Article Open Access http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jhass.2022.09.020
The Wife’s Status in the Qin and Han Dynasties
Meng Lei
University of Macau, Macau, 999078, China.
*Corresponding author: Meng Lei
Published: October 18,2022
Abstract
The Qin Dynasty started to develop a comprehensive and intricate judicial system. Some claim that the strict rules aided in maintaining social stability and promoting social justice. Others contend that laws were created to uphold the aristocracy's dominance and hence enhance social inequality. Interestingly, Confucianism and traditional Chinese rituals have long been the dominant forces in ancient Chinese society, but during the Qin and Han periods, specific legal regulations markedly altered the status of women in this period compared to other periods of ancient China, especially those who played the role of wives. In other words, they had more control over family decisions, marriage freedom, and chastity. For instance, they could inherit the assets of their deceased husbands, share their husbands' status, take over as head of the home after their husbands passed away, make some decisions in the family on their own, and marry themselves off freely under certain restrictions.
Keywords
Qin and Han Times, Wife, Social Status, Inheritance, Autonomy
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How to cite this paper
The Wife's Status in the Qin and Han Dynasties
How to cite this paper: Meng Lei. (2022) The Wife's Status in the Qin and Han Dynasties. Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Science, 6(3), 426-429.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jhass.2022.09.020