Bao Zheng

This is a Chinese name; the family name is Bao.
BaoZheng.jpg

Bao Zheng (Chinese: 包拯; pinyin: Bāo Zhěng), courtesy name Xiren 希仁，posthumous title Xiaosu 孝肅 (999–1062) was a much-praised official who served during the reign of Emperor Renzong of Song China. Bao is so well-respected and legendary in Chinese history and culture, that today he is often prayed to as "Bao Gong" the God of Justice, and is the universal symbol of justice in China.

After passing the Jinshi examination in 1027, Bao deferred embarking on his official career for a decade in order to care for his elderly parents and faithfully observe proper mourning rites after their deaths. From 1037 until his death in 1062, Bao successively held several offices at court and in provincial locations. In his lifetime, Bao was renowned for his filial piety, his stern demeanor, and his intolerance of injustice and corruption. Due to his fame and the strength of his reputation, Bao's name became synonymous with the idealized "pure official" (qingguan 清官), and quickly became a popular subject of early vernacular drama and literature. Bao was also associated with the Buddhist god Yama and the "Infernal Bureaucracy" of the Eastern Marchmount, on account of his supposed ability to judge affairs in the afterlife as well as he judged them in the realm of the living. The fictionalized Bao Zheng was known variously as "Lord Bao" or "Judge Bao" (Chinese: 包公; pinyin: Bao Gong), Rescriptor-in-waiting Bao (Chinese: 包待制; pinyin: Bao Daizhi), Bao of the Dragon Image (Chinese: 包龍圖; pinyin: Bao Longtu), and "Blue-Sky Bao"/"Unclouded-Sky Bao" (Chinese: 包青天; pinyin: Bao Qingtian). From the middle of the Song Dynasty to the present day, the character of Judge Bao has appeared in a variety of different literary and dramatic genres, and has enjoyed a sustained popularity by audiences of all ages.

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Life and career

Bao Qingtian was born into a scholar family in Hefei, Anhui province, where the Memorial Temple of Lord Bao (包公祠) is still located near the city center. It was built in 1066 close to his tomb. At the age of 29, he passed the highest-level imperial exams and became qualified as a Jinshi. He was a magistrate in Bian (Kaifeng), the capital of the Song dynasty.

He is famous for his uncompromising stance against corruption among the government officials at the time. He upheld justice and refused to yield to higher powers including the "royal father-in-law" (國丈), who was also appointed as the Grand Tutor (太師) and was known as Grand Tutor Pang (Chinese: 龐太師; pinyin: Pang taishi). He treated Bao as an enemy. Although Grand Tutor Pang is often depicted in myth as an archetypical villain (arrogant, selfish, and cruel), the historical reasons for his bitter rivalry with Bao remains unclear.

Bao had conflicts with other powerful members of the imperial court as well, including the Prime Minister, Song Yang. He had 30 high officials demoted or dismissed for corruption, bribery, or dereliction of duty. He also had Zhang Yaozhuo, uncle of the high-ranked imperial concubine impeached 6 times. In addition, as the imperial censor, he avoided punishment despite having many other contemporary imperial censors punished for minor statements.

Tomb of Bao Zheng, mount and altar on top
Tomb of Bao Zheng, entrance to burial chamber

Bao Zheng also managed to remain in favor by cultivating a long standing friendship with one of Emperor Renzong's uncles, the Eighth Imperial Prince (Chinese: 八王爺; pinyin: Ba Wang Ye).

His burial site in Hefei contains his tomb along with the tombs of family members and a memorial temple.

In opera or drama, he is often portrayed with a black face and a white crescent shaped birthmark on his forehead. In most dramatization of his stories, he used a set of guillotines, given to him by the emperor, to execute criminals. The one decorated with a dog's head was used on commoners. The one decorated with a tiger's head was used on government officials. The one decorated with a dragon's head was used on royal personages. He was granted a golden rod by the previous emperor which he was authorized to chastise the current emperor with. He was also granted a precious sword from the previous emperor as a license to execute any royals before reporting to the emperor to get approval first (from where arose the idiom "先斬後奏", execute first, report later). In these works he was often helped by 12 deputies and detectives, collectively known as 七俠五義 (seven "knights"(Xia) and five "honerable men"(Yi)).

His name became synonymous with justice, with the clear blue sky (qing tian; 青天) became a popular metaphor to justice in the Chinese-speaking world. Due to his strong sense of justice, he is very popular in China, especially among the peasants and the poor. He became the subject of literature and modern Chinese TV series in which his adventures and cases are featured.

There are many legends and stories about Bao and his witty approach to solve mysterious and tough cases. Some famous examples include:

Bao's Legendary Allies

Wealthy Ironmasters in Dengzhou, a memorandum to the throne

Main articles: Economy of the Song Dynasty and Technology of the Song Dynasty

The poet and statesman Su Shi (1036-1101) wrote a memorandum to the throne in 1078 of the problems facing the Chinese iron industry at Liguo Industrial Prefecture, when he served as the governor of Xuzhou.[1] Su Shi wrote that of the 36 smelters each employing a workforce of several hundred persons, there was risk of bankruptcy due to the rivaling iron industry complex in Hebei province that convinced the central court to halt Xuzhou-manufactured iron products from being shipped up north through Hebei (on top of bandits robbing the wealthy ironwork families).[1] Much earlier though, in 1046, Bao Qingtian wrote a memorandum to the throne about the dire economic conditions of the iron industry in Dengzhou, and his concern for the iron industry nationwide. He wrote:

“ Request for the removal of the names of certain iron-producing households in Dengzhou from the register. Your servant begs to observe that he has previously set forth the condition of eighteen iron-smelting households in Dengzhou, including the Jiang and Lu families. I have stated that they are poor families without the means to smelt iron. Year after year they sell agricultural products and, 'sitting on an empty nest', purchase iron which they pay in to the government. I request that, in accordance to the regulations, their names be removed from the register [of iron-producing households]...I have twice made submissions on this subject, but have not received instructions. My investigations show that in former times, in those areas which produced the largest quantities of iron products, many of the households which originally requested permission to smelt have used up their family fortunes, and have no iron to work with; but the officials will not accept that they are poor. Unassisted they have delivered their quotas of iron, and in so doing they have dissipated their assets. [The obligation] continues with their children and grandchildren, who cannot avoid it. This is very often the situation. Though the potential profit is great, the rich fear future calamity, and are unwilling to establish [iron smelters]. For this reason the production of iron daily decreases, and for a long time there has been no entrepreneurial activity. I request that they [the rich] be required to be smelting households. But those who are truly bankrupt, and do not have the means to engage in industry, should be thoroughly investigated by an Imperial Commissioner; if no fraudulent practice is found, [the situation] should immediately be reported to the Tax Transport Bureau [of the circuit]. The prefectures and districts should as before be ordered to encourage all manner of persons, continually and in many ways, to establish ironworks, and not be permitted to delay or hinder them. If this advice is followed, the [iron-smelting] households will be happy in their work and the supply of iron will increase. For the bringing of plenty to the people and enriching the state there is nothing better than this.[2] ”

Popular Culture

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Wagner, 178-179.
  2. ↑ Wagner, 179-180.
  3. ↑ Wang, Yun Heng (汪运衡) and Xiao Yun Long (筱云龙). Tie Bei Jin Dao Zhou Tong Zhuan (铁臂金刀周侗传 - "Iron Arm, Golden Sabre: The Biography of Zhou Tong"). Hangzhou: Zhejiang People's Publishing House, 1986 (UBSN --- Union Books and Serials Number) CN (10103.414) and 464574

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