明代教化政策对滇西土司国家认同的强化作用——以云南省博物馆藏御制佛教图轴为视角

The Enhancement Role of Ming Dynasty Enlightenment Policies on National Identity of the Tusi in Western Yunnan:An Analysis of Imperial Buddhism Scrolls Housed in the Yunnan Provincial Museum

在明代云南融入国家一体化发展进程中,中央王朝利用佛教在云南推行教化政策,通过赐经典、颁寺额等方式支持汉传佛教在云南的发展。收藏于云南省博物馆的三幅明代万历年间朝廷赏赐给丽江木氏土司的御制佛教图轴便是这种历史背景下的产物,折射出明代教化政策对滇西土司国家认同的影响。从政治层面看,土司的权力来自中央王朝的赋予,积极在鸡足山捐建寺院不仅成为滇西土司表达政治认同的一种方式,土司们也通过此举争夺地方话语权,树立在滇西社会内部的权威;从文化层面看,宗教信仰不仅是帝国与土司构建认同的纽带,在长期与中央王朝的互动中,土司的国家认同逐渐内化,产生了主动融入汉文化圈的诉求。在中央王朝利用佛教实施教化的政策下,鸡足山成为一个特殊的宗教场域,在此场域中宗教超越了信仰范畴而成为不同利益主体之间互动与博弈的工具。在各种关系的互动过程中,滇西土司的国家认同也得到了建构与强化。

It is generally understood that the Ming Dynasty marked a significant era of Yunnan’s integration into a multi-ethnic China.In the process of accelerating the integration of Yunnan and the Central Plains,records further show Buddhism was used to carry out—what can be called—enlightenment policies in Yunnan:The three imperial Buddhist scrolls,now housed in the Yunnan Provincial Museum,were bestowed upon Mu Tusi(native official in imperial China)by the imperial court during the Wanli period in the Ming dynasty as part of this context.This evidently was a politically symbolic act that reinforced the national identity of the Tusi under the Ming Dynasty’s enlightenment policies in western Yunnan.Records further attest that,politically,the Tusi and the Central Dynasty formed a reciprocal political alliance.The court gave the Tusi legal authority over local affairs,and the Tusi actively strengthened ties with the central dynasty.Under this policy of enlightenment,the Tusi in western Yunnan actively donated temples in Jizu Mountain.In addition,the central dynasty often sent scriptures to the major temples in Jizu Mountain,further encouraging these donations.Donating temples became a way for the Tusi in western Yunnan to express their political identity to the central dynasty.By all accounts,Tusi power was dual in nature,deriving both from the central dynasty and their own local society.With this advancing national integration,local traditional power structures gradually weakened,and donating temples became a way for the Tusi to assert their right to speak within the society.The Tusi’s motivation for donating monasteries and requesting sutras from the central court was driven not only by religious beliefs but also by the need to accumulate political capital.Culturally,the political identity established under the Tusi system seemingly involved both external influence and internal adoption.Moreover,records report that through the prolonged interaction with the central dynasty,the Tusi’s national identity became increasingly internalized.On the one hand,it shows that the court and Tusi used shared religious beliefs to strengthen cultural identity:The Ming rulers favored the Karma Kagyu lineage,and the Mu clan Tusi consequently also established a close tributary relationship with this Buddhist school.On the other hand,it was reflected in the demands of Tusi’s active integration into Han culture.The spread of Han Buddhism objectively accelerated the diffusion of Han culture in Yunnan.In addition,Mu Tusi apparently admired Han culture,actively embraced it,and even rewrote family history to strengthen ties with Central Plains culture.Therefore,through ongoing communication and interaction with the central dynasty,the national identity of the Tusi grew to actively integrate into mainstream Chinese culture.To sum it up,the above-mentioned three Buddhist scrolls symbolize the interaction between the central government and the Tusi under their policy of enlightenment during the Ming dynasty.What is more,the Tusi’s active monastery donations and their active integration into Han culture,arguably illustrate how Buddhism was used to promote education during the Ming Dynasty,and to gradually construct and strengthen the national identity of the Tusi in western Yunnan.