The Divination Bodement of Lunar Eclipse in the Tang Dynasty and the Construction of the Historical Image of Empress Zhang of Suzong of Tang
The official history records that the lunar eclipse occurred in February of the second year of Qianyuan during Emperor Suzong's reign was related to the improper behavior of Empress Zhang,but this explanation does not conform to the prevailing astronomical concepts of the society at that time.In the knowledge system of the Tang people and the ancients in the previous dynasties,"the decline of the feudal princes(ministers)"and"the revision of penalty during lunar eclipse"are their general understanding of the divination bodement of lunar eclipse.In fact,Suzong and his ministers chose the logic of"the revision of penalty"to explain this lunar eclipse.They used the celestial change to punish Li Ju,who exercised tyranny,so as to achieve their political intention of suppressing the old ministers of Xuanzong,which had nothing to do with Empress Zhang.When Daizong killed Empress Zhang and ascended to the throne,the historiographers tampered with the divination bodement of the lunar eclipse,deliberately creating a bad historical image of Empress Zhang,so as to enhance the legitimacy of Daizong's rule.As a matter of fact,Empress Zhang did not hold the political power during Suzong's reign,but with the writing of official historians of successive dynasties,her imperious and autocratic historical image had been solidified.By refuting the cumulative writings of official historians from successive dynasties on the historical image of Empress Zhang,we can be inspired to recognize the necessity of analyzing historical texts and deconstructing historical writing.
Lunar EclipseDivination Bodement of AstronomyEmpress ZhangPolitical Situation during the Reign of Emperor Suzong of TangCase of Li Ju's Tyrannical RuleHistorical Writing
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