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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。
三曰禮典,以和邦國, 以統百官,以諧萬民。
四曰政典,以平邦國,以正百官,以均萬民。
五曰刑典, 以詰邦國,以刑百官,以糾萬民。
六曰事典,以富邦國,以任百官,以生萬民。
The office of Great Administrator:
He holds in his hands the duty to establish the Six Constitutions to constitute the empire, for he has to help the king to regulate the fiefdoms and the state.
First, the Regulating Constitution, to measure the fiefdoms and the state, to regulate the ministries and to structure the people.
Second, the Instructing Constitution, to consolidate the country, to instruct the Ministries and to civilize the people.
Third, the Ritual Constitution, to harmonize the country, to unite the Ministries and to bring the people together.
Forth, the Governmental Constitution, to appease the country, to correct the officers, and to make equal all people.
Fifth, the Punishment Constitution, to correct the country, to chastise the officers, and to bind the people to what is needed.
Sixth, the Labour Constitution, to enrich the country, to make active the officers, and to nourish the people...
以八法治官府...
以八則治都鄙...
以八柄詔王馭群臣...
以八統詔王馭萬民...
以九職任萬民...
以九賦斂財賄...
以九式均節財用...
以九貢致邦國之用...
以九兩繫邦國之民...
歲終,則令百官府各正其 治,受其會,聽其致事,而詔王廢置。三歲,則大計群吏之治而誅賞之。
By the Eight regulations, he regulates the Ministries,...
by the Eight Principles, he regulates the cities and the towns,...
by the Eight Handles, he helps the king to control the many officers,...
by the Eight Guidelines, he helps the king to control the people,...
by the Nine Offices, he employs the people,...
by the Nine Taxes, he reassembles the richness and values,...
by the Nine Measures, he equals and moderates the finances [of the ministries],...
by the Nine tributes, he effects the expenditures of the country,...
by the Nine Couplings, he helds together the people of the country...
At the end of the year, he orders all officers to regulate each one of their duties, and he receives their account, he makes them report how they effected their duties, and he suggests the king whom to dismiss and whom to confirm. Every third year, he carries out the great control of the government of all officers and punishes or rewards them.

6.冬官考工記
鳧氏為鍾.兩欒謂之銑,銑間謂之于,于上謂之鼓,鼓上謂之鉦,鉦上謂之舞,舞上謂之甬,甬上謂之衡,鍾懸謂之旋,旋虫謂之幹,鍾帶謂之篆,篆間謂之枚,枚間謂之景,于上之攠(=磨)謂之隧.
十分之銑,去二以為鉦.以其鉦為之銑間,去二分以為之鼓間.以其鼓間為之舞修,去二分以為舞廣.以其鉦之長為之甬長,以其甬長為之圍.參(=三)分其甬長,二在上,一在下,以設其旋.
薄厚之所震動,清濁之所由出,侈弇之所由興,有說:鍾已厚則石,已薄則播,侈則柞,弇則鬱,長甬則震.是故大鍾十分其鼓間,以其一為之厚;小鍾十分其鉦間,以其一為之厚.鍾大而短,則其聲疾而短聞;鍾小而長,則其聲舒而遠聞.為隧,六分其厚,以其一為之深而圜也.
The "Wild Duck Master" produces bells. The two edges at the opening of the bell are called xian, the part between the edges (the opening) is called yu ("expansion"), the part above the "expansion" (the lower, undecorated part of the corpus) is called gu ("drum"), the part above the "drum" (the decorated upper part of the corpus) is called zheng ("sounding part"), the part above the zheng (the head of the corpus) is called wu ("dancer"), the part above the wu (the top of the corpus) is called yong ("protuberance"), the upper part of the hanger is called heng. The suspension part is called xuan, the dragon-like decoration of the suspension is called han ("reinforcement"), the belt-like decoration of the corpus is called zhuan, the (belt) parts between these "belts" are called mei, the protruding buttons (the "nipple nails" 乳釘) are called jing. The polished part above the rim (the lower, non-decorated part of the corpus below the "drum") is called sui.
The distance between the edges (xian) at the opening are divided into ten parts. Two parts are taken away to obtain the diameter of the sounding zheng part.The same distance is taken for the distance at the expansion xian part. Two parts are taken away to obtain the inner measure of the "drum"gu part. Using this measure, the length or height of the "dancing" wu part is made. Again, two parts are taken away to obtain the width of the "dancing" part. The length of the "sounding" zheng part is the same as the length of the "protuberance"yong part. Its circumference has the same measure as its length. This measure is divided into three, two parts above, and one part below correspond to the length of the suspension xuan part.
There are special explanations to regulate the movement of the bell's oscillation, as a result of the various thickness of the bell, and to regulate the pure or impure sound, depending on the width and size of the bell. If the bell is to thick, it sounds like a stone. If it is to thin, the sound dissipates. A wide bell has a radiant sound, a narrow bell is scarcely canorous. If the upper part of the corpus is too long, the vibration is to strong. Therefore, producing large bells, the inner measure of the "drum" is divided into ten parts. One part of is corresponds to the thickness of the wall. Producing small bells, the inner measure of the "sounding" zheng part is divided into ten. One part corresponds to the thickness of the wall. A large bell being too short, the sound will be vivacious, but fading out soon. A small bell bring too long, the sound will be extended and of long endurance. Concerning the polished lower sui part of a bell, it should be divided into six parts. One part of it serves as measure for the circular deepness of the bell.

Translated by Ulrich Theobald

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