1WOMEN IN MEDIEVAL CHINA - HISTORY 252WOMEN IN MEDIEVAL CHINAGENERAL REMARKSSTATUS OF WOMEN FROM ANCIENT CHINACONFUCIANISM, PATRIARCHYCONFUCIANISM TELLS US THAT WOMEN BY NATUREQUARRELSOMEJEALOUSPETTY=-MINDEDPROPERTY DISTRIBUTION AT CORE OF THISPERIODS OF HISTORY TO COVER IN MEDIEVAL CHINATANG 618-906SONG OR SUNG 960-1279KUAN OR MONGOL 1276-1369MING 1369-1644SOURCES AVAILABLE TO USBY SONG PERIOD MORE SOURCESSTORIES, DOCUMENTS, LEGAL CASESWOMEN'S RIGHTS & FREEDOMS VARIED BY DYNASTYTANG DYNASTY LIFE BETTER FOR WOMENSONG NOT AS GOOD FOR WOMENTANG TO MING DYNASTIESSTRUCTURE OF SOCIETYVAST MAJORITY OF CHINESE LIVED OFF LAND IN VILLAGESRANGING IN SIZE FROMFEW DOZEN TO SEVERAL THOUSANDLIFE IN VILLAGE LIKE IN MEDIEVAL EUROPEVILLAGERS RARELY LEFT THEIR VILLAGEFAMILY BASIC UNITAT LEAST 3 GENERATIONS LIVE TOGETHERESPECIALLY IN RICE GROWING REGIONS OF CENTRAL & SOUTH CHINAWOMEN IN THE RELIGIOUS & LEGAL TRADITIONS OF MEDIEVAL CHINAINFLUENCE OF BUDDHISM & TAOISMBY 8TH C. BUDDHISM FULLY ESTABLISHED IN CHINASLIDE R11 FUSING OF NATIVE TRADITIONS W/INDIAN, PERSIAN, GRECO-ROMAN & CENTRAL ASIAN ELEMENTSWHILE BASICALLY BUDDHISM BROUGHT BETTER LIFE FOR WOMENIT STILL BROUGHT MIXED RESULTS PARTLY BECAUSE NO SINGLEBUDDHIST IDEOLOGY RELATING TO WOMENBUDDHISM ALSO INFLUENCED & INFLUENCED BY NATIVE TRADITIONSMOST INFLUENTIAL PART OF BUDDHISM BODDHISATVA IDEA FROM MAHAYAN BUDDHISMBUDDHIST DOCTRINE EXPLAINS THAT BODHISATTVA HAS2POWER TO EMBODY IN ANY FORMMALE, FEMALE, CHILD, EVEN ANIMALDEPENDING ON TYPE OF BEING HE IS SEEKING TO SAVEMUCH SCHOLARLY DEBATE REGARDING ORIGIN OF DEVOTIONTO FEMALE BODHISATTVA KUAN YINALTHOUGH KUAN YIN STILL BEING PORTRAYED AS MALE ASLATE AS 10TH CWITH INTRODUCTION OF TANTRIC BUDDHISM INTO CHINA IN 8TH C IMAGE OF BODHISATTVA AS BEAUTIFUL WHITE-ROBED GODDESS PREDOMINANTKNOWN AS COMPASSIONATE SAVIOURESSCOMPARABLE TO VIRGIN MARY IN WESTBY 9TH C STATUE OF KUAN YIN IN EVERY BUDDHIST MONASTERY IN CHINATODAY SHE IS WORSHIPPED BY TAOISTS AS WELL AS MAHAYAN BUDDHISTSIN BUDDHIST BELIEF ALSO IDEA THAT WOMEN CAME TO SYMBOLIZE ALL THAT MUST BE TRANSCENDED IN ORDER TOACHIEVE ENLIGHTENMENTMORE DISCUSSION ON THIS IN JAPAN LECTURESTILL STRONG ROLE FOR QUEEN MOTHER OF THE WESTHSI HUANG MUMEDIEVAL TAOISTS CONSIDERED HER EMBODIMENT OF ULTIMATE YINDARK FEMALE FORCESHE CREATED WORLDSHE ALSO MOTHER, TEACHER, LOVERAS LOVER IT IS HER DIVINE PASSION THAT COMES THROUGHSO QUEEN MOTHER OF WEST IS BOTH TRANSCENDENT & DIVINE PASSIONBACKLASH AGAINST BUDDHISM IN LATE TANG & SONG DYNASTY LED TO REASSERTION WOMEN INFERIORCONFUCIAN IDEAS POPULAR ONCE AGAINGENERALLY SPEAKING HIGHER STATUSMORE CONFUCIAN THE FAMILYLED TO LONG PERIOD OF DECLINE FOR WOMEN'S STATUS & POSITIONSEDUCATION FOR GIRLSJUST ENOUGH SO COULD READ SIMPLE VERSIONS OF CONFUCIAN PHILOSOPHYEDITED TO EMPHASIZE LOWLY ROLE WOMEN EXPECTED TO PLAYWOMAN'S SEXUAL PURITY MUST BE PROTECTED AT ALL COSTSSHE OBLIGATED TO SELF-MUTILATION OR SUICIDE TO3PREVENT BEING RAPEDMARRIAGE & DIVORCE CUSTOMSGIRL'S PARENTS TO PROVIDE DOWRYWIVES TOOK ACTIVE INTEREST IN SELECTION OF MARRIAGE PARTNER FOR CHILDRENBUT FORMALLY ARRANGED THROUGH MATCHMAKERUSUALLY OLDER WOMANWOMEN 16-20 WHEN MARRIEDMEN COUPLE YEARS OLDERWEDDING RITUALSBRIDE LEFT HER NATAL HOME WITH HER GROOM & HIS FRIENDS, RELATIVESTHIS IS FIRST BRIDE HAS SEEN HER GROOMWHEN COUPLE ARRIVED AT HIS HOME BRIDEKNELT & BOWED TO HER NEW PARENTS-IN-LAW& TO TABLETS REPRESENTING FAMILY'S ANCESTORSTHEN COUPLE DRANK WINE FROM SAME CUPSTRING THEN ATTACHED TO COUPLELATER THEY SHOWN TO THEIR BEDROOMWHEN BEANS OR RICE HAD BEEN TOSSED ON BEDSYMBOLIZING FERTILITYOFTEN PARENTS ADDED NEW WING TO HOUSE FOR THEMWIFE USUALLY ON 3-4 MONTH TRIAL EVEN IF MAN LIKES WIFE BUT HIS PARENTS DON'THE IS TO DIVORCE HERWIFE BECAME SECURE WHEN BORE SONWOMEN WHO DID NOT MARRY REMAINED SPINSTERS AT THEIR NATAL HOMES IF WIFE NOT PROVIDE HUSBAND WITH MALE HEIRHUSBAND THEN PERMITTED TO TAKE 2ND WIFE1ST WIFE HAD NO RIGHT TO DIVORCEAS OLD SAYING WENTMARRY A CHICKEN, FOLLOW THE CHICKEN; MARRY A DOG, FOLLOW THE DOGSTATUS OF WOMAN CAME WHEN BECAME MOTHER-IN-LAWAS ELDEST FEMALE SHE COULD ENJOY HER GRANDCHILDRENHELP WITH THEIR EDUCATIONHAD MORE TIME FOR RELIGIOUS DEVOTIONSONS USUALLY DEVOTED TO MOTHERSIN SONG TIMES NEO-CONFUCIANISM SOMETIMES BLAMED FOR WOMEN'S STATUS DECLININGCHENG YI - BEST KNOWN NEO-CONFUCIAN TEACHERONCE TOLD FOLLOWER IT WOULD BE BETTER FOR WIDOW TODIE OF STARVATION THAN TO LOSE HER VIRTUE BY REMARRYING4WHILE SONG TIMES WIDOWS FREQUENTLY REMARRIEDLATER CENTURIES HIS SAYING JUSTIFIED WIDOWS NOT REMARRYINGBY SONG PERIOD LAWS CHANGED THAT WOMAN'S PROPERTY AUTOMATICALLY PASSED TO HER HUSBANDWOMEN FORBIDDEN TO REMARRY IF THEIR HUSBANDS DIVORCED THEM OR DIEDCONCUBINAGEWEALTHY CHINESE SOMETIMES SELECTED CONCUBINESWHO LIVED IN SEPARATE ROOM IN HOUSESOMETIMES COMPETED WITH LEGAL WIFE FOR PRECEDENCECHILDREN BY CONCUBINES ACCEPTED SAME AS LEGAL CHILDRENIF CONCUBINE'S CHILD SON & WIFE ONLY HAD DAUGHTERSTHEN IN WIFE'S OLD AGE DEPENDENT ON CONCUBINE'S SONPOOR FAMILIES OFTEN SOLD THEIR DAUGHTERS TO WEALTHY VILLAGERS TO SERVE AS CONCUBINESINFANTICIDEFEMALE INFANTICIDE NOT UNCOMMON IN TIMES OF FAMINESO REST OF FAMILY HAD FOODALTERNATE - GIRLS SOLD INTO SLAVERYEVEN IN GOOD TIMES GIRLS TOLD FOOD WASTED ON THEM BECAUSE THEY WOULD MARRY OUTSIDE THEIR ANCESTRYINCREASE SIZE & WEALTH OF HUSBAND'S FAMILY NOT THEIR OWNWHAT KNOWN FOR SURE THAT DAUGHTERS INSIGNIFICANTTHEIR NAMES NOT EVEN ENTERED IN FAMILIAL TEMPLESFOOTBINDINGBEGAN DURING SONG DYNASTY 960-976 REPORTEDLY TO IMITATE IMPERIAL CONCUBINE WHO REQUIRED TO DANCE W/FEET BOUNDBY 12TH C PRACTICE WIDESPREADGIRLS FEET BOUND SO TIGHTLY UNABLE TO DANCE & HAD TROUBLE WALKINGFOR SOME CHINESE MEN IT WILL BE EROTIC FETISHUSED TO IMMOBILIZE CONCUBINES WHO WANTED TO ESCAPEBUT NOT RECOMMENDED BY NEO-CONFUCIAN TEACHERSRATHER IT ASSOCIATED W/PLEASURE QUARTERS& WOMEN'S EFFORTS TO BEAUTIFY THEMSELVESBUT ALSO SHOWS WOMEN HAD LITTLE IMPORTANT PRODUCTIVE WORK TO PERFORMFIRST AT AGE 3 TOES BROKENTHEN MOTHERS BOUNDED GIRLS AGED 5-8 WITH LONG STRIPS OFCLOTHKEEP TOES FROM GROWING5TOES MINUS BIG TOE BENT UNDERAFTER SONG TIMES MOVED BEYOND ELITE PRACTICEVERY COMMON IN NORTH & CENTRAL CHINAEVENTUALLY SPREADING TO ALL CLASSESONLY THOSE WITH SERVANTS BOUND THEM REAL TIGHTAS WALKING DIFFICULTIDEAL - 3 INCH GOLDEN LOTUSACTUALLY TO NOT GROW LONGER THAN 3.9 INCHESBECAME INCREASINGLY POPULAR DURING LATE IMPERIAL PERIODWHEN ESTIMATED 1/2 TO 2/3RDS OF FEMALES FEET BOUNDFOOTBINDING BECAME RITE OF PASSAGE CHINESE WOMEN DID NOT ALWAYS SEE THEMSELVES