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Son of Heaven

January 03, 2023

Not to be confused with Son of God.

Son of Heaven, or Tianzi (Chinese: 天子; pinyin: Tiānzǐ), was the sacred monarchical title of the Chinese sovereign. It originated with the Zhou dynasty and was founded on the political and spiritual doctrine of the Mandate of Heaven. Since the Qin dynasty, the secular imperial title of the Son of Heaven was "Huangdi".

Son of Heaven
Chinese name
Chinese天子
Vietnamese name
VietnameseThiên tử
Chữ Hán天子
Korean name
Hangul천자
Hanja天子
Japanese name
Kanji天子
Hiraganaてんし
Inscription on Heng gui's lid (恒簋葢; 恆簋蓋; Héng guǐ gài), from Western Zhou period. Framed are the graphs 天子 in bronze script.

The title, "Son of Heaven", was subsequently adopted by other Sinospheric monarchs to justify their rule.

The Son of Heaven was the supreme universal monarch, who ruled tianxia (means "all under heaven"). His status is rendered in English as "ruler of the whole world."[1] The title, "Son of Heaven", was interpreted literally only in China and Japan, whose monarchs were referred to as demigods, deities, or "living gods", chosen by the gods and goddesses of heaven.[2]

History and adoption

 
Son of Heaven was a title of the King Wu of Zhou and subsequent Chinese sovereigns.

The title "Son of Heaven" (Chinese: 天子; pinyin: Tiānzǐ; Middle Chinese: tʰen t͡sɨX; Old Chinese (B-S): *l̥ˤin *tsəʔ) stems from the concept of the Mandate of Heaven, created by the Zhou dynasty monarchs to justify their having deposed the Shang dynasty. They held that Heaven had revoked its mandate from the Shang and given it to the Zhou in retribution for Shang corruption and misrule. Heaven bestowed the mandate on whomever was most fit to rule. The title held the monarch responsible for the prosperity and security of his people by the threat of taking away his mandate.[2] "Son of Heaven" was often one of several titles adopted by Sinospheric monarchs. The Emperor Taizong of Tang held the title "Son of Heaven", alongside The title "Tengeri Qaghan" which he had gained after defeating the Eastern Turkic Khaganate.[3] Japanese monarchs likewise used a second title, tennō (天皇, "Heavenly Emperor"), that, like "Son of Heaven", appealed to the emperor's connection to Heaven.[4]

The title carried widespread influence across East Asia as the ancient Chinese monarchical title, tianzi (天子), "Son of Heaven", was later adopted by the Emperor of Japan during the Asuka period.[5] Japan sent diplomatic missions to China, then ruled by the Sui dynasty, and formed cultural and commercial ties with China.[6] Japan's Yamato state modeled its government after the Chinese Confucian imperial bureaucracy. A Japanese mission of 607 CE delivered a message from "the Son of Heaven in the land where the sun rises ... to the Son of Heaven in the land where the sun sets."[5] But the Japanese emperor's title was less contingent than that of his Chinese counterpart; there was no divine mandate that would punish Japan's emperor for failing to rule justly. The right to rule of the Japanese emperor, descended from the sun goddess Amaterasu, was absolute.[7] Based on epitaphs dating to the 4th and 5th centuries, Gaogouli had concepts of the Son of Heaven (天帝之子) and tianxia.[8][9][10] The rulers of Goryeo used the titles of emperor and Son of Heaven and positioned Goryeo at the center of the Haedong (海東; "East of the Sea") tianxia, which encompassed the historical domain of the "Samhan", another name for the Three Kingdoms of Korea.[11]

The title was also adopted in Vietnam, known in Vietnamese as Thiên tử (Chữ Hán: 天子). A divine mandate gave the Vietnamese emperor the right to rule, based not on his lineage but on his competence to govern.[12] Vietnam's adoption of a Confucian bureaucracy, presided over by Vietnam's Son of Heaven, led to the creation of a Vietnamese tributary system in Southeast Asia, modeled after the Chinese Sinocentric system in East Asia.[13]

See also

References

  1. ^ Ebrey 2010, p. 179.
  2. ^ a b Dull 1990, p. 59.
  3. ^ Twitchett 2000, p. 124.
  4. ^ Ooms 2009, pp. 154–156.
  5. ^ a b Huffman 2010, p. 15.
  6. ^ Inoue 1993, p. 182.
  7. ^ Beasley 1999, p. 29.
  8. ^ Yeongkwang, Jo (2015). "Status and Tasks for Study of the Foreign Relations and World View of Koguryo in the Gwanggaeto Stele". Dongbuga Yeoksa Nonchong (in Korean) (49): 70–76. ISSN 1975-7840. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  9. ^ "고구려의 천하관". 우리역사넷 (in Korean). National Institute of Korean History. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  10. ^ "장수왕의 남진 정책". 우리역사넷. National Institute of Korean History. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  11. ^ Em, Henry (2013). The Great Enterprise: Sovereignty and Historiography in Modern Korea. Duke University Press. pp. 24–26. ISBN 978-0822353720. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  12. ^ Woodside 1971, p. 9.
  13. ^ Woodside 1971, pp. 234–237.
  14. ^ Book of Han, Vol. 94-I, 匈奴謂天為「撐犁」，謂子為「孤塗」，單于者，廣大之貌也.

General references

  • Beasley, William (1999). "The Making of a Monarchy". The Japanese Experience: A Short History of Japan. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-22560-2.
  • Dull, Jack (1990). "The Evolution of Government in China". Heritage of China: Contemporary Perspectives on Chinese Civilization. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-06441-6.
  • Ebrey, Patricia Buckley (2010) [1996]. The Cambridge Illustrated History of China (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-12433-1.
  • Huffman, James (2010). Japan in World History. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-979884-1.
  • Inoue, Mitsusada (1993). "The Century of Reform". The Cambridge History of Japan. Cambridge University Press. pp. 163–220. ISBN 978-0-521-22352-2.
  • Ooms, Herman (2009). Imperial Politics and Symbolics in Ancient Japan: The Tenmu Dynasty, 650–800. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 978-0-8248-3235-3.
  • Twitchett, Denis (2000). H. J. Van Derven (ed.). Warfare in Chinese History. BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-11774-7.
  • Woodside, Alexander (1971). Vietnam and the Chinese Model: A Comparative Study of Vietnamese and Chinese Government in the First Half of the Nineteenth Century. Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-93721-5.

January 03, 2023
heaven, confused, with, tianzi, chinese, 天子, pinyin, tiānzǐ, sacred, monarchical, title, chinese, sovereign, originated, with, zhou, dynasty, founded, political, spiritual, doctrine, mandate, heaven, since, dynasty, secular, imperial, title, huangdi, chinese, . Not to be confused with Son of God Son of Heaven or Tianzi Chinese 天子 pinyin Tianzǐ was the sacred monarchical title of the Chinese sovereign It originated with the Zhou dynasty and was founded on the political and spiritual doctrine of the Mandate of Heaven Since the Qin dynasty the secular imperial title of the Son of Heaven was Huangdi Son of HeavenChinese nameChinese天子TranscriptionsStandard MandarinHanyu PinyinTianzǐMiddle ChineseMiddle Chinesetʰen t sɨXOld ChineseBaxter Sagart 2014 l ˤin tseʔVietnamese nameVietnameseThien tửChữ Han天子Korean nameHangul천자Hanja天子Japanese nameKanji天子HiraganaてんしInscription on Heng gui s lid 恒簋葢 恆簋蓋 Heng guǐ gai from Western Zhou period Framed are the graphs 天子 in bronze script The title Son of Heaven was subsequently adopted by other Sinospheric monarchs to justify their rule The Son of Heaven was the supreme universal monarch who ruled tianxia means all under heaven His status is rendered in English as ruler of the whole world 1 The title Son of Heaven was interpreted literally only in China and Japan whose monarchs were referred to as demigods deities or living gods chosen by the gods and goddesses of heaven 2 Contents 1 History and adoption 2 See also 3 References 3 1 General referencesHistory and adoption Edit Son of Heaven was a title of the King Wu of Zhou and subsequent Chinese sovereigns The title Son of Heaven Chinese 天子 pinyin Tianzǐ Middle Chinese tʰen t sɨX Old Chinese B S l ˤin tseʔ stems from the concept of the Mandate of Heaven created by the Zhou dynasty monarchs to justify their having deposed the Shang dynasty They held that Heaven had revoked its mandate from the Shang and given it to the Zhou in retribution for Shang corruption and misrule Heaven bestowed the mandate on whomever was most fit to rule The title held the monarch responsible for the prosperity and security of his people by the threat of taking away his mandate 2 Son of Heaven was often one of several titles adopted by Sinospheric monarchs The Emperor Taizong of Tang held the title Son of Heaven alongside The title Tengeri Qaghan which he had gained after defeating the Eastern Turkic Khaganate 3 Japanese monarchs likewise used a second title tennō 天皇 Heavenly Emperor that like Son of Heaven appealed to the emperor s connection to Heaven 4 The title carried widespread influence across East Asia as the ancient Chinese monarchical title tianzi 天子 Son of Heaven was later adopted by the Emperor of Japan during the Asuka period 5 Japan sent diplomatic missions to China then ruled by the Sui dynasty and formed cultural and commercial ties with China 6 Japan s Yamato state modeled its government after the Chinese Confucian imperial bureaucracy A Japanese mission of 607 CE delivered a message from the Son of Heaven in the land where the sun rises to the Son of Heaven in the land where the sun sets 5 But the Japanese emperor s title was less contingent than that of his Chinese counterpart there was no divine mandate that would punish Japan s emperor for failing to rule justly The right to rule of the Japanese emperor descended from the sun goddess Amaterasu was absolute 7 Based on epitaphs dating to the 4th and 5th centuries Gaogouli had concepts of the Son of Heaven 天帝之子 and tianxia 8 9 10 The rulers of Goryeo used the titles of emperor and Son of Heaven and positioned Goryeo at the center of the Haedong 海東 East of the Sea tianxia which encompassed the historical domain of the Samhan another name for the Three Kingdoms of Korea 11 The title was also adopted in Vietnam known in Vietnamese as Thien tử Chữ Han 天子 A divine mandate gave the Vietnamese emperor the right to rule based not on his lineage but on his competence to govern 12 Vietnam s adoption of a Confucian bureaucracy presided over by Vietnam s Son of Heaven led to the creation of a Vietnamese tributary system in Southeast Asia modeled after the Chinese Sinocentric system in East Asia 13 See also Edit China portal History portal Asia portal Monarchy portal Religion portalChinese sovereign Emperor of China Monarchy of China Emperor at home king abroad Little China ideology Manifestation of God Bahaʼi Faith Devaraja Divine Right of Kings Sinocentrism Chinese Tributary System Pax Sinica Chinese peace Tian Heaven Shangdi God Tian Xia All under Heaven Tian Chao Dynasty of Heaven Tian Kehan Khan of Heaven Tian Ming Mandate of Heaven Tian Zi Son of Heaven Zhou dynasty Chanyu title used by the Xiongnu s supreme leaders prefaced with Chinese transcription 撐犁孤塗 Chengli gutu which was glossed as Son of Heaven by Book of Han 14 References Edit Ebrey 2010 p 179 a b Dull 1990 p 59 Twitchett 2000 p 124 Ooms 2009 pp 154 156 a b Huffman 2010 p 15 Inoue 1993 p 182 Beasley 1999 p 29 Yeongkwang Jo 2015 Status and Tasks for Study of the Foreign Relations and World View of Koguryo in the Gwanggaeto Stele Dongbuga Yeoksa Nonchong in Korean 49 70 76 ISSN 1975 7840 Retrieved 3 November 2018 고구려의 천하관 우리역사넷 in Korean National Institute of Korean History Retrieved 3 November 2018 장수왕의 남진 정책 우리역사넷 National Institute of Korean History Retrieved 6 December 2018 Em Henry 2013 The Great Enterprise Sovereignty and Historiography in Modern Korea Duke University Press pp 24 26 ISBN 978 0822353720 Retrieved 3 November 2018 Woodside 1971 p 9 Woodside 1971 pp 234 237 Book of Han Vol 94 I 匈奴謂天為 撐犁 謂子為 孤塗 單于者 廣大之貌也 General references Edit Beasley William 1999 The Making of a Monarchy The Japanese Experience A Short History of Japan University of California Press ISBN 978 0 520 22560 2 Dull Jack 1990 The Evolution of Government in China Heritage of China Contemporary Perspectives on Chinese Civilization University of California Press ISBN 978 0 520 06441 6 Ebrey Patricia Buckley 2010 1996 The Cambridge Illustrated History of China 2nd ed Cambridge University Press ISBN 978 0 521 12433 1 Huffman James 2010 Japan in World History Oxford University Press ISBN 978 0 19 979884 1 Inoue Mitsusada 1993 The Century of Reform The Cambridge History of Japan Cambridge University Press pp 163 220 ISBN 978 0 521 22352 2 Ooms Herman 2009 Imperial Politics and Symbolics in Ancient Japan The Tenmu Dynasty 650 800 University of Hawaii Press ISBN 978 0 8248 3235 3 Twitchett Denis 2000 H J Van Derven ed Warfare in Chinese History BRILL ISBN 978 90 04 11774 7 Woodside Alexander 1971 Vietnam and the Chinese Model A Comparative Study of Vietnamese and Chinese Government in the First Half of the Nineteenth Century Harvard University Press ISBN 978 0 674 93721 5 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Son of Heaven amp oldid 1118041541, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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