History 150a
Heian Aristocratic Society
Overview of Heian Court Life
The Courtiers
The Rule of Taste
Aristocratic Settings
Writing Cultures
Insularity: Sign of Failure or Success?
The Heian Courtiers
Origins:
Early regional leadership
Skilled Korean and Chinese immigrants
Conversion of uji into aristocratic lineages
Population:
Total in Japan approximately 5 million
About 50,000 or 1% live in the capitol
Less than 5000 actually of rank hierarchy
What Did Courtiers Do?
Men: "Office" work
Ritual functions
Networking and Alliances
Aesthetic Competition
Athletic Competition
Acquisition of Knowledge
The Politics of Style
The aristocracy emphasized breeding as the natural foundation of the ruling class
Accordingly, marriage arrangements were a central political and economic concern
Polygamous
Matrilocal or duolocal
Gender and social mobility?
Historical nature of “competence” and “attractiveness”
The Rule of Taste
Means of excluding outsiders
Means of managing competition within aristocracy
Criteria: taste, sensitivity, refinement, intellect, talent
Mono no aware and miyabi
Aristocratic Settings
Communicating Through Clothing
Sumptuary laws
"Cultured Nature"
Expression of communal values v. Originality?
Developments in Writing
State emphasis on administration through writing fueled dissemination in ruling class
Writing as vehicle for standardization
Development of kana syllabaries makes possible wider variety of expression
Writing as a social technology
Different Spheres for Writing
Male writing
Administrative
Mostly in Chinese
Chinese poetry
Chinese characters and some katakana
Female writing
Private
In Japanese
Waka poetry
Mostly in hiragana
Katakana for transmission of the Spoken/Sacred
Oracles and vows
Recording oral testimonies
Hiragana as vehicle for spread of literacy
Men used hiragana for letters and diaries
From private affairs to more general use
Heian Gender and Power
Elite women owned own property and could receive independent rank
Overall trend is toward “privatization” of elite women
Aristocratic Women: Exclusion or Freedom?
Heian Court Life
Advancement only through intimate knowledge of court
Rule of Taste and homogenization of capitol elites
Gap between capital elite and local regional heads
Huge gap between exquisite lives of aristocrats and lives of commoners
The fear of exile
Insularity: failure or success?
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Lecture 9: Heian Elites
