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Zhouli 周禮 "Rites of the Zhou"

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The Zhouli is one of four extant collections of ritual matters of the Zhou Dynasty 周. The final redactional work on these books took place during the Han Dynasty. Three of them were incorporated into the Canon of Confucian Classics: Liji 禮記, Yili 儀禮, and Zhouli. The fourth, the Da Dai Liji 大戴禮記, has only survived in fragments and was almost forgotten for centuries.
The obscure book Zhouli consists of a long listing of the officilas that the Zhou kings theoretically engaged to run the empire. It is therefore also known under the name of "Zhou Guan 周官 - Offices of the Zhou". The hundreds and thousands of offices are divided into six groups that were the foundation on the later six ministries.
  1. the "Heavenly Ministry" Tianguan 天官 with the Prime Minister Zhouzai 冢宰
  2. the "Earthly Ministry" Diguan 地官 with the Overseer of Public Affairs Situ 司徒
  3. the "Spring Ministry" Chunguan 春官 with the Overseer of Ritual Affairs Zongbo 宗伯
  4. the "Summer Ministry" Xiaguan 夏官 with the Overseer of Military Affairs Sima 司馬
  5. the "Autumn Ministry" Qiuguan 秋官 with the Overseer of the Penal Affairs Siguan 司冠
  6. the "Winter Ministry" Dongguan 冬官 with the Overseer of Public Work Kaogongji 考工記 .
The origin of the Zhouli dates not before the Han Dynasty 漢and seems to be an abstract description of the ideal Zhou government. But already in Han times people criticised it as a faked book. The Duke of Zhou 周公旦 - brother of King Zhou Wuwang 周武王 - is said to have composed this book among many others. Especially after the usurper Wang Mang 王莽 adopted it to form his goverment, it became the target of harsh criticism. Until now, its real author can only be supposed. Some said, it was a concoction of the middle Han time scholar Liu Xin 劉歆 (a follower of Wang Mang), some supposed, disciples of Xunzi 荀子 had compiled it.
There is still no English translation, only the French by Biot.
The following examples are taken the begin of the Zhouli where the highest officials under the Prime Minister and their taskes are described; the second example is a description of the ritual bells. The casting of these music instruments was undertaken by the Ministry for Public Work.
1.天官冢宰
惟王建國,辨方正位,體國經野,設官分職,以為民民極。乃立天官冢宰,使帥 其屬而掌邦治,以佐王均邦國。
治官之屬:大宰,卿一人。小宰,中大夫二人。
宰夫,下大夫四人;上士八人,中士十有六人,旅下士三十有二人;府六人, 史十有二人,胥十有二人,徒百有二十人。
The Prime Minister and the "Heavenly Ministry"
The only person that constitutes the empire, is the king. He determines the [four] regions and fixes the [governmental] positions; he embodies the cities and measures the countryside; he creates the ministries and separates their respective functions; this all to make a fixed pole for the people. Therewith, he institutes the "Heavenly ministry" and the office of prime minister, he charges the prime minister to head his subordinates and to take into his hands the administration of the state, to help the king to regulate the fiefdoms and the state.
The ministry consists of the following persons:
The Great Administrator, one ministerial person. Small Administrators, two prefects of second rank. Assistant Administrators, four prefects of third rank. Eight graduated officers of first rank, sixteen graduates officers of second rank. Ordinary officers: thirty-two graduated officers of third rank, six officers for the magazins, twelve scribes, twelve aides, and one hundred and twenty retainers...
大宰之職,掌建邦之六典,以佐王治邦國:
一曰治典,以經邦國,以治官府,以紀萬民。
二曰教典,以安邦國,以教官府,以擾萬民。
三曰禮

Translated by James Legge

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