The Confucian Ideal of Harmonious Community according to the Norms of the Wu Lineage from Mingzhou

1 Michal Vázal: The Confucian Ideal of Harmonious Community according to the Norms of the Wu Lineage from Mingzhou Abstract Abstract: This paper aims to characterize the structure and values produced by rituals in a kinship community, and how these characteristics subsequently helped to shape a harmoniously working community and its ideological relationship with the state in terms of local governance. The rituals in question are partially confined in time and place, as they are observed on one particular community, and are examined only in the extent of the primary source named "The Norms and Rituals of the Wu Lineage of Mingzhou" (Mingzhou Wu Shi Jiadian) - a ritual manual authored mainly by Wu Di (died 1736) from the village of Mingzhou, which belonged to the Huizhou prefecture (the south of the present day Anhui province). On the other hand, this text is largely based on Zhu Xi's "Family Rituals" (Jiali) which were viewed across the country as the ritual standard. The most essential rituals used to govern the lineage were coming of age ritual, wedding rituals, funeral rituals and sacrifices to ancestors. A unifying principle behind the structure and values these rituals created was seniority. The lineage structure was created mainly by the system in which the branches of firstborn sons were superiors to..