Women in ancient China were not of a high position, neither socially nor even politically compared to men. In ancient times, women were dependents on their fathers first and their husbands afterwards, and finally their sons if a woman became a widow, and this was all in a system called “the three vassals” or “sancong”. The women were often mistreated and excluded from social life, and were also forced to compete with concubines to win the affection of their husbands.
The women were of an unenviable position. But despite the harsh realities of living in a patriarchal society and a society that is subject to philosophical principles established by men that serve men themselves, some women have managed to break these restrictions. These practical facts of daily life mean that many women have circumvented these laws or traditions, and some have even risen to live extraordinary lives, produced great literature, obtained scholarships, and even ruled the Chinese Empire.
theories about women
The importance and contributions of women were mentioned at least in theory, as they were recognized in society according to the principle of yin and yang, but even in this, women were of a lower status, as the male represented the yang, which is the superiority of the woman as it is associated with rigidity, strength , flatness, richness and light color. While the woman represented the yin associated with softness, curvature, dark color, and poverty.
It was known in China that it is better to be born a boy than to be born a woman, so that female characters in ancient literature mentioned that they were men in their previous lives, but for their misdeeds have been born again women. It was common in the introduction to some stories with a female character to open with the text "Unfortunately she was born a girl."
The male would grow up to be an economic contributor to his family, and would participate in rituals such as those that included prayer for ancestors, and the perpetuation of the family name. Unlike a woman who could not make money, and one day she would leave her family's house to join her husband's family. As a result, many families abandon their infant daughters shortly after they are born. The girls who could survive were called "chastity, pearl, bounty" or the names of flowers and animals in the hope of becoming what their name represented and getting good marriage proposals.
Women were to be excellent in four respects: sincerity, attentiveness and caution when speaking, toil, and proper manners. Women's chastity was highly valued and important in Chinese society. Women who were considered particularly virtuous, such as chaste widows, were sometimes given the honor of a shrine, memorial, or memorial tablet after death, or had their names mourned in honor. These practices were especially popular after the work of Neo-Confucianism by Zhu Xi in the 12th century CE.
marriage
Marriage in ancient China was usually a traditional marriage organized by the parents. Love was not important, but economic and social status was not taken into account. There were matchmakers for selecting spouses who took the constellations into account when choosing a spouse. Some parents did not even wait for their child to grow up, but were arranging marriage since the couple's childhood. Marriage was usually done when he was in his early twenties and the woman was in her late teens, and the marriage of girls was not known, although it was forbidden by law. If the husband dies and the marriage has already been arranged on a specific date, the wedding will take place and the bride will go to join her new family.
The bride goes to live with her husband in his house or in his parents' house while retaining her family name. Where she is moved to another house with a great march while she is carried in the bride's chair and prevents her feet from stepping on the ground during her transport, to prevent from being touched by evil spirits. Usually this is followed by the couple's first meeting and a feast to announce the next new person. The historian R. Dawson tells the story:
The marriage was not registered with the local authorities. And the bride's family was not participating in the wedding celebration. Despite this, the newlyweds, several days after the wedding, must visit the bride's family home and pay respects. This marriage rite represents the fact that the bride's body, fertility, service and devotion has been handed over from one family to the next. It also provides an opportunity for the groom's family to display their wealth and glory in their position in society. The luxury of these occasions was a heavy burden on the family's resources.. There were additional costs that included the gift given to the bride's family, engagement gifts, which were well priced, and a clear indication of the bride's complete submission to her new family.
The wife was only an additional material piece of her husband's land as this is most evident in the ancient practice of the custom of tying the foot. Where girls' feet are bound from infancy to the top for several years, it is believed that the little feet will look beautiful to the husband.
In Chinese law, the husband has the right to divorce from the wife, but she does not have the right to do so, except in several cases, such as the husband mistreating his wife’s family and other acceptable reasons for divorce, including: the inability to bear a son, or evidence of infidelity, not having my father The husband’s piety and morals, such as their theft, for example, the husband’s suffering from a contagious disease, jealousy, and talking a lot.
Some of these reasons may seem superficial to the modern world, but it must be remembered that divorce in Chinese society was a serious act followed by negative social effects for both parties. Moreover, a woman was not allowed to divorce if she did not have a family to return to or if she was during a three-year mourning period for the death of the husband's parents. As a result, divorce was not a common thing in the old society.
Another social law was that widows were not allowed to remarry, but many lower-class women did anyway. The reason for this was the idea that marriage was destined and the astrological charts already tied the couple together, which would be difficult in a second marriage. And there was an even greater barrier, which was that the widow did not inherit the land left by her husband after his death, so the widow had nothing to offer to her new husband.
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January 20, 2022