Once upon a time, ancient necropolises were not considered an auspicious place for people, let alone the topic of death. However, in the eyes of the ancient emperors, the construction of cemeteries became an inevitable act. Why could the emperor ignore the taboo of death? At the same time, people also have different names for death, such as "death", "death", "year-round" and so on. Before reading this article, please click "Follow" to facilitate discussion and sharing, and you can get a different sense of participation. Thank you for your support.
InAncient societiesDeath is not given much special meaning, and people treat the body of the deceased more casually, often placing it at will. But with the advent of tribes, people felt death more deeply. When the remains are placed in an open-air environment, they arePoisonous insectsWhen eating with animals, the relatives and friends of the deceased felt very distressed and felt that this treatment was not appropriate. So people began to bury the bodies of the deceased with earth. With the emergence of the aristocratic class, in order to facilitate rule, some customs and habits were elevated to the level of state ideology, so the concept of "life and death are the same" in the "Xunzi Treatise on Etiquette" appeared, requiring that the deceased be treated in the same way as the living.
In the Zhou Dynasty, etiquette was the code of conduct of various aristocratic classes, and the content of funerals was recorded in the ".EtiquetteWeekly Ritesand ".Ritesand other works. The funeral is a fierce ceremony, which includes four parts: before the funeral, the first funeral, the funeral period and the burial. Before mourning, aristocratic patients whose condition deteriorated would be moved to a clean and tidy room to prevent male aristocratic patients from dying in the care of women and female aristocratic patients dying at the hands of men. The patient's head is facing east, symbolizing new life, hope, and yang. The purpose of this arrangement is to enable the patient to recover. There are also rules for the patient's posture and lying position during mourning. When the patient's condition does not improve, the family will move them from the bed to the floor, believing that this will give them more access to the earth. When a patient is dying, the family will place a new ball of cotton on the patient's nose to determine if they are still alive. When a patient passes away, the family members also change their clothes.
The funeral regulations are documented in theEtiquetteWeekly Ritesand ".Ritesand other works. In the first funeral, the family members should wear itFilial pietyas a sign of mourning. Filial pietyColors, textures and styles are specified in detail, depending on the kinship and statusFilial pietyThe styles are also different. The funeral period refers to the period of time from the funeral to the end of the farewell mourning period, which is generally three or five years. During this period, the family members should follow the regulationsSacrificeand memorials to show respect and remembrance for the deceased. Burial refers to the process of burying the body in the ground, and it is also the last part of the funeral ceremony. The burials of ancient emperors were usually very solemn and solemn to show the nobility and reverence of their ruling position.
In ancient China, funeral regulations were very strict and had to be followedSocialetiquette, but also to complyCosmologyand the idea of the unity of heaven and man. Therefore, funeral ceremonies usually include many details, such as the time and place of the funeral, the etiquette of the funeral, the funeral utensils and their furnishings, and so on. The tombs of ancient emperors were usually built and managed by official organizations, and they were large and splendid. As rulers, the power of emperors in the world is unlimited, but in the face of death, they are no different from ordinary people, and none of them can escape the fate of death.
The emperor's purpose in building the cemetery was to ensure the continuation of his reign. In ancient China, emperors were regarded as monarchs with the mandate of heaven, and their power came from the heavenly god and was given to maintain itSocialThe important task of order and stability. Therefore, the emperor's purpose in building the cemetery was to ensure that he would be honored and commemorated after his death, so as to maintain his rule and enable his descendants to inherit his throne.
The specific content and scale of the emperor's construction of the cemetery was often related to his power and status during his reign. Such as:Qin Shi HuangThe mausoleum is known asEight Wonders of the WorldOne of them, not only is it huge, but it also has a large number of treasures and funerary goods to ensure thatQin Shi HuangTo be able to live a comfortable and peaceful life in the afterlife. WhileMing ChengzuZhu Di's mausoleum is also very solemn and grand, and the Dingling Hall is even more splendid, known as "the style of the ages". By building a cemetery, the emperor could show his power and status, give a strong symbol to future generations, and passSacrificeand memorials to assert their dominance.
People's attitudes towards death vary from time to time and from time to timeCultureis different. In ancient China, people generally regarded death as an inevitable fate, believing that there would be an afterlife after death, and saw funeral as an important way to communicate with the souls of the deceased. Therefore, people usually try to provide a comfortable and peaceful environment for the deceased as much as possible to show respect and remembrance for the deceased.
Ancient China's attitude towards death was also affectedCosmologyand ".EthicsInfluenced by the belief that death is a transitional process and that the soul of the deceased will continue to exist and communicate with the living. Therefore, funeral ceremonies are seen as an important way to communicate with the souls of the deceased, and people pass throughSacrificeand memorials to express respect and remembrance for the deceased, and hope that they will receive peace and blessings in the afterlife.
In general, the attitude of ancient Chinese towards death was respect and reverence, they believed that there would be an afterlife after death, and expressed respect and remembrance for the deceased through funeral ceremonies. And the emperor built the cemetery to ensure the continuation of his dominance, to demonstrate his power and status, and to passSacrificeand memorials to assert their dominance.