Sourcing: An Imperial Edict Restraining Officials from Evil Excerpts
WORLD HISTORY PROJECTORIGINS/ LESSON 5.4ACTIVITYSOURCING EXCERPT: AN IMPERIAL EDICT RESTRAINING OFFICIALS FROM EVILUnless otherwise noted, this work is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Credit: “Sourcing Excerpts: An Imperial Edict Restraining Officials from Evil”, OER Project, https://www.oerproject.com/1ProcessAs you read these documents, focus on completing the Audience and Point of Viewsections of the Sourcing Tool. Additionally, keep this questionin mindas you read:How did the Ming emperor attempt to maintain order and control of his empire? Source: “An Imperial Edict Restraining Officials from Evil by the Hongwu Emperor” (c. 1385)Introduction: Hongwu (1328–1398 CE) was the first emperor of the Ming dynasty. He was born into a poor family and grew up in a rural area of China. He spent many years at a Buddhist monastery before joining the local rebellion against the Mongols (Yuan Dynasty) in 1352. Finally, in 1368, after more than a decade fighting against the Mongols and other rebel factions, he was declared emperor of the new dynasty, the Ming. However, it would take an additional 14 years for Hongwu to conquer and unite China under his rule. He was a strict ruler who wanted to reinstate Confucian beliefs and practices after the philosophy had lost its importance under the Mongols. Hongwu issued a series of edicts from 1385 to 1387 CE and had them posted throughout towns and villages.I have told you to refrain from [reject] evil. Doing so would enable you to bring glory to your ancestors, your wives and children, and yourselves. With your virtue, you then could assist me in my endeavors [attempts] to bring good fortune and prosperity to the people. You would establish names for yourselves in Heaven and on earth, and for thousands and thousands of years, you would be praised as worthy men.However, after assuming your posts, how many of you really followed my instructions? Those of you in charge of money and grain have stolen them yourselves; those of you in charge of criminal laws and punishments have neglected the regulations. ... Occasionally these unjust matters come to my attention. After I discover the truth, I capture and imprison the corrupt, villainous, and oppressive officials involved. I punish them with the death penalty or forced labor or have them flogged [beaten] with bamboo sticks in order to make manifest [visible] the consequences of good or evil actions.Those who have died from their punishments are mute [silent]. However, those who survive confuse the truth by speaking falsely. Lying to their friends and neighbors, they all say they are innocent. They complain, “The court’s punishments are savage and cruel.” This kind of slander [insult] is all too common.
WORLD HISTORY PROJECT ORIGINS / LESSON 5.4ACTIVITYSOURCING EXCERPTS: AN IMPERIAL EDICT RESTRAINING OFFICIALS FROM EVIL2Yet I had clearly warned my officials from the beginning not to do anything wrong. Too often they have not followed my words, thereby bringing disaster upon themselves. ...Previously, during the final years of the Yuan dynasty, there were many ambitious men competing for power who did not treasure their sons and daughters but prized jade and silk, coveted [desired] fine horses and beautiful clothes, relished [enjoyed] drunken singing and unrestrained pleasure, and enjoyed separating people from their parents, wives, and children. I also lived in that chaotic period. How did I avoid such snares [traps]? I was able to do so because I valued my reputation and wanted to preserve my life. Therefore I did not dare to do these evil things. ...In order to protect my reputation and to preserve my life, I have done away with music, beautiful girls, and valuable objects. Those who love such things are usually “a success in the morning, a failure in the evening.” Being aware of the fallacy [error] of such behavior, I will not indulge such foolish fancies. It is not really that hard to do away with these tempting things.Source:Buckley, Patricia Ebrey. Chinese Civilization: A Sourcebook. Translated by Lily Hwa. New York: The Free Press, 1993, 205–206.