EACS-2016. Book of Abstracts

Premodern History 21st Biennial Conference of the European Association for Chinese Studies 126 Ma’s life and particularly his relationship with military commander Tao Mo 陶模 and role in the handling the 1895 He-Huang Rebellion, I intend to argue that late Qing governance in the region was predicated on the co-operation of certain Muslim elites as go-betweens and enforcers. The multiple facets of Ma’s identity— local landlord, Muslim, Qing loyalist, brutal enforcer or arguably traitor to his faith — further make Ma a particular interesting case study on the interpretation and reinter- pretation of historical memory. Drawing on sources from multiple eras relating to Ma reveals the interplay of local and particular agendas with wider nationalist concerns. van Ess Hans (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität) The Collective Biographies of the Hou Han shu and Their Counterparts in Previous Dynastic Histories Key words: Collective biographies, Shiji, Hanshu, comparison, structure As Shiji and Hanshu, the last part of the biographical section of the Hou Han shu is composed of various chapters that are arranged according to thematic considerations. Yet, the reader acquainted with previous histories will with some surprise realize that this section looks markedly different from its predecessors. This paper will look into potential reasons for the changes that occurred, namely the omission as well as the addition of some groups. Vance Brigid Elisabeth (Lawrence University) Divining the Ruler’s Fate: the Role of the Interpreter in Late Ming Dream Encyclopedias Key words: dreams, divination, interpretation, late Ming, encyclopedias In this paper, I will explore the role of interpreter in the many dream narratives catalogued in two late Ming dream encyclopedias: the 1562 Guidelines for Dreams and Dream Divination (Meng zhan yi zhi 夢占逸旨 ) and the 1636 Explication of the Profundities in the Forest of Dreams (Meng lin xuan jie 夢林玄解 ). These two dream encyclopedias collected and presented nearly 5,000 historical dream interpretation narratives, allowing potential readers access to the dreams of the past recorded and interpreted by those before them. I will address the following questions: Who divined and interpreted dreams and to what end? What purpose do the dream savants serve within the recorded and catalogued dream narratives? What is the relationship between the anonymous dream interpreters and the named dreamers? To answer these questions, I will analyze the textualized role of the dream interpreters who were credited with correctly divining dreams and the future of historical rulers. An analysis of the dream interpreters illuminates the ways in which an abstract divinatory system was put into practice, used, and subsequently categorized and recorded. Unpacking the varied identities of the dream interpreters offers insights into who wielded divinatory knowledge and to what end. The encyclopedic compilers systematized dream divination techniques used by dream interpreters, explicating the language and tools necessary to divine the future. Wang Feifei (National University of Singapore) Negotiating between Mongol Traditions and HanWays: Buddhist Administration in Southeastern China under the Yuan Key words: Yuan dynasty, Buddhist administration, Southeastern China, transition, negotiating After the Mongol conquest, Yuan political institutions evolved unique features as a result of the com- bination of Mongolian traditions with the pre-existing Chinese autocratic bureaucratic system. Something of an academic consensus has formed around the hybrid system of government. However, debate about