HMU111H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Yellow River Cantata, Sinn Sing Hoi, Zhou Dynasty
Document Summary
Norms and roles employed in society in order to maintain internal order, preserve territorial limits, and allocate power and decision-making over group action. Music as symbol of group identity (with the ideals / aspirations of the group) Music can be: used for political domination over people. In 1058 bce, a music ministry was set up to supervise the use of music for political and educational ends (control society) Rulers observed sacrificial rituals in which song and dance played an important role. Codification of elegant music (yayue) for court ceremonies, folk songs (suyue) collected by spies. Fall of the han dynasty brought disunity, rise of confucianism and taoism. Ethics was the basis of good government. Believed good music had the power to inculcate (instill) ethical attitudes. Bad music caused unethical behaviour and bad government. Following the fall of the han dynasty, foreign ideas (india, central asia) challenged basic values of chinese culture.
