DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.27192#0512
Chap. I.
INTRODUCTORY.
449
so strongly developed as under the influence of a powerful and
splendid hierarchy. Again, religious and sectarian zeal is often
a strong stimulus to sacred architecture, and this is entirely
wanting in this remarkable people. Though the Chinese are
bigoted to a greater extent than we can well conceive in all
political matters, they are more tolerant than any other nation
we know of in all that concerns religion. At the present
moment three great religious sects divide the empire nearly
equally between them. For though Buddhism is the nominal
religion of the reigning family, and perhaps numbers more
followers than either of the other two, still the followers of
the doctrines of Confucius — the contemporary and rival of
5akya-Sinha—are a more purely Chinese sect than the other,
and hold an equal place in public estimation ; while, at the
present time, the*sect of Lao-tse, or the Doctors of Reason,
is more fashionable, and certainly more progressive, than the
others.1 Christianity too, might at one time have encroached
largely on either of these, and become a very prevalent religion
in this tolerant empire, had the Jesuits and Dominicans under-
stood that the condition of religious tolerance here is a total
abstinence from interference in political matters. This, how-
ever, the Roman Catholic priesthood never could be brought
to understand ; hence their expulsion from the realm, and the
former proscription of their faith which otherwise would not only
have been tolerated like all others, but bid fair to find more
extensive favour than any. Such toleration is highly laudable in
one point of view ; but the want of fervour and energy from which
it arises is fatal to any great exertions for the honour of religion.
In the same manner the want of an hereditary nobility, and
indeed of any strong family pride, is equally unfavourable to
domestic architecture of a durable description. At a man’s
death his property is generally divided equally among his
children. Consequently the wealthiest men do not build
residences calculated to last longer than their own lives. The
royal palaces are merely somewhat larger and more splendid
than those of the mandarins, but the same in character, and
erected with the same ends.
There is no country where property has hitherto been con-
sidered so secure as China. Private feuds and private wars were
1 The population of the Chinese
empire is estimated at 400 millions of
souls. If we estimate the Buddhists in
China at 150 millions of souls and put
down 50 millions for the Buddhist
population of Tibet, Manchuria, Burma,
Siam, Cambodia, and Ceylon, we shall
VOL. II,
probably not err greatly on the side of
under - estimating them, making 200
millions the total number of followers
of this religion in the whole world, or
about one-eighth of the human race—
not the exaggerated numbers at which
they are usually estimated.
2 F
INTRODUCTORY.
449
so strongly developed as under the influence of a powerful and
splendid hierarchy. Again, religious and sectarian zeal is often
a strong stimulus to sacred architecture, and this is entirely
wanting in this remarkable people. Though the Chinese are
bigoted to a greater extent than we can well conceive in all
political matters, they are more tolerant than any other nation
we know of in all that concerns religion. At the present
moment three great religious sects divide the empire nearly
equally between them. For though Buddhism is the nominal
religion of the reigning family, and perhaps numbers more
followers than either of the other two, still the followers of
the doctrines of Confucius — the contemporary and rival of
5akya-Sinha—are a more purely Chinese sect than the other,
and hold an equal place in public estimation ; while, at the
present time, the*sect of Lao-tse, or the Doctors of Reason,
is more fashionable, and certainly more progressive, than the
others.1 Christianity too, might at one time have encroached
largely on either of these, and become a very prevalent religion
in this tolerant empire, had the Jesuits and Dominicans under-
stood that the condition of religious tolerance here is a total
abstinence from interference in political matters. This, how-
ever, the Roman Catholic priesthood never could be brought
to understand ; hence their expulsion from the realm, and the
former proscription of their faith which otherwise would not only
have been tolerated like all others, but bid fair to find more
extensive favour than any. Such toleration is highly laudable in
one point of view ; but the want of fervour and energy from which
it arises is fatal to any great exertions for the honour of religion.
In the same manner the want of an hereditary nobility, and
indeed of any strong family pride, is equally unfavourable to
domestic architecture of a durable description. At a man’s
death his property is generally divided equally among his
children. Consequently the wealthiest men do not build
residences calculated to last longer than their own lives. The
royal palaces are merely somewhat larger and more splendid
than those of the mandarins, but the same in character, and
erected with the same ends.
There is no country where property has hitherto been con-
sidered so secure as China. Private feuds and private wars were
1 The population of the Chinese
empire is estimated at 400 millions of
souls. If we estimate the Buddhists in
China at 150 millions of souls and put
down 50 millions for the Buddhist
population of Tibet, Manchuria, Burma,
Siam, Cambodia, and Ceylon, we shall
VOL. II,
probably not err greatly on the side of
under - estimating them, making 200
millions the total number of followers
of this religion in the whole world, or
about one-eighth of the human race—
not the exaggerated numbers at which
they are usually estimated.
2 F