Chinese era name

The era name, rather than by sinologist government Currency, referred served to monarchical times in China, Korea, Japan and Vietnam to the annual determination by the respective rulers. The year was commonly named with this Äranamen. Thus, the Chinese emperors used two thousand years this system, and in Japan it is still in use. Some eras granted for only one year, others for decades. These were then numbered, in order to obtain the sequence of the individual 's. If a ruler led his entire government under a Äranamen, his posthumous title was often formed by this name. Many rulers are also known by their temple names.

Äranamen in China

The Chinese era name (Chinese年号/年号, Pinyin Niánhào ) are as reign or reign title count the years in the government of a sovereign and is also used for naming certain Chinese emperors used ( Ming and Qing dynasties ). Some emperor exclaimed several eras, others only one. Each new era began with the year 1 (Chinese元, Pinyin Yuán ). Originally, the era name was a government currency, which proclaimed the Emperor.

History and application

When the emperor ascended the throne, he chose (similar to the Pope names) a throne name. The period from the time of accession to the throne until the end of the calendar year (after the moon or the sun) was the first year of his reign. Basically, the era ended with the death or abdication of the Emperor, and with his successor, a new era began.

Emperor Wu of Han was the first emperor who proclaimed Äranamen in the true sense. He was the first who led Äranamen during all his years of reign. His predecessor Wen and Jing had already used Äranamen, but not consistently. Emperor Wu called approximately every five years a new era and died in his eleventh era in the year 87 BC

Each era name has a certain programmatic significance. The first era of Emperor Wu wore example, the name Jianyuan (建元, such as: " the first set "). Usually the Äranamen should reflect the political, military or economic direction. Emperor Huizong of Song announced after his accession, the era Jiànzhōngjìngguó (建中 靖 国/建中 靖 国, about "Setting up a happy medium and the country clean ") that his desire to reform currents of conservative and progressive factions at court to moderate, should express. The first era name of the Qing Dynasty should demonstrate the legitimacy of the succession: " The Manchu have the mandate of heaven. "

In traditional Chinese historiography, the exclamations of the first Äranamens Jianyuan is called. If an emperor proclaimed a new era, which replaced an old one, this was Gǎiyuán (改元), "Changing the First ".

In order to determine a year using the Äranamen, one must only count the years since the proclamation of the era. For the third year of the era Jianyuan is our year 138 BC, the first year of our year 140 BC era name of a different rulers and dynasties has been used, the name of the ruler or the dynasty had to be mitgenannt. So called both Emperor Wu of Han Emperor Kang of Jin and from the era Jianyuan. Jianyuan 2 of the Jin Dynasty is our year 344 AD, the Han Dynasty 2 Jianyuan our year 139 BC

Almost all Äranamen consisted of two characters. A special exception is Äranamen the Western Xia, which consists of one-fifth more than three characters. Due to China's major cultural influence in East Asia, the use of Äranamen prevailed also in Japan, Korea and Vietnam.

The era name was a symbol of imperial power. The Emperor saw in Äranamen an expression of his conviction that he was the rightful ruler. The cries of a new era during the reign of an emperor was regarded as proof of great strength of will. Conversely, if at the same time was more than an era, this was a sign of political unrest. Thus, the work of the historian was sometimes complicated.

Before the Chinese Republic, an era could only be proclaimed by the Emperor. The Republic of China is considered to be era with the period 1912-1949 and is still in Taiwan. The People's Republic of China picked up the use of Äranamen and led to its establishment in 1949, the Christian era a.

Today's view

Today, in the age of globalization, the Chinese appliance Ärasystem as part of the Chinese culture in society and in the everyday life of the Republic of China in conflict with the " western world ". While the people of the Republic of China ( and Japan ) uses the familiar Äranamen and these are also recognized as The sole of the Government, the Government shall deal with foreign nations in the Christian era.

But even in non- foreign affairs problems arise. Apart from the complicated classification of those Japanese who were born in an earlier era, can the leap day on February 29, traced only with difficulty, and errors in the retranslation are not excluded. Even the designation of future years is difficult because, for example, the death of the Japanese Tenno and the change of era in Japan is not predictable.

The accusation of European cultural imperialism plays a role, since the Christian era in religious terms with the East Asian culture is not compatible. With the advance of globalization, this concern is being increasingly ignored.

Modern historians no longer give much on the traditional Äranamen and examine them in particular, what was the intention led the historian in the drafting of his work. After all, the Äranamen still offer evidence of distinctive historical events. Most Chinese dictionaries contain a summarized list of Äranamen. Detailed and indexed lists are available in libraries.

Äranamen in Japan

Main article: Nengo

The Japanese era name (Japanese年号, nengō; " year name " ) is the usual in Japan calendrical scheme that is largely independent of the Chinese calendar, despite its origins in China. It is (with the exception of the Republic of China), the only system of Äranamen, which is still in use. It is regarded by the Japanese authorities before the Christian era as binding. The unofficial common short form of the annual determination made ​​of the first letter of the romaji spelling and year.

The Japanese Äranamen based on the Chinese and 645 AD under Tennō Kōtoku (孝 徳 天皇) were introduced in the year. The first era name was Taika (大化) and was dedicated to the Taika reforms, then the political scene changed radically. Although the use of nengō was interrupted in the second half of the 7th century, was taken up again in the year 701 and is continued since then. The current Nengo since 1989 Heisei.

Äranamen in Korea

The Korean Äranamen were used by the kingdoms of Silla, Goguryeo, Balhae, Taebong, Goryeo and Joseon and wholesale Korea. The first era name Dan -gi is also used in Korea proverbial for the ancient civilization in Korea.

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Literature and links

• Age
• Onomastics
• The Chinese Calendar
• Southeast Asian History
• East Asian history