Hanzu

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1 Overview
2 Culture
3 Religion
4 Deities of Ch’in
5 Geography
6 Peerage
7 Further Reading
8 Notable Citizens

Overview

The Hanzu people live in the country called Ch’in. Hanzu is the name of the ethnic group represented by the currently ruling dynasty. For years, the Hanzu people and the Manchu people have fought a bitter rivalry, with the Hanzu rebelling against the Manchu ruled Feng dynasty as recently as 1084. Clashes between the groups have continued until earlier this year, when both peoples rallied together to defend the country against the threat of the Hazaran.

The current Emperor Han Lifeng (Long may he live) is the fourth in the reign of Han Emperors. His ideas are seen by some as revolutionary, as he is devoted to urging the long isolated Hanzu, and indeed the entire country of Ch’in, into a new age of trade and prosperity. His wife, Empress Wu, helps him on this journey with nervous hesitation. His family is large, with 7 sons and 5 daughters borne to him through his first and second wives, and various concubines. Competition among the women in the royal household is fierce and competitive, though Empress Wu remains high in his favor.

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Culture

Hanzu culture, and indeed all Ch’in culture, is vastly different from that of Terre D’Ange. The roles of different genders, ethnic groups, and social castes are all dictated by a combination of religious and moral beliefs that incorporate the teachings of “Master Kung” (Confucius) and other philosophers. The role of women is vastly different from the equitable views of Terre D’Ange and other nearby countries. In Ch’in, men rule and women obey the wills of their families. It is tradition for married women to ‘belong’ to the family of their husbands, their duty to husband and in laws from the time of the wedding until death. Because of this, male babies are valued more than females, for it is only through having sons that a family ensures someone will remain in the household to care for them. One process central to the beliefs and aesthetic values of the Ch’in that is considered strange by other cultures is the practice of foot-binding in women. Small feet are considered beautiful, and indeed the foot is seen as the most sexually alluring part of a {woman’s body. Foot binding is also a sign of wealth, as poor families where women need to work in order to assist the household cannot afford for women to bind their feet. Among the noble classes, foot binding is an essential part of a girl’s life, usually occurring sometime between the ages of three and six.

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Religion

The religion practiced by the Hanzu culture is a mishmash of different types of beliefs, which manifested over time into the Hanzu folk religion. A pantheon of gods and goddesses are worshipped through tradition and heavy ritual, and various practices that to other eyes seem superstition are prevalent.

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Deities of Ch’in

A sketch of Zao Shen, Ch'in Kitchen God

Guan Yin – The Goddess of Compassion. She is often depicted with tears of empathy in her eyes. She is associated with kindness and gentleness to people of all kinds, and particularly revered by women. As the goddess of mercy, she is also the object of prayer for those going through the process of footbinding, in hopes she will relieve the pain.

Yu Huang – The Jade Emperor. Yu Huang is the ruler of the Kingdom of Heaven, with powers in the Realm of Man and Hell as well. His birthday occurs in the ninth lunar month, and offerings of incense and food are given to seek good favor.

Zao Shen- The Kitchen God. Zao Shen is the leader of the domestic gods, with a presence in each home that he might report on the good or bad deeds of the family. Paper effigies to him are kept in every house, and offerings made to ensure that he will report well.

Matsu- The Goddess of Sailors. As the patron goddess of sailors and pirates, Matsu receives many tributes in the coastal areas of Ch’in.

There are many other minor deities, worshipped in various forms by different Ch’in families. In addition, the religion of Ch’in, particularly of the Hanzu people, involves ancestor worship and reverence. Effigies devoted to relatives who have passed on are kept in large family shrines, and tribute paid to them nearly daily, double on special occasions. Death and the afterlife are parts of a complex set of cultural beliefs and superstitions, and many uncommon events, both positive and negative, attributed to the workings of ghosts and spirits.

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Geography

The ruling of the country of Ch’in is not divided into partitions such as baronies or duchies. A nobleman’s power is directly related to how many troops he controls, and the placement for these armies at different times could vary at the Emperor’s whim.

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Peerage

In the Hanzu language, noble titles are as follows: • the nobles- Zhuhou (諸侯 zhū hóu),
• the gentlemen ministers (of the royal court) - Qing (卿 qīng),
• the gentlemen bureaucrats- Daifu (大夫 dài fū)
• the yeomen- Shi (士 shì)
• the commoners- Shumin (庶民 shù mín).
Nobles are further divided
• prince (gong, 公(爵) gōng),
• marquis or marquess (hou,侯(爵) hóu),
• count (bo,伯(爵) bó),
• viscount (zi 子(爵) zǐ),
• baron (baron 男(爵) nán).

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