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Appendix II. The Sacred Field
This was the field in which the emperor opened the
agricultural season by himself turning several furrows. Chavannes discussed the
derivation and meaning of this word; cf. Mh II, 463, n.
2. The Commentator Tsan whom he mentions is Fu Tsan (fl. ca. 285). Cf. also
Maspero, La Chine antique, p. 231-232.
Ying Shao, in a comment to HS 4: 9b, says, "Anciently the Son of Heaven plowed 10 mou
of the sacred field for the world." Wei Chao adds, "藉 is to borrow. He borrows
the strength of the people to cultivate it in order to uphold the ancestral
temple and moreover to encourage and lead the empire, causing them to emphasize
agriculture." Wang Hsien-ch'ien says that, anciently 藉 and 籍 were interchanged;
according to the comment of Ying Shao on HS 4: 9b, his
text had the latter character; Wei Chao's comment (197-273/4) shows that his
text had the former. The Official ed. has the latter character at that point.
The word should be written correctly as 耤. In the Shuo-wen under this last
character "it says, `The emperor's Sacred Field [contains] 1000 mou. In ancient
times [the government] employed the people like borrowing them. Hence it was
called 耤, from 耒 [to plow] and 昔 giving the pronunciation.' Under 耤 [the Shuo-wen]
says, `The sacrificial pad [made of Myriophyllum 藻 or Imperata 茅, on which an
offering was placed].' It also says, `Grass which is not plaited is a wolf's
litter (i.e. in great disorder) 草不編狼藉.' Under 籍 it says, `An account book.' " Then Wei
Chao's interpretation, which Chavannes rejects, is correct.
HS 65: 10b says, "The
Ku-ch'eng Temple is distant, with no place for sojourning; moreover [the place
is entirely] occupied by catalpas, bamboos, and the Sacred Field." Fu Ch'ien
[ca. 125-195] comments on a sentence on 4: 12b [cf. p. 249], "The Ku-ch'eng
Temple was south of the city of Ch'ang-an." Wang Ch'i-Yüan (xix cent.) says,
commenting on 4: 9b, "This was the fixed place of the Han [dynasty's] sacred
field. Emperor Hsiao-wu plowed [the sacred field] in the Shang-lin [Park;
Emperor] Hsiao-chao plowed [the sacred field] in the amusement park [within the
Wei-yang Palace] of the Intendant of the Imperial Palace Parks. Hence the
annals especially record it [because it was not the usual practise.
HS] 24 [A: 12a] says, `The Emperor was impressed by the
words of Chia Yi to open the sacred field the first time.' " But from the dates
in Chia Yi's memorial (24A: 10b), this latter statement seems incorrect.
Tu Yu (735-812) in his T'ung-tien, ch. 46, has a
long historical account dealing with the practise of plowing the sacred field,
beginning with the Chou and ending with the T'ang dynasty. We append a
translation of his account dealing with the first two dynasties: "[According
to] the regulations of the Chou [dynasty], `the Son of Heaven in the first
month of spring selected [the day] of the first conjunction [of the sun and
moon] and, himself carrying the plow and plowshare, placed them in the right
[side] of his chariot. Leading the great ministers of the first and second
ranks, the nobles, and the grandees, he personally plowed in the sacred field
of a thousand mou in the southern suburbs [of the capital]. With his
[ceremonial] cap with vermillion cap-strings, he himself held the plow, and the
Son of Heaven [turned] three furrows' [the foregoing sentences are taken from
the Book of Rites, Bk. IV, sect. I, pt. I, par. 13] in order to use it to serve
Heaven, Earth, the mountains, the streams, the gods of the land and of the
grains, and the deceased rulers, using [its products] to make sweet wine, rice
or millet wine, millet, and sacrificial grain. Thereupon these products were
taken to the Neichai [the superintendant of the inner apartments in the palace]
and `an imperial edict [summoned] the Empress to lead the persons in the six
palaces [within the imperial palace] to make the late and early [varieties of]
seed to grow in order to present them to the ancestors' [these sentences are
taken from the Chou-li, cf. Biot's trans. I, p. 148]. She ordered the ladies of
the harem to store the seed to grow it again. The Tien-szu [the officer in
charge of the laborers] `put himself at the head of his subordinates and tilled
and hoed the King's field, and in season brought [to him its products]' [this
sentence is also taken from the Chou-li; cf. Biot's trans. I, p. 84].
"Under the Han [dynasty], the decree of Emperor Wen
reads, `Agriculture is the foundation of the world. Let the sacred field be
opened. We Ourself lead in plowing in order to provide millet and grain
offerings for the [imperial] ancestral temples.' The [Han-]
chiu-yi [composed by
Wei Hung, fl. 25-57, pt. II, p. 6b, 7a] says, `In the beginning of spring, [the
Emperor] himself plows in the sacred field east [of the capital]. The officials
sacrifice to the God of Agriculture. (The God of Agriculture is Shen-nung,
Emperor Yen.) They offer one ox, one ram, and one pig. The many officials all
follow him. The Emperor [plows] three furrows, the three highest ministers
[plow] five [furrows], the assistants to the three highest ministers and the
[other] ministers [plow] ten ]furrows], the gentlemen and the common people
[finish plowing] the entire mou. [The Emperor] grants to [the people of] the
three [capital] commanderies within 200 li, to the Filially Pious, Fraternally
Respectful, and Cultivators of the Fields and to the San-lao, cloth, silk and
ten thousand hu of seeds of all kinds of grains, in order to establish for them
the granary of the sacred field. He establishes a Chief and Assistants for the
granary. The grains are all used for the grain offerings at the worship in the
sacrifices to Heaven, Earth, in the ancestral temple, and to the many spirits
of mountains and rivers.' The Emperor Ching's imperial edict said, `We
Ourselves plow to lead the world [in plowing].' The Emperor Chao, when young,
ascended the throne and plowed in the amusement park of the Intendant of the
Imperial Palace Parks [within the Wei-yang Palace]."
The ancient word for the Sacred Field implies that
this field was one which `borrows' the forces of the people for its
cultivation. The Emperor himself only plowed a few furrows, the actual
cultivation was done by others. In Han times, the Imperial Sacred Field was
located at the Ku-ch'eng Temple, south of Ch'ang-an, although, on occasion,
other places were plowed. The products of the Imperial Field were used for
sacrifices in the imperial ancestral temples.
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