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8 Rewriting Genealogy and Reclaiming One’s Cultural Roots
- Hong Kong University Press, HKU
- Chapter
- Additional Information
For many members of the Ke Lineage, inclusion in the lineage genealogy constitutes the ultimate goal in reclaiming one’s cultural roots. The final task is thus the addition and rewriting of the genealogy (xiupu, 修譜, literally, mending the genealogy), as this establishes one’s membership, position and social status, and expounds on one’s achievements within the lineage. Genealogy: Historical Significance Chinese genealogies are commonly called pu (譜), of which there are several widely recognized types. Family registers are jiapu (家譜), lineage registers, zupu (族譜), clan registers, zongpu (宗譜), and sometimes information on various families are also included in the locality registers, difangzhi (地方志). It is generally agreed that the composition of Chinese genealogies began in the early Zhou period (1111–256 BC). However, it was only during the Chunqiu period (770–477 BC) that the practice became fully developed (Lo, 1972b: 38). Though developed at such an early date, the fate of the genealogical records was highly dependent on the regime that succeeded in controlling China at different historical epochs. Throughout history, there have been several phases when large-scale destruction of records occurred. Records showed that the first phase of destruction occurred when Qinshi Huangdi came into power and ordered the wholesale burning of maps, census registers and other works, among which were genealogies of some important families. There were also periods where preservation of genealogies was encouraged by the imperial order. From the Han Dynasty through the Sui Dynasty (206 BC to AD 220), most royal houses, aristocratic families and clans of good standing 8 Rewriting Genealogy and Reclaiming One’s Cultural Roots Kuah_08_ch08.indd 189 11/11/2010 11:45 AM 190 Rebuilding the Ancestral Village kept genealogical records, some establishing offices solely for the purpose of keeping records and framing new genealogies (Lo, 1972b: 38–39). The significance of genealogy was elevated to a new height, as social background became an important factor in gaining entry into the imperial bureaucracy and thereby achieving upward mobility and social success. Thus, during the Ming and Qing epochs, the gentry class focused their attention upon framing, printing and preserving their genealogies. After the founding of the Republic of China in 1911, many big clans and families all over China had taken a keener interest in the making of a genealogy. Lesser clans and lineages did so as well. When the Chinese Communist Party took power, it engaged in a massive effort to destroy all existing records that were considered bourgeois in origin. Many family, clan and lineage genealogies and locality registers were destroyed in this ‘cleansing’ campaign. Most were destroyed on a voluntary basis for fear of persecution, but others were destroyed forcibly by Communist cadres. The result was a massive loss of some of the most important records for shedding light on the social history of China during previous historical epochs (Lo, 1972b: 38–55). Composition of a Genealogy The existing genealogical records are usually composed of various sections that provide a wide range of information. There is usually a section on the descent pattern of the lineage and the branches of the family. The five-generation tabular form created by scholar-politician Ouyang Xiu (AD 1007–72) of the Song Dynasty, is most commonly used to record the lineage and branches of genealogical records (van der Sprenkel, 1973: 14). The Ouyang style records the family tree, beginning with the primogenitor where he first settled in a place and raised his family there, and ending with the contemporary generation that records the genealogy. Those in between are elaborated upon. The primogenitor and his great-great grandsons constitute five generations and are tabulated in one line, with the offspring listed laterally. There are descriptions of each generation, often very short narration, which include names and aliases of each ancestor, dates of birth and death, academic degrees, official ranks, location of graves; names, dates of birth and death of wife (wives) and location of graves; and the names of sons and daughters. This style is used for both the main lineage and the branches (van der Sprenkel, 1973: 14). Kuah_08_ch08.indd 190 11/11/2010 11:45 AM [18.205.114.205] Project MUSE (2024-03-19 03:12 GMT) Rewriting Genealogy and Reclaiming One’s Cultural Roots 191 Other important information included in the tabulation is the existence of ancestral halls and graveyards. Ancestral halls were not built until the Ming epoch, where Emperor Ming Shizong, during the period of 1552–56, decreed that the people of the nation made regular sacrificial offerings...