Features of the cult of Confucius in the Jin State (based on “The history of Jin” and “Collection of rituals of the Great Jin”)

As the territory of the Jin state expanded, the cult of Confucius gradually integrated into the religious and political life of the Jurchens, contributing to the transformation of the religious landscape of the Jurchen state. The first worship of Confucius was carried out by the Jurchen ruler Xi-zong (1135–1149) in 1141, and during the reign of Shi-zong (1161–1196) and Zhang-zong (1196–1211), the cult of Confucius began spreading. In 1174, the ceremonial of worship was regulated at the level of the capital, and in 1178 – at the level of regions and districts. Fragmentary material about the appearance and development of the cult of Confucius in Jin is contained in the essay “History of Jin”, more complete and detailed information about the rite of Confucius’ worship is presented in the essay “Collection of Rituals of the Great Jin”. It is known from the text of these essays that in the Jin state the rite of sacrifice to Confucius and associated divine figures was based on samples from the Tang period, particularly of the materials of Tang dynasty Kaiyuan Ritual Code. This ritual collection determined the procedure for preparing and conducting the ceremony, the quantity and list of sacrifices, the number and actions of all participants. On the other hand, the order of the rite in Jin differed from the Tang model, responding to the development trends of the cult of Confucius and demonstrating its features.