The Regional Differences and Reasons of the Clan's Development in Song Dynasty

The clan of Song Dynasty keeps on changing obviously against a social background of transformation in Tang and Song Dynasties, and this changing process has its own characteristics in different areas. Traditionally, clan strengths in northern regions are relatively strong. However, the Song Dynasty has witnessed the relatively loose patriarchal clan shape, and clearly lags behind the southeast district in the construction of modern clan’s organization form. The northern district is characterized by the clan men’s living together, sharing their possessions and paying attention to the economic cooperation among the members of the same clan. Besides, their ideas of ancestor worship are stronger and lay stress on the relationship between the members of the clan. What’s more, the clan relations have become entangled with those of countrymen relation, blood ties with other social relations. The noble families usually have a stronger appeal force and cohesive affinity in the clan. The southeast region has excelled in its clan construction of ‘ancestors worship and cohesion of clan members’ in Song Dynasty. Its new ways and means of organizing continue to spring up and develop quickly. Obviously, some characteristics are as follows. The clan men live together and they were particularly effective in public property construction, and attach importance to live in a community by means of economy. Moreover, the organizational means of clan are relatively complete. Because of special geographical position and social historical reasons, Sichuan region has its own characteristics in clan development. There is a strong relation of personal dependence within clan. The clan focuses on its social status and has a strong class consciousness of blue blood and relatively complete organization means. The main reasons for regional differences of clan development mainly lie in the imbalance of the development of social economic relations, and the influences of traditional political ideas, social conventions, and migration as well as the different requests caused by geographical environment and economic development for clan’s social function since the middle of Tang Dynasty.