The study of marriage customs and women status in Han dynasty

• Main Authors: LEE,MEI-LI, 李美莉
• Other Authors: 柯金虎博士
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2011
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/49899847503292795288

碩士 === 玄奘大學 === 中國語文學系碩士在職專班 === 99 === Summary In the history of Chinese marriage, marriage customs occupies a pivotal position in the Han dynasty. The initial marriage system and patterns of a husband and a wife with multiple concubines employed since pre-Qin era have been stereotyped in the period of the Han dynasty. Marriage patterns are under the influence of Confucianism in the Han dynasty, no matter the marriage range, age, customs, and so has social norms. Although the marriage etiquette and customs of the Han dynasty is the Foundation period in ancient China, it is also the most times full of freedom. In traditional Chinese society, women were bounded by the conception of " women are inferior and boys are superior" and "women and boys are not equal", ao women always play a role of servile position. In the Western Han dynasty, society is more open, women with higher position than the prior generation and future generations. Women of the Eastern Han dynasty are confined by Confucian thought, and the position of women are increasingly depressed. The full text of the paper is divided into six chapters. Chapter I, introduction, note the writing motivation, scope of the study and architecture, literature review, and research methods. Chapter II deals with Chinese marriage customs before Han dynasty in order to understand the change of marriage system from the Group marriage, dual marriage, single marriage system employed in ancient times to the formal betrothal marriage system in Qin's evolution. The way of setting up the marriage are based on the principle of parents’ order or the broker of matchmaker, and employ the six Rites as the main processes of the wedding ceremony. In addition to the six Rites, there are other marriage customs and unique marriage culture. Chapter III discusses patterns of marriage in the Han dynasty. Generally speaking, men and women in the Han dynasty are early-marriage, and the spouse standards are focusing on ethics, appearance, pedigree, wealth and political factors. Marriages of the Royal family, nobility and civilians rendered different appearance. In the aspect of marriage format and viewpoints, they present the spirit of free and openness. Also, there are some special phenomenon of marriage in the Han dynasty, such as uxorilocal marriage, child marriage, parental betrothal marriage. Marriage customs of the Han dynasty are discussed in the fourth chapter. Marriage customs of the Han dynasty lineage rites of the Zhou dynasty, but there are also some marriage customs, such as scatter rice bean, scatter account, celebrate marriage, celebrate wedding in bridal chamber, originally start from the Han dynasty. The Fifth Chapter discusses the status of women in the Han dynasty. By digging out factors of the change of women's status, to explore the pre-Qin period changes in the status of women. And also explore the women status in the Han dynasty base on the possible factors, the family, social, political, and other levels, which will affect the status of women in the Han dynasty. The sixth chapter is the conclusion, inductive sort out marital patterns and characteristics of marriage in the Han dynasty, and attributed women's status in the rise and fall of the Han dynasty and its factors. Finally wish modern sociality can respect different genders and implement the real genuine equality.