Abstract:
In the Tang Dynasty the deceased soldiers were to be rehabilitated with a set of treatment measures, including registering and reporting, carrying the remains back to the village, holding a memorial ceremony and burying on the spot, and recording the merit and giving preferential treatment to the family. These practices are believed to have been normalized and institutionalized by their frequent appearance in imperial decrees, imperial edicts of general amnesty and virtue commendation. However, in general, the deceased soldiers were mainly buried on the spot in wartime but largely carried back to the village in peace times. Burial beyond their native prefecture was responsible by the army but by local government within the limits. As for preferential treatment to the family, the prefecture and county was to be responsible for compensation payment at the beginning; later it was the military governor who provided food and clothing; and even later the younger brother of the deceased was given priority to take his place in the army. All these showed the characteristic customs in those days.
