Page 144 - Popular Deities of Chinese Buddhism (Illustrated) and Symbols

e honours and tributes that the succeeding Emperors of the

various Dynasties conferred upon him marked him as the great-

est military hero that ever lived. Kuan Yu earned the rank of

‘T’ meaning “God” or “Emperor” and has ever since received

worship as Kuan Ti or Wu Ti. Here are the other main awards

which he had subsequently earned, elevating him to the ranks of

Duke, Prince and then Emperor:

1. In 1120 the Sung Emperor ennobled him as the “Faithful and

Loyal Duke”. Eight years later he again conferred him an-

other title, that of “e Magnificent Prince and Pacificator”.

2. In 1330 Emperor Wen of the Yuan Dynasty honoured him

with the title of “Warrior Prince and Civilizer”.

3. In 1594 Emperor Wan Li of the Ming Dynasty conferred on

him the title of “Faithful and Loyal Great Ti, Supporter of

Heaven and Protector of the Kingdom”. In his honour thou-

sands of temples were built across the land so that people

could honour and worship him, thus making him one of the

most popular Gods of China.

4. In 1813 the Ching Emperor added the appellation “Military

Emperor” and Kuan Ti was regarded as the Patron of the

Manchu Dynasty.

5. In 1856 during the battle between the Imperialists and the

rebels, Kuan Ti was said to have appeared in the heavens which

helped to turn the tide of the battle in the Emperor’s favour.

After the victory, Emperor Hsein Feng quickly elevated him

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