The Role Of Shanxi Gentry Class Women In Families In Ming And Qing Dynasties

Based mainly in the epitaphs and biographies of women in Shanxi genealogies of Ming and Qing Dynasties, the thesis has explored what roles women of the Gentry in Shanxi province had played in the clan. According to the research, women of the Gentry in Shanxi province had dedicated a lot of wisdom and perspiration to the clan so that they could be accepted by it.Firstly, in order to gain a foothold in the family, women of the Gentry in Shanxi province had made great efforts to please their parents-in-law and husband, to bring up their children and to control the concubine and servants. With the excellent relationships, these women could smoothly become the next housekeepers. Secondly,these women had better not only keep friendly with their husbands’ siblings and the sisters-in-law, but also unite the clansmen to get their recognition and support in the clan. Relying on their help, these women could obtain opportunities to take part in the clan businesses to expand their influence in the clan. Thirdly, these women still kept touch with their mother’s home after married and tried to connect their own clan with their husband’s clan. Last but not the least, for these women, the greatest honor was that they could be written into the clan pedigree and could have access to the ancestral hall after death, which indicated that they had been truly accepted by the clans of their husbands. In addition, sometimes these women could break through the limits of family and clan to participate in local affairs, which would be supported by their husbands or sons, because their behaviors could help the clan set up authority and good reputation in the local society.Meanwhile, the thesis has drawn three conclusions. First of all, the Gentry in Shanxi province are combinations of scholar-bureaucrats and businessmen, but the identity of scholar-bureaucrats is the leading factor. The Gentry in Shanxi province also give first place to reading and securing an official position. Having been deeply affected by the idea of “A good scholar will make an official”, these people choose the road of “combining reading with trading”. For them, going into business is just a way to accumulate wealth, which can help their children read, take part in the imperial civil-service examinations and become officers, whereas being a scholar-bureaucrat is their real pursuit.In the second place, compared with the Huizhou clans, clan power in Shanxi province is also strong. Clans in Shanxi province control the women strictly. On theone hand, when clans admit women into the genealogies, they will follow the principle of “men are superior to women” and attach great importance to chastity of women. Therefore, if the married daughters and childless concubines preserve chastity after the death of their husbands, they will be recorded in the genealogies. On the contrary, even if the wife who has sons doesn’t keep to chastity, she will not be recognized by the clan. On the other hand, clan power has a great influence on lives of women. Women will be restrained by the family disciplines and clan regulations, be limited to attend some family activities and be taught that the clan interest is the most important.At last, in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic period, impacted by the modern civilization, clans in Shanxi province also go with the flow to do some enlightened things, such as recording the whole name of women in genealogies or opening women schools and so on, which can improve the status of women and promote their developments to some degree. However, these clans are minority and their opening level is relatively low. What is more, their thoughts and practices are both conservative and open at times.