The Han dynasty's political culture differed from the Qin dynasty's
regarding the role of women. The Qin had tried to lessen the influence
exerted by rulers' wives and their relatives. But the early Han court was
much more tolerant and this nearly led to the downfall of the dynasty
It is very the history of women to the social and political history of
China's early imperial era (221 BC to the tenth century AD). The complex
interaction of élite and popular practices over hundreds of years resulted
in the gradual penetration of orthodox ideology throughout society at
large. By the late imperial period foot binding around the twelfth century
to a redefinition of masculinity in the Song period (960-1279), away from
an active Tang (618-907) aristocratic ideal (which included hunting, horse-
back riding, polo, etc.) toward the more refined, artistic, sedentary, and
contemplative ideal of the Song literatus. Such a shift, helps explain the
concurrent redefinition of femininity away from an active and strong ideal
toward a more delicate, frail, dependent and secluded feminine ideal of the
late imperial period. Foot binding may thus have been part of an effort to
differentiate Chinese culture from "loose barbarian" customs. [1]
The most unique feature of Ming imperial marriages was the stipulation laid
down by the Ming founder Zhu Yuanzhang that all imperial brides should come
from low-ranking families. This policy was carefully followed throughout
the dynasty, with the result that Ming palace women were less powerful than
the imperial in-laws of any other dynasty.
Difficult to arrive at clear-cut changes in marriage and the growth of
lineage building in the late imperial era may best be understood as status-
and wealth-building strategies suitable to an era when hereditary privilege
...