A Comparative Study Of The Imperial Empresses And Concubines Involved In Politics In The Ming And Qing Dynasties

Ancient China was a patriarchal society,and most women were excluded from political power.The imperial empresses and concubines involved in politics was regarded as a female disaster by the feudal rulers,and the rulers made various restrictions on the imperial empresses and concubines.However,the imperial empresses and concubines involved in politics can't be denied all,it should be seen that some imperial empresses and concubines had a negative influence on the politics,while some imperial empresses and concubines also had a positive influence on the politics.The imperial empresses and concubines is in the power center,has the special identity and status,is the few female who has the opportunity to participate in the national government affairs.During the Ming and Qing dynasties,feudal autocratic imperial power was strengthened unprecedentedly,and the rulers learned the historical lessons of the imperial empresses and concubines involved in politics of the former,strictly prohibited the imperial empresses and concubines participating in the politics,but the imperial empresses and concubines involved in politics still appeared,and had a great influence on the politics.The imperial empresses and concubines in the Ming and Qing dynasties involved in politics both has two ways,either indirectly or directly.Involved in politics indirectly,refers to the imperial empresses and concubines through various ways,put forward to their views and suggestions on the affairs of politics to the emperor,and then exert influence on the political situation and affairs,but the imperial empresses and concubines' s words to the emperor were adopted or not,ultimately depend on the emperor himself.Involved in politics directly,refers to the imperial empresses and concubines directly in charge of the state,that is,listen to the government in the court,or listen to the government behind a curtain,when the emperor often become a puppet,the imperial empresses and concubines instead of the emperor direct command,ruling the state.In the Ming and Qing dynasties,there were significant differences in the distribution and origin of the imperial empresses and concubines involved in politics.The distribution of the imperial empresses and concubines involved in politics in the Ming Dynasty was dominated by the capital division and its nearby provinces,thus can reduce the problem of folk.The imperial empresses and concubines involved inpolitics in the Qing Dynasty was distributed all over the country,and there were Mongolian women from the Mongolian tribes,which was related to the implementation of the unique system of Selecting Xiunvs and the marriage policy of Manchu and Mongolian.The imperial empresses and concubines involved in politics in the Ming Dynasty mostly came from folk,the imperial empresses and concubines selection not focus on origin and pedigree.The imperial empresses and concubines involved in politics in the Qing Dynasty were mostly from the Manchu oficial family,the imperial empresses and concubines selection focus on origin and pedigree.Both the Ming and Qing dynasties took measures to strictly prohibit the imperial empresses and concubines from participating politics,the practice was quite same.The measures of strictly prohibiting the imperial empresses and concubines from participating politics in the Ming Dynasty mainly include the system regulation,the emperor and ministers resisting the imperial empresses and concubines from participating politics together,and the imperial empresses and concubines obeying the ancestral admonition and the female admonition consciously.The measures of strictly prohibiting the imperial empresses and concubines in the Qing Dynasty mainly include the ancestral admonition and regulations,and the education of etiquette and law.The reason of the imperial empresses and concubines in the Ming and Qing dynasties involved in politics was same,mainly has own political ability,the young emperor succeeds,the emperor has no son.Because of the different changes in the political system in the Ming and Qing dynasties,the relying forces of the imperial empresses and concubines involved in politics in the Ming and Qing dynasties were different.In the Ming Dynasty,the imperial empresses and concubines relied on eunuchs and cabinet ministers.In the Qing Dynasty,the imperial empresses and concubines relied on Manchu aristocrats and grand councillor of state.During the Ming and Qing dynasties,the imperial empresses and concubines were able to restrain their relatives,and their relatives' s political influence declined,their relatives no longer the relying forces of the imperial empresses and concubines involved in politics.The imperial empresses and concubines involved in politics in the Ming and Qing dynasties both had a great influence on politics,positive and negative.The positive influence of the imperial empresses and concubines involved in politics in the Ming Dynasty wasmainly to assist the political affairs and be virtuous helper,to deal with the succession crisis of the throne and to realize the smooth handover of the throne,to support the reform and to save the ruling crisis.The positive influence of the imperial empresses and concubines involved in politics in the Qing Dynasty was mainly to decide and foster the successor of the throne,to start the political prosperity rein,to support the reform,to reform and to strengthen itself,to promote the abdication of the Qing emperor and to end the feudal monarchy.The negative influence of the imperial empresses and concubines involved in politics in the Ming Dynasty was mainly the imperial empresses and concubines' s struggle for favor,the harem was unstable,to prevent the succession of the throne and to support the restoration of the coup,to harm the national roots and to indulge their relatives and eunuchs.The negative influence of the imperial empresses and concubines in the Qing Dynasty was mainly to set up a young emperor,to disobey the system and to possess exclusive power,extravagant desire,misgovernment,to rely on favor to gain power,to sell official posts for a consideration.