zhangsun wuji great tang code

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Primary Source Documentwith Questions (DBQs)

S E L E C T I O N S F R O M T H E G R E A T T A N G C O D E :A R T I C L E 6 , T H E T E N A B O M I N A T I O N S B y Z h a n g s u n W u j i

IntroductionLaw, in the sense of pronouncements from a ruler describing offensive behavior and prescribing punishments forsuch behavior, dates back to the edicts of the kings of the Western Zhou dynasty (1046-771 BCE). Later, in the sixthcentury BCE (during the Warring States period), rulers of some of the many constituent states of the Zhou feudalkingdom issued their own penal laws and cast them on bronze vessels. Subsequent dynastic governments, whilesubscribing to Confucian political and moral philosophy, also followed the practical Legalist expedient of havingcodified laws. The Great Tang Code thus grew out of a long tradition of law-making which included the laws of Qin,

Han, and Sui. The Tang Code is, however, the earliest Chinese legal code that we have in its complete form. The TangCode served as a model for all subsequent dynastic codes of law, including those of the Song, Ming, and Qingdynasties.

The Tang Code is organized into two main parts: general principles and specific offenses. In the section of specificoffenses, each offense is named, and the appropriate punishment is prescribed. Over the years, the Tang Code wassupplemented with commentaries and subcommentaries which assisted county magistrates and their superiors atthe provincial and imperial levels of government in applying the code to individual offenses. The text of the codeitself is attributed to Zhangsun Wuji (d. 659 CE), a high-ranking official and brother-in-law of Emperor Tang Taizong(r. 627-650 CE). The portion below describes the Ten Abominations -- the ten most serious offenses a person couldcommit. The penalties for plotting rebellion, plotting great sedition, and plotting treason called for punishmentnot only of the individual incriminated in the plot, but also of that persons entire family -- parents, children, brothers,

and sisters -- who were liable for penalties up to and including execution.

Document Excerpts with Questions (Longer selection follows this section)From Sources of Chinese Tradition, compiled by Wm. Theodore de Bary and Irene Bloom, 2nd ed., vol. 1 (New York: ColumbiaUniversity Press, 1999), 549-552. 1999 Columbia University Press. Reproduced with the permission of the publisher. All rightsreserved.

SelectionsfromTheGreatTangCode:

Article6,TheTenAbominations

ByZhangsunWuji

Subcommentary:Thetenabominations(shie)arethemostseriousofthoseoffensesthatcome

within the fivepunishments. They injure traditional norms and destroy ceremony.Theyare

speciallyplacedneartheheadofthischapterinordertoserveasaclearwarning.Thenumber

of extreme abominations being classified as ten is the reason why they are called the ten

abominations.

Article:Thefirstiscalledplottingrebellion(moufan).


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Primary Source Document, with Questions (DBQs) on SELECTIONS FROM THE GREAT TANG CODE:ARTICLE 6, THE TEN ABOMINATIONS, BY ZHANGSUN WUJI

Asia for Educators | Columbia Univers ity | http://afe.eas ia .columbia.edu Page 2 of 6

Subcommentary:TheGongyangCommentarystates:Therulerorparenthasnoharborers[of

plots].Ifhedoeshavesuchharborers,hemustputthemtodeath.Thismeansthatifthereare

thosewhoharborrebelliousheartsthatwouldharmtherulerorfather,hemustthenputthem

todeath.TheZuoCommentary(Zuozhuan)states:WhentheseasonsofHeavenarereversed,we

havecalamitieswhenthevirtuesofmenarereversed,wehavedisorders. ThekingoccupiesthemosthonorablepositionandreceivesHeavenspreciousdecrees.Like

HeavenandEarth,heactstoshelterandsupport,thusservingasthefatherandmotherofthe

masses.Ashischildren,ashissubjects,theymustbeloyalandfilial.Shouldtheydaretocherish

wickednessandhaverebellioushearts,however,theywillruncountertoHeavensconstancy

andviolatehumanprinciple.Thereforethisiscalledplottingrebellion.

Questions:1. What kinds of language and metaphors does the author of the Tang Code

use to describe plotting rebellion?

2. How does the language used here help to underline the seriousness of theoffense? Subcommentary: The kindness of father and mother is like great Heaven, illimitable.

Enteringintotheinheritanceofourancestors,wemaynotbefrivolous.Letonesheartbelike

thexiaobirdorthejingbeast,1andthenloveandrespectbothcease.Thosewhoserelationshipis

within the fivedegreesofmourningare the closestofkin. Forthem tokilleachotheristhe

extreme abomination and the utmost in rebellion, destroying and casting aside human

principles.Thereforethisiscalledcontumacy.

Commentary: Contumacy means to beat or plot to kill [without actually killing] ones

paternalgrandparentsorparents;ortokillonespaternalunclesortheirwives,oroneselder

brothers or sisters, or ones maternal grandparents, or ones husband, or ones husbands

paternalgrandparents,orhisparents. Questions:3. These passages from the subcommentary and commentary describe the

fourth of the ten abominations -- contumacy. Why should this offense ofbeating or plotting to kill certain family members be considered as one ofthe ten most serious offenses from the point of view of the Tang imperialgovernment?

Article:Thefifthiscalleddepravity(budao). Subcommentary:Thisarticledescribesthosewhoarecruelandmaliciousandwhoturntheir

backsonmorality.Thereforeitiscalleddepravity.

Commentary:Depravitymeanstokillthreemembersofasinglehousehold(jia)whohave

notcommittedacapitalcrime,ortodismembersomeone.

1 The earliestChinesedictionary, theShouwen jiezi, describes the xiao as anunfilial bird that eats its

mother,couplingitwiththejing,anunfilialbeastthateatsitsfather.


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Commentary:Theoffensealsoincludesthemakingorkeepingofpoison(gu)orsorcery.

Subcommentary:Thismeanstopreparethepoisononeself,ortokeepit,ortogiveittoothers

inordertoharmpeople.Butifthepreparationofthepoisonhasnotyetbeencompleted,this

offense does not come under the ten abominations. As to sorcery, there are a great many

methods, not all ofwhichcan be described.All, however, compriseevil customs and secretpracticesthatareillegalandwhoseintentistocausethevictimpainanddeath.

Questions:4. How well-defined is this offense of depravity?5. What might be the purpose of the authors of the Code and the

subcommentary and commentary in defining the offense in this particularway?

Article:Theseventhiscalledlackoffiliality(buxiao).

Subcommentary:Servingonesparentswelliscalledfiliality.Disobeyingthemiscalledlackoffiliality.

Commentary: This has reference to accusing to the court or cursing ones paternal

grandparentsorparents.

Questions:

6. A legal code generally prohibits behavior that is thought to be particularlythreatening to the government and to society. Why should lack of filialitybe written into the law as an offense -- and as one of the ten most seriousoffenses at that?

Longer SelectionFrom Sources of Chinese Tradition, compiled by Wm. Theodore de Bary and Irene Bloom, 2nd ed., vol. 1 (New York: ColumbiaUniversity Press, 1999), 549-552. 1999 Columbia University Press. Reproduced with the permission of the publisher. All rightsreserved.

SelectionsfromTheGreatTangCode:

Article6,TheTenAbominations

ByZhangsunWuji

Subcommentary:Thetenabominations(shie)arethemostseriousofthoseoffensesthatcome

within the fivepunishments. They injure traditional norms and destroy ceremony.Theyare

speciallyplacedneartheheadofthischapterinordertoserveasaclearwarning.Thenumber

of extreme abominations being classified as ten is the reason why they are called the ten

abominations.


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Article:Thefirstiscalledplottingrebellion(moufan).

Subcommentary:TheGongyangCommentarystates:Therulerorparenthasnoharborers[of

plots].Ifhedoeshavesuchharborers,hemustputthemtodeath.Thismeansthatifthereare

thosewhoharborrebelliousheartsthatwouldharmtherulerorfather,hemustthenputthem

todeath.TheZuoCommentary(Zuozhuan)states:WhentheseasonsofHeavenarereversed,wehavecalamitieswhenthevirtuesofmenarereversed,wehavedisorders.

ThekingoccupiesthemosthonorablepositionandreceivesHeavenspreciousdecrees.Like

HeavenandEarth,heactstoshelterandsupport,thusservingasthefatherandmotherofthe

masses.Ashischildren,ashissubjects,theymustbeloyalandfilial.Shouldtheydaretocherish

wickednessandhaverebellioushearts,however,theywillruncountertoHeavensconstancy

andviolatehumanprinciple.Thereforethisiscalledplottingrebellion.

Commentary:PlottingrebellionmeanstoplottoendangertheAltarsofSoilandGrain[sheji,

thatis,therulerandthestatethatherules].

Subcommentary:Sheisthespiritofthefivecolorsofsoil[correspondingtotheFivePhases).Ji

istheregulatorofthefields,whichuses the spiritsearthlyvirtueto controltheharvest.Theruleristhelordofthesespiritsofagriculture.ThefoodthattheyensureisasHeaventothe

people.Whentheirlordisinpeace,thesespiritsareatrest.Whenthespiritsareinrepose,the

seasonsgiveaplentifulharvest.

However,ministersand subjectsmayplot andscheme to rebelagainst traditionalnorms

andhavemindsthatwoulddiscardtheirruler.If therulerspositionisendangered,whatwill

thespiritsrelyupon?Notdaringtomakedirectallusiontothehonorednameoftheruler,we

thereforeusethephraseAltarsofSoilandGraintodesignatehim.The RitesofZhou states:

OnthelefttheTempleoftheAncestors,ontherighttheAltaroftheSoil.Thesearewhatthe

rulerhonors.

Article:Thesecondiscalledplottinggreatsedition(moudani).

Subcommentary:This typeofpersonbreaks lawsanddestroysorder, isagainsttraditional

norms,andgoescontrarytovirtue.Therecanbenogreatersedition.Thereforeitiscalledgreat

sedition.

Commentary:Plottinggreatseditionmeanstoplottodestroytheancestraltemples,tombs,or

palacesofthereigninghouse.

Subcommentary:TherearepersonswhooffendagainstHeaven,whodonotknowwhere

to stop, and who secretly think of letting loose their hatred. Planning recklessness, they

conceiveevilthoughtsandplotdestructionoftheancestraltemples,tombs,orpalacesofthe

reigninghouse.

Article:Thethirdiscalledplottingtreason(moupan).

Subcommentary: The kindness of father and mother is like great Heaven, illimitable.

Enteringintotheinheritanceofourancestors,wemaynotbefrivolous.Letonesheartbelike

thexiaobirdorthejingbeast,2andthenloveandrespectbothcease.Thosewhoserelationshipis

2Seefootnote1,above.


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within the fivedegreesofmourningare the closestofkin. Forthem tokilleachotheristhe

extreme abomination and the utmost in rebellion, destroying and casting aside human

principles.Thereforethisiscalledcontumacy.

Commentary: Contumacy means to beat or plot to kill [without actually killing] ones

paternalgrandparentsorparents;ortokillonespaternalunclesortheirwives,oroneselderbrothers or sisters, or ones maternal grandparents, or ones husband, or ones husbands

paternalgrandparents,orhisparents.

Article:Thefifthiscalleddepravity(budao).

Subcommentary:Thisarticledescribesthosewhoarecruelandmaliciousandwhoturntheir

backsonmorality.Thereforeitiscalleddepravity.

Commentary:Depravitymeanstokill threemembersofa singlehousehold(jia)whohave

notcommittedacapitalcrime,ortodismembersomeone.

Commentary:Theoffensealsoincludesthemakingorkeepingofpoison(gu)orsorcery.

Subcommentary:Thismeanstopreparethepoisononeself,ortokeepit,ortogiveittoothersinordertoharmpeople.Butifthepreparationofthepoisonhasnotyetbeencompleted,this

offense does not come under the ten abominations. As to sorcery, there are a great many

methods, not all ofwhichcan be described.All, however, compriseevil customs and secret

practicesthatareillegalandwhoseintentistocausethevictimpainanddeath.

Article:Thesixthiscalledgreatirreverence(dabujing).

Subcommentary: Rites are the root of reverence; reverence is the expression of rites.

Therefore,TheEvolutionofRites[chapterofthe RecordofRites]states:Ritesarethegreat

instrumentoftheruler.Itisbythemthatheresolveswhatisdoubtfulandbringstolightwhat

is abstruse examines institutions and regulations, and distinguishes humaneness and

rightness.Theresponsibilityofthosewhooffendagainstritualisgreatandtheirheartslack

reverenceandrespect.Thereforeitiscalledgreatirreverence.

Commentary:Greatirreverencemeanstostealtheobjectsofthegreatsacrificestothespirits

orthecarriageorpossessionsoftheemperor.

Article:Theseventhiscalledlackoffiliality(buxiao).

Subcommentary:Servingonesparentswelliscalledfiliality.Disobeyingthemiscalledlack

offiliality.

Commentary: This has reference to accusing to the court or cursing ones paternal

grandparentsorparents.

Article:Theninthiscalledwhatisnotright(buyi).

Subcommentary: Rites (ritual decorum) honor rightness. This section originally did not

includebloodrelatives because,basically, rightness isexercisedonly toward associates. It is

concernedwith turningonesbackonrightnessandviolatinghumaneness.Therefore itis

calledwhatisnotright.


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Commentary: [This] means to kill ones department head, prefect, or magistrate, or the

teacherfromwhomonehasreceivedoneseducation.

Article:Thetenthiscalledincest(neiluan).

Subcommentary: The Zuo Commentary (Zuozhuan) states: The woman has her husbandshouse;themanhashiswifeschamber;andtheremustbenodefilementoneitherside.Ifthis

is changed, then there is incest. If one behaves like the birds and beasts3 and introduces

licentiousassociatesintoonesfamily,therulesofmoralityareconfused.Thereforethisiscalled

incest.

Commentary:Thissectionincludeshavingillicitsexualintercourse(jian)withrelativeswho

areofthefourthdegreeofmourningorcloser.

3ThisreferstothepassageinTheRulesofPropriety(Quli),RecordofRites,whereitisstatedthat

animalshavenomorality;thestagandhismaleoffspringbothcouplewiththesamedoe.

zhangsun wuji great tang code

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