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@article{ART001671116},
author={Kyeongmi Joo},
title={The Aśokan Revivalism of Emperor Wudi in Liang China and Ancient Southeast Asia},
journal={Journal of Humanities, Seoul National University},
issn={1598-3021},
year={2012},
number={67},
pages={3-47},
doi={10.17326/jhsnu..67.201206.3}

TY - JOUR
AU - Kyeongmi Joo
TI - The Aśokan Revivalism of Emperor Wudi in Liang China and Ancient Southeast Asia
JO - Journal of Humanities, Seoul National University
PY - 2012
VL - null
IS - 67
PB - Institute of Humanities, Seoul National University
SP - 3
EP - 47
SN - 1598-3021
AB - Emperor Wudi of the Liang dynasty in China was one of the famous and important Buddhist emperors in Asia. His political idea as a revered Buddhist emperor was developed under the Buddhist concept of “Cakravartin”, which means an ideal universal ruler who ruled the entire world with perfect right ethics and benevolence. The idea of Buddhist Cakravartin was transmitted into China before Emperor Wudi of Liang,but unlike other emperors, he realized his political ideals as a Cakravatin by borrowing the mythical image of a famous Indian historical model,King Aśoka of Mauryan dynasty. Although the Aśokan tradition was transmitted to Emperor Wudi in China, the character in the tradition was more idealized than the real historical King Aśoka in India. Emperor Wudi reenacted some important Buddhist offerings to the Buddha’s relic after the Aśokan tradition. He discovered two Aśokan stupas in his land, each enshrining the Buddha’s relic, and then built new pagodas for these relics. Such Buddhist relic worship by Emperor Wudi was performed as a political propaganda for his status as a Buddhist ideal Cakravartin after King Aśoka. The first revivalism of the Aśokan tradition by Emperor Wudi was again spread to the Buddhist world of East Asia after him. This Aśokan revivalism of Emperor Wudi was a very characteristic ruling theory in East Asian Buddhism. It might have been transmitted from ancient Southeast Asia, which interacted with Liang China at that time. During the reign of Emperor Wudi, some famous monks of Funan came to Nanjing, the capital of Liang, and translated many Buddhist Sutras including the story of King Aśoka at the court of Liang sponsored by the emperor. According to the Chinese historical records, Funan kingdom is the most important and influential region in Southeast Asia on Aśokan revivalism of Emperor Wudi in China. However, the territory and religion of Funan Kingdom have not been identified yet. Although many archaeological sites and artifacts of Funan period have been discovered, many scholars in the Southeast Asian study have been disputed on these themes regardless of the importance of ancient Chinese historical records. To search on the material evidences for the Cakravartin ideas during Funan period related with Liang Wudi is one of the principal but ongoing challenges for understanding the early Southeast Asian history and culture.
KW - Aśoka;Liang Wudi;Buddha’s relic;Aśokan stupa;Funan
DO - 10.17326/jhsnu..67.201206.3
ER -

Kyeongmi Joo. (2012). The Aśokan Revivalism of Emperor Wudi in Liang China and Ancient Southeast Asia. Journal of Humanities, Seoul National University, 67, 3-47.

Kyeongmi Joo. 2012, "The Aśokan Revivalism of Emperor Wudi in Liang China and Ancient Southeast Asia", Journal of Humanities, Seoul National University, no.67, pp.3-47. Available from: doi:10.17326/jhsnu..67.201206.3

Kyeongmi Joo "The Aśokan Revivalism of Emperor Wudi in Liang China and Ancient Southeast Asia" Journal of Humanities, Seoul National University 67 pp.3-47 (2012) : 3.

Kyeongmi Joo. The Aśokan Revivalism of Emperor Wudi in Liang China and Ancient Southeast Asia. 2012; 67 : 3-47. Available from: doi:10.17326/jhsnu..67.201206.3

Kyeongmi Joo. "The Aśokan Revivalism of Emperor Wudi in Liang China and Ancient Southeast Asia" Journal of Humanities, Seoul National University no.67(2012) : 3-47.doi: 10.17326/jhsnu..67.201206.3

Kyeongmi Joo. The Aśokan Revivalism of Emperor Wudi in Liang China and Ancient Southeast Asia. Journal of Humanities, Seoul National University, 67, 3-47. doi: 10.17326/jhsnu..67.201206.3

Kyeongmi Joo. The Aśokan Revivalism of Emperor Wudi in Liang China and Ancient Southeast Asia. Journal of Humanities, Seoul National University. 2012; 67 3-47. doi: 10.17326/jhsnu..67.201206.3

Kyeongmi Joo. The Aśokan Revivalism of Emperor Wudi in Liang China and Ancient Southeast Asia. 2012; 67 : 3-47. Available from: doi:10.17326/jhsnu..67.201206.3

Kyeongmi Joo. "The Aśokan Revivalism of Emperor Wudi in Liang China and Ancient Southeast Asia" Journal of Humanities, Seoul National University no.67(2012) : 3-47.doi: 10.17326/jhsnu..67.201206.3