Pre-Qin Literary Integration Activities and Early Manifestations of the “Chinese Unification Pattern”

JOURNAL OF ETHNOLOGY，VOL. 15， NO.02， 88-96， 2024 （CN51-1731/C， in Chinese）

DOI：10.3969/j.issn.1674-9391.2024.02.010

Abstract：

This article considers the “Chinese unification pattern” to be a theoretical discourse that naturally emerged within the framework of Chinese cultural tradition， while also examining its early manifestations. Through this exploration， it seeks to trace the historical context of literary integration endeavors during the Pre-Qin period， with a specific focus on investigating the spatial fields of this integration， particularly within the conceptual frameworks of “All under Heaven” and the “four directions.” Additionally， it aims to examine the evolution of concepts such as “Yi-Xia” （ barbarians and Chinese） and “China” itself.

The genesis of spatial order in the Pre-Qin period can be traced back to the establishment of the concept that aligns the notions of “Son of Heaven”， the “Mandate of Heaven”， and “All under Heaven”， along with their corresponding orthodoxy， geographical alignment， and cultural logic. This conceptual framework unfolds in a logical sequence： Firstly， the acknowledgment of “heaven” as the source of legitimate rule， whereby the ruler attained the status of “the Son of Heaven” through the “Mandate of Heaven.” Subsequently， through the implementation of virtuous governance， the ruler issued decrees from the imperial court， ensuring the well-being of all realms. Following this， the governing order， together with royal “kindness and charity”， extended far from the central residence of the Son of Heaven， achieving a consensus in an order which “was revered by peoples from all corners of the world.” This idealized order emphasized the overlap and alignment of the celestial realm with the political and cultural spheres， forming a three-dimensional conceptualization of “orthodoxy”， “civilization” level， and imperial succession within the system of “the Son of Heaven”. It not only shaped the political succession patterns of emperors and their acquisition of the title of “All under Heaven” after the Qin and Han dynasties but it can be argued it also served as a distant prototype of the “Chinese unification pattern” in later times.

During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods， alongside the “hegemony” of the great power politics， an historical narrative emerged that was characterized by the recognition of the orthodox power by means of a distinction between “Yi” and “Xia”， providing an underlying cultural logic of the “unification pattern” of “All under Heaven”. The rise and fall of Yi and Xia served as a cultural criterion for orthodoxy in the world order and was considered a yardstick to whether or not vassals could obtain orthodoxy in the celestial order. With the rise of the Qin dynasty during the middle and late stages of the Warring States period， this cultural logic， together with the "“Son of Heaven” system， gradually transformed into a novel conceptualization of world order. "The thought of “great unity” emerged as a theoretical articulation of world order predicated on the idea of “people from all corners are attached to a certain country”. By then， the “Chinese unification pattern” had also evolved into a comprehensive system， becoming the core field of dynastic identity， system construction， and literary integration. In conclusion， it can be therefore inferred that to take the “Chinese unification pattern” as an organizing principle of Pre-Qin literary integration could mean that the phenomena and processes of literary integration can be examined from the perspective of history， ideology and cultural identity shared by the ruling dynasty， its emperor and minsters， and intellectual elites in addition to an individual and decentralized perspective.

Key Words：

Pre-Qin; integration of literature; Chinese unification pattern; Yi and Xia