On The Ancestry Law Of The Ming Dynasty

The widespread of the ancestry law is one of the unique phenomena that has happened throughout the Chinese history.Especially when it comes to the Ming Dynasty,as long as ancestry law has transformed from moral standards to law,thus becoming statutory,it has been emphasized by both the emperors and the ministers.In consequence,it has been exploited frequently in addressing those big issues of the Ming Dynasty,and its role is yet to be discovered.This paper will mainly focus on the concept of the ancestry law,occasions when enacted,characteristics and so on,with the intention of elaborating it fully.And,ambitious as it may be,analyzing the Chinese history by taking use of the ancestry law as a cue.The first chapter is about the general background of the ancestry law.Since the origin of the ancestry law is deeply rooted in the Chinese culture,it is necessary to find out which elements the ancestry law has assimilated when forming itself.Then the development of the ancestry law from the Song to the Ming Dynasty will be discussed.Finally,we get to the point of this paper——that is to demonstrate the definition of the ancestry law of the Ming Dynasty and the adjustments that has been made as time goes on.The second chapter is about the occasions on which the ancestry law is enacted,for only by taking accounts of the occasions can the role of the ancestry law be better illuminated.Based on the conclusion of the second chapter,the third paragraph generalizes the influence of the ancestry law exerting on the Ming's politics.Then the third chapter goes on to tell how the ministers apply the ancestry law when needed.It can be generalized that the ministers not only apply the laws that have been enacted by Zhu Yuanzhang,but also those of his successors,as the ministers always choose to exploit the law according to their own interest.The fourth chapter concentrates on the characteristics of the ancestry law of the Ming Dynasty in order that it will be fully presented.The last chapter makes an attempt at elucidating the rise and fall of the Ming Dynasty by representing the abandon of the ancestry law.