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march24 -26th
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Dear Delegates,
It is with great pleasure that we welcome
you to the Tenth Annual Five College
Model United Nations Conference held from
March 24 through March 26, on Mount
Holyoke College’s scenic campus. We are
beyond thrilled to receive both you and your
delegation!
Over the years, FCMUN has cultivated a
reputation for being one of the most
engaging and well-planned conferences on
the circuit and we plan to take this image
one step forward. This year, our slogan is
“​Fierce. Unique. Innovativ​e.” We
recognize that every detail is important in
organizing a successful conference, and
hence our Secretariat includes a
combination of well-seasoned delegates and
students with years of experience in events,
logistics and business affairs to ensure that
you have the ultimate FCMUN [X]perience.
The conference is set to be propelled by
intriguing discussions and exhilarating
debate, and its social mixers are geared to be
full of fun and enthusiasm. We could not be
more thrilled to welcome you to what is sure
to be one of the greatest MUN weekends of
your life!
Your Secretary General,
Thaen Kanan 17’
Esteemed Delegates,
It is our extreme pleasure to welcome you to
the 10th edition of the Five College Model
United Nations conference, FCMUN X.
This year’s conference boasts an array of
fascinating and intellectually-stimulating
committees; from attempting to save the
world from a possible WWIII and deciding
the future of the Arctic, to deciding who has
the power in the Da Ming Palace, and the
fortune of the Bluth family.
It has been an absolute thrill putting this
conference together, and we are as excited
as you are for it. In anticipation, we
encourage you to get intimate with your
background guides and research materials
for a truly rewarding FCMUN experience. If
you hit a stumbling block at any moment in
your preparation process, please feel free to
reach out to your Crisis Directors - they are
pleased to hear from you.
Looking forward,
Under Secretary Generals, Committees and
Summits
Edith Amoafoa-Smart(Mount Holyoke
College ‘19)
Shaye McDonald(Mount Holyoke College
‘17)
Greetings From the Crisis Director:
My name is Ruoyi Song, I am a First Year at
Mount Holyoke College, and I will be your
Crisis Director for one of the most
memorable weekends you will ever have. I
was born in a town that is known to be
Confucius’s birthplace, and moved around
China until I became an exchange student
and travelled to Texas when I was fifteen.
Later, I served as the ambassador and
volunteered for my exchange organization,
AFS. I grew as a person because I lived in
an environment enriched with people from a
variety of cultures. This committee will be a
great way for delegates to research and
behave in a completely different cultural
context.
Committee Introduction
Greetings to all of you amazing individuals
who will join this committee. The stage will
be in the imperial court and harem. This
crisis will be conducted as a regular crisis
committee.We will set our time frame to 706
AD, Tang Dynasty, right after the dragon
coup which overthrown the reign of the first
and only female emperor in ancient China.
Though with the successful reign of
Zhongzong, the demise of Empress Wu still
left the empire an extremely unstable
political situation. Everyone in this
committee holds much desire for power and
plans. Enemies can be allies and allies can
turn to enemies at any time. Who will be the
next owner of the forbidden palace?
Historical context
唐朝Tang Dynasty
Commonly regarded as a pinnacle of the
Chinese civilization, the Tang Dynasty
(618–907 AD) is the imperial period
following the Sui dynasty and preceding the
period of the Five Dynasties and Ten
Kingdoms period.
By means of a military force, the Lǐ family
(李), the dynasty’s founders, were able to
amass an amount of territory that was at par
to that possessed by the Han Dynasty (206
BC–220 AD).[i]
From the beginning of their government to
its end, it is concluded that the Chinese
population grew an estimated 30 million in
size. Chang’ an, their capital city and what is
present-day Xi’ an, was the world’s most
populous city at the time.
The population only added to their military
base, leading to their dominion over
nomadic tribes in other Asian territories and
commerce in the Silk Road. Their political
and economic rise also helped them spread
their cultural influence in surrounding
countries like Vietnam, Japan and Korea.
The peaceful environment during the first
half of the dynasty fostered more cultural
progress. Some of China’s greatest poets
were born in this period, as well as painters
and writers. Inventions like woodblock
printing also originated during this time and
Buddhism as a religion was introduced.[ii]
Tang Dynasty was the most glistening
historic period in China's history. Founded
in 618 and ending in 907, the state, under
the ruling of the Tang Emperors, became the
most powerful and prosperous country in the
world. Particularly, in this glorious period,
the economy, politics, culture and military
strength reached an unparalleled advanced
level.[iii]
Chang’an became the biggest metropolitan
in the world with flow of foreign
businessmen and students.
宗法制Patriarchy
The system only allows the reign to be
passed to members in the same families with
the same last name. The heir or crown
prince has to be the first male whose mother
is the empress or first consort. If the empress
or first consort does not have any male
children, then the crown prince is considered
the oldest prince. If the current emperor does
not have any children, then the oldest child
of his brother would be chosen as the oldest
prince. Certain emperors would try to break
this rule of the eldest to choose the son of
their favor. However the appointment would
usually be highly contested by
Confucius-influenced ministers, who
disagreed strongly, often leading to the
creation of riots in the imperial courts.
The emperor is on top of the power
pyramids with absolute power over the
country. He would have meetings with
ministers for discussion in imperial court.
The level of restraint imposed on the
emperor by the ministers was dependent on
the differing ideologies of the different
emperors and dynasties.
The Role of Women
Women were not given much power or
freedom in ancient China. They were never
given the opportunity to become major
participants of politics and military. Few
who were born in wealthy families were
given education but this education was
usually training on how to become a good
wife and good mother. Women in China at
this time started to get married at around age
12. “Lucky ones” who were selected to
become concubines for the emperor started
to get involved in political conflicts. Like
common women, all their wishes were in
bearing sons for their husbands.
However, in Tang Dynasty, because of
international influence, it was a time of
relative freedom for women. They did not
bind their feet or lead submissive lives. It
was a time in which a number of exceptional
women contributed in the areas of culture
and politics.
Many rules for women were broken at this
time. The tradition attire for women was
more exposing and free. Many women were
educated and even given the opportunities to
play sports such as polo at that time. The
popular trend of having suitors for female
aristocrats was even accepted. With the
emergence of the first female empress
regnant Wu Zetian, more restrictions were
disposed so that many women in the royal
family started to have the desire for more
power and grew discontent with being
behind the scenes.
武曌Empress Wu Zetian
Even though according to the Confucian
beliefs having a woman rule would be as
unnatural as having a "hen crow like a
rooster at daybreak," during the most
glorious years of the Tang dynasty a woman
did rule, and ruled successfully. She was Wu
Zetian, the only female in Chinese history to
rule as emperor, who managed to effectively
rule China during one of its more peaceful
and culturally diverse periods.[iv]
Wu benefited from the removal of these
potential obstacles. However, her third son
Zhongzon, who succeeded his father as
Emperor Zhongzong in 684 AD, lasted less
than two months before being banished, at
his mother’s instigation, in favor of the more
tractable fourth, Ruizong. It is also generally
accepted that Ruizong’s wife Liu and chief
consort, Dou, were executed at Wu’s behest
in 693 on trumped-up charges of witchcraft.
In spite of her ruthless climb to power, she
reduced the army's size and stopped the
influence of aristocratic military men on
government by replacing them with
scholars.[v]
Everyone had to compete for government
positions by taking exams, thus setting the
practice of government run by scholars. Wu
also was fair to peasants, lowering
oppressive taxes, raising agricultural
production, and strengthening public works.
She named herself 曌 as she is like 日（sun
）and 月（moon）that shine in 空 （the
sky).
As she grew older, Empress Wu lessened the
power of her secret police. But she became
increasingly superstitious and fearful.
Sorcerers and corrupt court favorites
flattered her. Finally, in 705, she was
pressured to give up the throne in favor of
Xian, who was waiting all these years in the
wings. Wu Zetian died peacefully at age
eighty the same year.
神龙政变Dragon Coup
In spring 705, with Wu Zetian being ill,
members of Li family and many ministers
entered the plot to kill Wu Zetian's suitor
Zhang’s brother, who had become powerful
much to the distaste of the chancellors.
Zhang Jianzhi reminded Yang of his prior
desire to restore Tang, and put him, Huan,
Jing, and a general in charge of some of the
corps of the imperial guards who agreed to
the plot. He further persuaded the general Li
Duozuo to join the plot as well, persuading
Li Duozuo, who felt indebted to Emperor
Gaozong for having promoted him, Zhangs
were endangering the positions of Emperor
Gaozong's sons with Wu Zetian, Li Xian the
Crown Prince and Li Dan. The coup leaders
acted on February 20 killing Zhang
Changzong, and then surrounding Wu
Zetian. She, in fear, asked, "Who is
disturbing me?" Zhang Jianzhi responded, in
a formalistic manner: Zhang Yizhi and
Zhang Changzong committed treason.
Following the orders of the Crown Prince,
we have executed them. Because we were
afraid that the secret would be leaked, we
did not dare to first report to Your Imperial
Majesty. We are guilty of the great
disrespect of moving troops within the
palace, and should be executed 10,000
times.[vi]
Wu Zetian subsequently tried to have Li
Xian returned to the palace of the Crown
Prince. While the coup leaders allowed Wu
Zetian to retain the title of "emperor," they
had her put under house arrest at the
secondary palace Shangyang Palace and
forced her to yield the throne to Li Xian,
who was formerly emperor, and he was
restored to the throne[vii] (as Emperor
Zhongzong).
Possible Crises
Military coups happened regularly in the
Tang Dynasty. This was one of the only
ways to become the emperor besides being
appointed by the current one. The coups
were usually introduced with the objective
of eliminating bad influence or threats to the
dynasty and would usually propose a new
candidate for Emperor (whether the one who
was proposed wass informed or not did not
matter). Military was needed and the action
needed to be kept as secret because the
emperor could easily eliminate rebels with
even the most minor suspicions.
For real rebellion , the military is the key.
The military was based on a local militia
system that could be mobilized quickly in
times of war. The system originated in the
Western Wei dynasty of China (535-556),
and was adopted by the Tang Dynasty.
The military involved a system of
militiamen between the ages of 21 and 60
who were allocated areas of land. Officers
were given extended commissions. But
regular soldiers reported for duty in the
provincial capital on a rotating basis,
depending on how far away they lived from
the capital. Individuals who lived 500 li (li is
half a kilometer) from the capital served one
month in five, and those over 2000 li away
served for two months out of every eighteen.
In the Tang Dynasty, these military units
were under the control of the Ministry of the
Army. The Tang Dynasty fielded 634
military units, called Zhechongfu, each
consisting of 800 to 1200 men. Each
Zhechongfu was divided into sub-units, tuan
of 300 men, dui of 50 men, and huo of 10
men.[viii]
The military unit in the capital is crucial
since it was always hard for soldiers to
travel in ancient times. The military
guarding the safety of the capital was the
Palace Guard (Yulin), and the Million
Calvary (Wanji) was the group which was
responsible for the personal safety of the
emperor. Therefore, for a successful coup, it
was necessary to gain control of Palace
Guard (Yulin) or better yet to have one’s
own military that is stronger and can not be
outnumbered by Palace Guard (Yulin).
Possible machination
The most patronized way of taking down
people in Tang was by accusing them of
rebellion. Fidelity was thought to be the
most important thing that anyone had to
submit to the emperor. Anyone who was
found guilty of infidelity would be
eliminated in a brutal way and nine branches
of his family would be killed, enslaved or
banished. Accusation could start with
overhearing small talk between people, but
the most important happened through the
forging of evidence to support the case.
Machination inside of the imperial court can
vary. The most common one is accusing
someone using witchcraft. The witchcraft
will be completed by a witch (not necessary)
and a doll with the person’s name. By
pricking the doll with needles, this cursed
person is supposed to be dead because of
sickness soon. Of course it never worked but
it turned into a way of framing. However, in
this scenario, the witchcraft would take
place to certain degree.
will be preferred to refer to others by their
status title, such as “your majesty” for the
emperor and “your highness” for princes and
princess. For the officials, you can refer to
them as “Minister last name” or just their
job title.
Tang dynasty faced threats from northern
nomadic Turks called Tujue all the time.
This is the reason for the Tang dynasty’s
preoccupation with military construction.
With the military, peace could be achieved
in many ways.The availability of great
generals and soldiers, meant the
dynasty/country’s boundaries could be
secured. But these cases were hard to
achieve since the Tujue were known for
their cavalry -- the Tujue were literally born
on horseback. Marriage, involving a girl
from the royal family with great dowry, was
another strategy used.. For example, the
famous marriage of Princess Wencheng and
the leader of Tubo (another regime in Tibet)
brought peace to both the Tang and the Tubo
for decades.
Titles
Names such as Taiping or Ruizong were
given to the characters after their death. So it
is just the way we, modern people, refer to
them. It was also considered disrespectful to
call someone whose status is above you by
full name. Therefore, in the committee, it
Character Profiles
太平公主Princess Taiping (Empress Wu’s
daughter):
Born as the only daughter and the youngest
child of Empress Wu, Princess Taiping was
never far from the center of power and
imperial court conflicts. She gained political
experience from the duties assigned to her
by her mother. She was respected by the
imperial court for her great political
potential and her similarity to her mother.
Her composure and judgement over crisis
were renowned. She helped her brother Li
xian to become the crown prince again.
Taiping participated in the 705 A.D. coup
that removed Wu Zetian from power, and
reinstated Emperor Zhongzong. Taiping’s
involvement in the coup resulted in Emperor
Zhongzong’s loyalty to her. Upon his
restoration to the throne, Emperor
Zhongzong gave Princess Taiping the
special title of Zhenguo Taiping Gongzhu,
or “Princess Taiping who saved the state”.
During Zhongzong’s second reign, Taiping
gained a lot of power and prestige, quickly
becoming one of the most powerful women
at court, second only to Zhongzong’s wife,
Empress Wei.
She is married to a Wu family member
which put her in the situation of favoring
both families. Either family won the throne
would benefit her. However, she has her
own plan too.[ix]
唐中宗李显Emperor Zhongzon (Li Xian)
He is the third son of Empress Wu and was
chosen to become candidate after the deaths
of his two older brothers. The lack of talent
and relatively weak character of him led to
his banishment when his first reign.He and
his family suffered extremely difficult time
in Fangling which made him indulge his
wife and daughter later. With the help of
Princess Taiping and his brother Li Dan, he
became the crown prince again and started
the Dragon Coup again. However, because
of his siblings and the ministers contribution
to the coup, it was hard for Zhongzon to find
his ally in the court with such powerful
people. It is important for him to strengthen
his reign by eliminating possible threatens
and finding allies.
安乐公主Princess Anle (Li Guo’er,
daughter of Zhongzong))
“Her brightness lights up the world.” She
was known as the most beautiful princess in
Tang but also the most spoiled. She was
born in the place where her parents were
banished which did not leave her an easy
childhood. Her parents tried to compensate
her by fulfilling all the requests she had.
Married to a Wu family member, she had a
luxury life while exploiting many peasants
in her land. Like mother like daughter. She
has the dream of becoming the empress one
day. She requested to her father once to be
chosen as the candidate and was rejected.
Her lack of intelligence and maturity did not
leave her many allies in the imperial court
except for her mother and husband.
However, she can be a connection between
Wei family and Wu family because of her
marriage.
上官婉儿Shangguan Wan’er
Known as the most intelligent woman in
Tang dynasty with a romantic nature,
Shangguan served as a female official for
Empress Wu. She is famous for her talent as
a poet, writer and politician.[x]
李隆基Li Longji (Son of Ruizong)
She was responsible for not only meetings
with poets and scholars but writing official
orders for the Emperors. Therefore, she is
substantially the most important minister in
the harem. Though she was known for her
wisdom, she also has a reputation of lack of
morality. Her family was eliminated by
Empress Wu while she was young and she
learned to hide herself and survive in
ruthless imperial battles. Although she was a
consort to Zhongzon i she was only awarded
the position for her contributions to the
coup. She did not marry Zhongrui
substantially and had many affairs with Wu
Sansi and many other scholars. Though
having a good relationship with Empress
Wei for the longest time, she would switch
to any side as long as it meant protecting
herself and political benefits.
He gained his fame for bravery for standing
up to Empress Wu’s relative when he was
seven. He is such an excellent athlete in polo
that his team won against Tujue (a nomadic
ethnicity regime) with four people against
Tujue’s ten people. Because of his great
charisma, he has a great connection and a
close relationship with “WanJi” (soldiers
who protect the safety of emperor). He grew
to become an excellent general and minister
with great aspiration. He wants to strengthen
the power of the Li family. However, no
matter how talented and qualified he is, born
as the third son from a side consort, he
would never be chosen to become the next
emperor. Therefore, he needs to find an ally
which can help him become the emperor or
find ways to become the emperor candidate
directly.
韦皇后Empress Wei (Wife of Zhongzon)
Empress Wei was born into one of the most
prominent families in the capital and was
chosen to become the consort for Zhongzon
while he was still a prince. After enjoying a
short period of glory as a member of royalty,
Wei was forced to follow her banished
husband to Lingnan. Her strong character
and stamina supported their family through
the challenging time which strengthened the
affection and respect that her husband had
for her. Later, after their return to the palace,
Zhongzong was eager to compensate her by
awarding her great political power and the
freedom to have suitors. She was then
allowed to sit by the emperor in his meetings
with ministers like her mother in law
Empress Wu, who became Wei’s idol.
Because of the growing desire for power and
reign, Wei intended to emulate Empress Wu
to become the second female leader of Tang.
武三思Wu Sansi (Empress Wu’s nephew)
Wu Sansi was posthumously Prince Xuan of
Liang. He was appointed as a government
official when his aunt Wu Zetian, the wife
of Gaozong, rose to power . He later became
a possible crown prince candidate and
chancellor during the reign of Wu Zetian.
He always had the desire to reign since he is
the most eligible Wu family member and he
always suggested that his aunt to pass the
throne to the Wu family. Having accused
and framed Ruizhong several times for
rebellion when Ruizong was still a crown
prince, he proved he would do anything to
achieve his goal without any guilty
conscience.[xi] He was very powerful due to
both the trust Emperor Zhongzong had in
him and his affair with Emperor
Zhongzong's powerful wife Empress Wei.
唐睿宗李旦Ruizong (Li Dan)
Emperor Ruizong was a son of Emperor
Gaozong of Tang and Empress Wu. He
ruled as emperor of the Tang Dynasty from
684 to 690 AD.In his reign, he succeeded
his brother Emperor Zhongzong of Tang,
who ruled very briefly following their
father's death in 683. Ruizong's reign was
dominated by Empress Wu, who served as
regent and ruled with Ruizong as a puppet.
Empress Wu forced Ruizong's abdication in
690 and ruled until 705, after which
Zhongzong regained the throne. He was said
to have the most tractable personality of all
his siblings. Lack of interest in power and an
interest instead in pigeons made him unique
in this time. His personality also kept him
rather safe than most of his relatives. He
was good at analysing and letting things go
like his sister Taiping. These wise decisions
of compromise kept them alive and they
were generally considered great allies since
the death of their father.[xii]
张谏之Zhang Jianzhi (Minister)
Zhang Jianzhi was born in 625,[1] during
the reign of Emperor Gaozu. He was a
student at the imperial university, and he
was said to have a broad study in the
Confucian classics and history, but
particularly favored studying the Three
Rites.
In 689, by which time Empress Wu was
serving as empress dowager and regent over
her son Emperor Ruizong, she held a
competition for scholars willing to offer
suggestions for the imperial administration.
Zhang participated in the competition and
was ranked first among the thousands of
contestants. She promoted him to be an
imperial censor.
He is already old. Please promote him
quickly." Wu Zetian therefore gave Zhang
the designation Tong Fengge Luantai
Pingzhangshi (同鳳閣鸞臺平章事), making
him a chancellor de facto at the age of 79.
In spring 705, with Wu Zetian being ill,
Zhang entered into a plot with a number of
officials and generals, including Cui
Xuanwei, Huan Yanfan, Jing Hui, and Yuan
Shuji, to kill Wu Zetian's suitors Zhang
Yizhi and Zhang Changzong, who had
become powerful much to the distaste of the
chancellors. Zhang reminded Yang of his
prior desire to restore Tang. He further
persuaded more generals to join the plot as
well. Sheng long Coup leaders acted on
February 20 killing Zhang Yizhi and Zhang
Changzong, and then surrounding Wu
Zetian.
Wu Zetian subsequently tried to have Li
Xian returned to the palace of the Crown
Prince, but the coup leaders ignored her.
While the coup leaders allowed Wu Zetian
to retain the title of "emperor," they had her
put under house arrest at the secondary
palace and forced her to yield the throne to
Li Xian, who was formerly emperor, and he
was restored to the throne (as Emperor
Zhongzong).[xiii]
李重茂Li Chongmao (son of Zhongzon)
Given birth by an unknown consort, he was
one of the three remaining son of
Zhongzong and also the youngest. The age
became an advantage but also an
disadvantage. Since he was so young that he
is never an obvious target for people with
hidden intentions. He was also favored by
Empress Wei as the crown prince since he
was too weak to affect Wei’s power.He
lived in the imperial court and therefore
controlled by Wei. Because of his identity as
the descendant as Li family member, he was
favored by the Royal family.
李重俊Li Chongjun (son of Zhongzon)
Li Chongfu was an imperial prince of the
Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. He was the
third son of Emperor Zhongzong and was
the official crown prince. Since his
biological mother is not Empress Wei, he
was not favored during by Empress Wei
since both Empress Wei and Princess Anle
wanted to rule. However, as the official
nominated crown prince, he was given a lot
of hope.Because of the unfair treatment by
Empress Wei, he held grudges for the
Emperor and Empress while planting his
own power. He was also very insecure since
his position can easily turn him into the
target of many people.
宗楚客Minister Zong (Zong Chuke)
He was not a member that participated in the
Dragon coup which contributed the most to
the second reign of Zhongzong. However,
he became a rising star in political field. He
has no moral concept that he follows
whoever has more power with no discipline.
He is greedy for power that he said once that
“It would be heaven if I can enjoy maybe
one day’s reign.” He was especially good at
flattering and had been proved that he turned
sides very often as he could in his career.
李多祚Li Duozuo (General of Palace
Guard)
Li is a general who controlled the military
guarding the palace for more than twenty
years. Though he has the last name ”Li”, he
is not a member of the royal family. He was
born in a prominent minority ethnicity
military family. He was promoted by
Gaozong to one of the most powerful people
in military.Because of the gratitude for
Gaozong, he was extremely loyal to Li
family and Tang Dynasty. His loyalty was
proved by his contribution to the Dragon
Coup. Minister Zhang had a great
relationship with him. [xiv]They planned the
coup together. As the senior general for right
wing of Palace Guard, he provided military
support for the coup and the success would
not happen if he was not part of it.
崔湜Cuishi （Minister）
Born in one of the most prominent family in
Tang dynasty, he was a nominal official at
the beginning. However, later he chose to
side with Wu Sansi and was promoted. In
the end, he became Princess Taiping’s suitor
which helped him become one of the
ministers. He depended on Princess Taiping
and therefore he had to be loyal to her. His
brother worked for Li Longji which was a
tie that can be used in many ways.
[i]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tang_dynasty
[ii] Turchin, Peter; Adams, Jonathan M.;
Hall, Thomas D (December
2006)."East-West Orientation of Historical
Empires". Journal of world-systems
research. 12 (2): 222. ISSN 1076-156X.
[iii]
https://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/hist
ory/tang/
[iv]
http://www.womeninworldhistory.com/#her
oine6.html
[v]
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the
-demonization-of-empress-wu-20743091/#y
vcguWFKM5jtReOi.99
[vi] 资治通鉴Comprehensive Mirror to Aid
in Government
[vii]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhang_Jianzhi\
[viii]
http://totallyhistory.com/tang-dynasty-milita
ry/
[ix]
http://www.theworldofchinese.com/2016/02/
badass-ladies-of-chinese-history-princess-tai
ping/
[x]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shangguan_W
an'er
[xi] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wu_Sansi
[xii]
https://wiki.samurai-archives.com/index.php
?title=Emperor_Ruizong_of_Tan
[xiii]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhang_Jianzhi
[xiv]
http://www.liquisearch.com/what_is_li_duo
zuo