A Study On The Dowry In Zhili Area From Qing Dynasty To Early Republic Of China

The dowry of the royal family and the bureaucratic class in the Zhili area in the Qing Dynasty was very luxurious,which made the luxurious dowry becoming very popular at that time,but the civilian class in the process of preparation for the dowry was limited by their economic condition,and even some families could not prepare enough dowry for their daughters.In the early years of the Republic of China,the marriage atmosphere changed.Some big cities showed changes in the dowry style,so the luxury dowry in that period was somewhat relieved.However,in the vast rural areas,dowry is still an essential economic expenditure for many families and the substantial financial burden of some low-income families.Dowry has a necessary influence on the family life and status of women.In this period,the dowry even caused some negative social phenomena such as extravagant wedding and drown female babies.The purpose of this paper is to explore the dialectical relationship between dowry changes and social changes through the investigation of dowry in the Zhili area from the Qing Dynasty to the early Republic of China.