met him in desperate combat, and all the rest of the easterners pressed forward, each hopeful of being the one to take his head

Wang Kon (King Taejo)

Korean king that wrote the Ten Injunctions

Wang Kon wrote the Ten Injunctions because

he was worried that his successors wouldn’t take their responsibilities seriously

Example from the Ten Injunctions

In preserving a household or a state, one should always be on guard to avert mistakes

Xunzi

a Confucian philosopher

Xunzi argued that

men are inherently selfish; goodness is developed through ritual and learning

Xunzi considered rituals to be

necessary for upholding social hierarchies, but didn’t actually cause specific outcomes

Example of Xunzi’s writing

Since the nature of people is bad, to become corrected they must be taught by teachers and to be orderly they must acquire ritual and moral principles

The Hongwu emperor

an orphan beggar that overthrew the Yuan dynasty and established the Ming dynasty

The Hongwu emperor wanted his people to

live by the values of Confucianism and Daoism

Example from the Proclamations of the Hongwu Emperor

Although the corpses of the first (punishments) have not been removed, already others follow in their path

Gwanggaeto Stele

an inscribed monument detailing the feats of King Gwanggaeto in war against Baekje and the Wa people

Example from the Gwanggaeto Stele

The king’s forces, having waited for them (the Wa people) at a critical point, surprised and assaulted them

The Classic of Odes

about King Wen and the Western Zhou dynasty

King Wen of the Western Zhou dynasty

overthrew King Di Xin of the Shang dynasty

The Classic of Odes includes

poems praising King Wen and poems that depicted the struggles of common people

Example from The Classic of Odes

The leaders of Zhou became illustrious, was God’s mandate not timely given?