Back Dones a l'antiga Xina Catalan Frauen im alten China German La mujer en la antigua China Spanish زنان در امپراتوری و چین باستان Persian Condition des femmes en Chine antique et impériale French 中国の女性史 Japanese
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Women in ancient and imperial China were restricted from participating in various realms of social life,[1] through social stipulations that they remain indoors, whilst outside business should be conducted by men.[2] The strict division of the sexes, apparent in the policy that "men plow, women weave" (Chinese: 男耕女織), partitioned male and female histories as early as the Zhou dynasty, with the Rites of Zhou (written at the end of the Warring States Period), even stipulating that women be educated specifically in "women's rites" (Chinese: 陰禮; pinyin: yīnlǐ).[3] Though limited by policies that prevented them from owning property,[4] taking examinations, or holding office,[5] their restriction to a distinctive women's world prompted the development of female-specific occupations, exclusive literary circles, whilst also investing certain women with certain types of political influence inaccessible to men.[6]
Women had greater freedom during the Tang dynasty, and a woman, Wu Zetian, ruled China for several decades. However, the status of women declined from the Song dynasty onward, which has been blamed on the rise of neo-Confucianism, and restrictions on women became more pronounced. A number of practices, such as footbinding and widow chastity became common.[7]
The study of women's history in the context of imperial China has been pursued for many years. The societal status of both women and men in ancient China was closely related to the Chinese kinship system.[8]
- ^ Wu (2009), p. 86.
- ^ Hinsch (2013), p. 16.
- ^ Kinney (2014), p. xxv.
- ^ Yue (2008), p. 2.
- ^ Barlow (2004), p. 20.
- ^ Zurndorfer (1999), p. 4.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
ebreywas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Keightley (1999), p. 2.