| Summary: | 碩士 === 臺灣大學 === 歷史學研究所 === 98 === The concept of “The politics of Princesses” in this thesis refereed to the power status surrounding the Princesses in various political circumstances. The concept illustrated how Princesses in Han and Tang Dynasties could intervene politics from time to time by gaining supports from the Chinese Imperial system and culture.
Chapter Two firstly defined the title of “Princess” (Gong-zhu 公主) from a historical perspective. Secondly it evaluated the identity and social status of a Princess by looking into the funerals and mourning rituals and regarding comments made by government officials at the time. Chapter Three regarded the economical resource of Princesses during the period between Han and Tang Dynasties. It was described in the bronze inscriptions and bamboo strips and also recorded in hydraulic pestle (Shui-dui水碓) and pawnshop (Di-she 邸舍) that Princesses were involved in the manorial system and that had become crucial elements to understanding the political status of Princesses during Early Medieval China. The forth chapter discussed how Princesses, as a media, influenced the political situation in the Period of Disunion by comparing the selection of consorts and the following development of their political careers in tables. Chapter Five focused on Princesses’ behaviors and given authorities in their own residences or in the imperial courts and, respectively, how they intervened in political affairs as imperial relatives or female officials.
The thesis aims to illustrate a political and cultural history of females by combining the perspectives of politics, institutions and family history. It appears that the Imperial system provided not only the room for political activities, but also the economic resources to the Princesses. Under the Imperial political system, there was a thin line between family business and state affairs. The officials who were also members of the imperial family undertook dual obligations in the political matters. Thus Princesses expanded their power to interfere politics in the name of dealing family matters. As a result, they played a role in the politics along the obscure boundaries between the family and states.
However, as this phenomenon was encouraged by family bonds, it was hard to go beyond the patriarchal limitations. As a result, the power which Princesses possessed was offered by the imperial institutions and is rather culturally recognized. It was clear from this study that before the Confucianism has became dominant in the Chinese culture, the sophisticated factors composed of ethnicities, classes and regions in Early Medieval China had already reinforced the tension between genders and classes.
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