Notions behind Reconciliatory Attempts in the Hung-wu Period of Ming China
Lam, Yuan-chu
Wellesley College
35th Meeting of the PIAC, Taipei 1992
This paper has chosen to focus on three of the remarks which are frequently found in the edicts and pronouncements of the first emperor of the Ming dynasty, Chu Yüan-chang. In his dealing with the Mongols, there were violent means such as the so-called “desert wars” fought in the steppe, but more often, he was engaging in reconciliation.
Chu Yüan-chang preferred to call the grassland in the north “sha-mo.” In Chinese, “sha-mo” means desert, absolutely not suitable for agriculture. This notion bore a historical significance that could be traced as far back as the Han dynasty. It denoted the land occupied by the Hsiung-nu. During the Liao, Ch’in and Yüan dynasties, the concept of a northern sha-mo, as in contrast with China, did not exist. In the beginning of the Ming dynasty, since Chu Yüan-chang was very much concerned with building a genuine Chinese empire which could restore the glory of the Han dynasty, he was willing to leave the “sha-mo” to the Mongols, as long as they would become a vassal state outside of China.
The second and third notions directly involved the former Yüan ruling house. Chu Yüan-chang welcomed the commoners of the Mongols and Central Asians to stay behind in China, but, as for the escaped Yüan ruler and his successors, they were considered aliens, and were labeled the “Yi/Ti.” Again, these were ancient Chinese names for the outsiders, namely, the barbarians. The most constructive dynastic myth that Chu Yüan-chang ever conjured, was his equal application of “T’ien (Heaven or predestination)” to the rise of his dynasty and the demise of the Yüan dynasty. Under the recongition of Heaven, the Yi/Ti controlled empire was included in the history of China without discrimination.
The notions of sha-mo, Yi/Ti and T’ien dominated Chu Yüan-chang’s thinking about the Mongols, his major opponents. It was very unfortunate that the founder of a Chinese dynasty which succeeded the Yüan empire had such a limited and retrogressive vision. The Yi/Ti could conquer the central plain and main tain control for almost one cen tury; this had been proved by the Mongolian Yuan dynasty. The succeeding Chinese Ming dynasty was able to rule over China proper for more than two hundred years, but constantly suffered invasions from the North. The Great Wall in North China was a boundary in the eyes of the Ming rulers, but it was not acceptable to their opponents.