W’s
When
Existed in some form throughout the Qing Dynasty. Originally imposed by the Kangxi Emperor, so it was significant since at least mid-17th century.
Where
There was effort to spread the Sacred Edict throughout all of the Qing emperor’s territory, so that it would reach even local peasants.
What
Set of rules and instructions (also called maxims) on how people should live their lives and relationships. Notably, the Sacred Edict were not legal laws but rather guidelines that the emperor attempted to enforce on everyone (emphasis on attempted).
Instructions were kept abstract and did not mention any specific people, government, or entities.
Promotes Filial piety, emphasis on good education/schools, treating each other well, paying taxes on time.
The document is more about the morality of people than legality. An example of a legal document would be the American Constitution, which lays everything out in detail.
Because these were not legal laws, there were no real consequences if they weren’t followed.
Historical significance
The Sacred Edict was an attempt by the Kangxi Emperor to instill peace and order in a time when government had very little jurisdiction and manpower.
Qing government’s entire system of governance was based around this document.
Abstract on purpose
The instructions are abstract on purpose for three reasons:
- It gives the emperor lots of room for interpretation, increasing their power over how to enforce it
- The Qing government was spread out very thin because there was too much territory. They didn’t have enough officials to enforce actual laws, so it was smarter to emphasize abstract objectives.
- Ambiguity decreases the chance of accidentally polarizing people. There were ethnic tensions at play because the Qing government was Manchu, while the people were (mostly) Han Chinese.
Choosing to make the document abstract was a matter of necessity, not choice, because the emperor had to rely on people behaving and governing themselves.
Role of government
This speaks to the role that government played in people’s lives throughout the 17th to early 19th century, which is very little.
- To most people in China, this was their only interaction with the government
- Farmers and peasants were more concerned about everyday, practical issues like farming, cooking, etc. rather than abstract “moral obligations”
- Low literacy rates may have resulted in different interpretations