The Survival and Transformation of the Manicheans of Southern China in the Song-Yuan-Ming Transition

• In Event: New Traditions in Local Settings in Post-Mongol China: The Adaptation and Localization of Ritual Practices and Religious Beliefs

Abstract

Various written and visual sources have already proven the existence of a large Manichean community in Southern China since the Song dynasty (960-1279), but beyond fascination with existence of this “foreign” religion, previous scholarship has struggled to make connections among these scattered records. In this paper, I trace the adaptation of the Manicheans and especially how their willingness to present themselves as Christians enabled official recognition and eventually the establishment of the Office for Christian Clergy (Chongfusi 崇福寺) in the Yuan government (1260 – 1368), and their later survival after the fall of the Yuan. Especially in the Yuan, the difference between Christians and Manicheans was much less significant to the Mongol rulers, who were more determined to seek accountability from their subjects, and together with the establishment of this office the religious landscape of Southern China changed significantly with an increased presence of Christians and Manicheans in local society. This study demonstrates how the Mongols reacted to the non-Chinese religions, and at the same time emphasizes the adaptability of the Manicheans in response to the changing rulers. Moreover, it shows how the Song-Yuan-Ming transition affected the religious landscape both in the central government and the local society.

Author

• Wonhee Cho, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem