Abstract:
The origin of Daojia was before the succession of Emperor Wen in the Western Han Dyansty, but we are not sure the earliest time, possibly tracing back to the end of the Warring States Period. It basically means "the home of Dao as Technique" or some specialized knowledge and skills about Dao, which is about historical evolution. During the Western Han period, Daojia mainly referred to the Taoist school, Technique of governance and Huanglao called by later generations; it can also refer to Taoism (becoming celestial being) in the early years of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Taoism developed rapidly in the Wei, Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties, which dwarfed Taoist school, but the concept of Daojia was not popular within the Taoists. On the contrary, since the late period of Eastern Han Dynasty, the Buddhists had also used Daojia extensively as Buddhism internal title and general title. In the dispute between Buddhism and Taoism, Daojia was also used to refer to Taoism. At the latest period between the Han Dynasty and Wei Dynasty, the main target of Taoism had come into being. After the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Taoism gradually became a term for secular scholars, Confucianism and Buddhism. It is still used today, and other use cases have not been abandoned either.