Tang Dynasty Princess Policy Research

This paper is about to illustrate three aspects of princess policies in the Tang Dynasty.1. The periodic features of princess matrimonial policy. Throughout the Chinese feudal society, buy- and- sellmarriage and arranged marriage were the prevailing marriage forms, including that of prncess. The governors of Tang Dynasty had always considered princess' marriage as a condition to stablize their governmentm, evincing a feature of despising private rights but valuing public ones. Emperors' sons- in- law were in the eorly period nobles from the northwest regions, and descendants of important ministers; in the prosperous period the emperors' matrimonial relatives; in the middle period the local governors of He bei regions; in the late period persons who had a high literature reputation.2. Changes taking place in princess1 policies and rights.In order to meet the need of governing the whole country, The Tang emperors had adopted different policies pursuant to various times, and princess1 rights accordingly had changed. The earlyeriod of Tang Dynasty was the times that princess had been civilized by Confucianism; in the prosperous period princesses were a group of feasting nobles with high status and great power; then their privileges were strictly restrained during the emperor Tang Xuanzhon's regime and they became not noble but rich; afterthe middle period, princesses had a citizenizational tendency. 3. Policy of Princess1 marriage to minor ethnic chief (PMEC) Tang Dynasty's PMEC could be devided into three important periods: the early period, the period of Tang Xuanzhong's regime and the later period. The purpose of its early PMEC is to maintain a balanced force among its surrounding minor ethnics; then the Tang government exerted its PMEC to the northwest minor ethnics named Qidan and Xi for many times in order that it could isolate another minor ethnic Turk. The fact that the Tang government only exerted its PMEC to the minor ethnic Huir after the regime of Tang Shuzhong shows its urgent attitude of relying on Huir to put down the civil rebellion and to defend Tibetans' attack. The Tang government's PMEC objectively encouraged the political, economic and cultural communication between the Central plains and the surrounding minor regions.