The Value of "Loyalty" (zhong 忠) during the Period of the Sixteen States (300-430)

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Abstract

Rulers of the Xiongnu, Jie, Xianbei, Qiang and Di groups dominated most of the northern part of China during the 4th and the first of the 5th century. The so-called period of the Sixteen States was a time of constant warfare and changing alliances. Personal trust and loyalty were important to survive during such a time of turmoil, nevertheless conflicts of loyalty were very common. According to David Honey the Tang historiographers relied on a topos of nomad disloyalty depicting the period of the Sixteen States in the Jin shu 晉書. The aim of this paper is to question critically this topos by an investigation of the value of "loyalty" during the period of the Sixteen States. Although "loyalty" did not belong to the five Confucian virtues, it was closely connected to two of them: "righteousness" (yi 義) and "integrity" (xin 信). Based on the different connotations of "loyalty", this paper will examine early medieval texts like the Shishuo xinyu 世說新語and ask about the general significance of "loyalty". A short study of 27 men portrayed as "loyal and righteous" (zhong yi 忠義) in the chapter 89 of the Jin shu may serve as one reference for the Tang historiographers attitude towards these values. In the main part the paper will focus on the narratives about the Sixteen States analyzing discourses referring to "loyalty" and "disloyalty" from the Shiliuguo chunqiu十六國春秋 of Cui Hong 崔鴻 (Northern Wei) and the Jin shu in order to assess the importance of "loyalty" for the rulers of the Sixteen States. Finally, statements and narratives from the Sixteen States about "loyalty" can be compared with judgments of the Tang historiographers about them.

Speakers from the University of Münster

Nagel-Angermann, Monique

Institute of Sinology and East Asian Studies