The discourse on loyalty in the early Qing dynasty : a study of the biographies of loyalists in the Ming history = 《明史‧忠義傳》與清初忠義論述的建構

Abstract

This thesis aims to investigate the relationship between the Zhongyi zhuan (Biography of Loyalty and Righteousness) in the Mingshi (History of the Ming Dynasty) and the discourse surrounding loyalty and righteousness during the early Qing Dynasty. Introduction of the thesis highlights the main issues to be examined in the following chapters, reviews the relevant findings of previous researchers, and explains the chapter structure of the thesis. Then the thesis discusses how Prince of Fu’s Nanjing regime honoured the loyalists who were martyred in Beijing after the fall of the city in 1644. In addition, as the Southern Ming regimes were short-lived, the way the Manchu regime honoured these loyalists is also a major concern of the second chapter. Finally, the chapter examines how the issue of loyalty was discussed in historical writings prior to the compilation of the Mingshi through Fu Weilin's Mingshu (History of the Ming). Chapter 3 of the thesis investigates the different versions of the Zhongyi zhuan in the Mingshi and the changes in their contents during the compilation process. By comparing Xu Chao's draft version, Wan Shitong's 313-volume version, Xiong Cilu's 416-volume version, Wang Hongxu's Mingshi gao (Draft History of the Ming), and Zhang Tingyu's Dianben (Wuying Palace edition) of the Mingshi, this chapter attempts to illustrate the circumstances of the changes and the reasons behind them. Chapter 4 begins with a discussion of how Emperor Kangxi made use of the Three Feudatories' Rebellion to propagate the idea that subjects should be loyal to the imperial court, and how this idea influenced the compilation of the Mingshi. The author then discusses how Emperor Qianlong used the (Qinding) Shengchao xunjie zhuchen lu ([Imperially endorsed] Records of the subjects who had loyally died for the defeated dynasty) to shape the historical memory of the loyalists of the Ming Dynasty. Finally the conclusion summarises the main points of the thesis and reflects on its academic contributions.