Emergence of New Ancestral Narratives in North China during the 10th to 19th Century

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K03147
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: History of Asia and Africa
• Research Institution: Waseda University
• Principal Investigator: IIYAMA Tomoyasu 早稲田大学, 文学学術院, 教授 (20549513)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 碑刻史料 / モンゴル統治 / 祖先伝承 / 碑文の再解釈

Outline of Final Research Achievements

I collected genealogical texts, stele inscriptions, and other relevant sources (including recent publications on ancestral history) narrating ancestral narratives originating from the memories of Mongol rule in North China during the thirteenth and fourteenth century. While exploring the rise of a new epigraphic practice during the Yuan era (1234-1368), I also investigated how the same stele inscriptions were read and reinterpreted after the demise of Mongol rule in China and brought about the new ancestral narratives that led to the emergence of the proto "minzu" identities.
I published articles on the topics in English and Japanese, have one of my books translated in Chinese, presented papers to multiple conferences, and published a book in English.

Free Research Field

中国華北社会史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

従来、史料が偏在する南方中国を中心とした行われてきた歴史的「中国」社会の研究に対し、碑刻史料を全面的に用いて史料の欠落を補った上で、いままで通時的な知見に乏しかった華北社会の歴史を明らかにした。この結果、歴史的「中国」における社会の構造や、国家との関係、そして非中国的要素の存在のあり方などには、非常に顕著な多様性があり、とくに外来の征服者の統治がいかに、そしてどのくらい長く行われたのかにより、在地社会の指導者層のあり方や、その存続の原則などに、従来は想像されてこなかった非中国政権の統治の影響・痕跡があることが分かった。