A Study On The Gift Of Officials And Women In The Ming And Qing Dynasties In The Southeastern Region Of Chongqing

The government’s titles given policy to the ladies with royally granted titles in Tusi system deprives from the system of male Tusi system and aims at defining classifications.This paper is based on the investigation and study in the southeastern Chongqing during the Ming and Qing Dynasties.The author has conducted a multi-level examination of the type,basic situation and characteristics of the Tusis’ wives titles given system in this period and region.The purpose is to have a comprehensive discussion on the role,function and social effects of this special female titles given system.There are roughly three stages of in the development of the system: In the first stage,before the Tang Dynasty,the official ladies’ titles were granted as the emperor’s willingness;In the second stage,from the Tang Dynasty to the Yuan Dynasty,the system was gradually institutionalized,and there was a specific grade distinction;In the third stage,this set of system became more and more perfect in the Ming and Qing Dynasties,with the scope of the qualified ladies is expanded and the type of the grade is more refined.In the third stage,although the specific details of the system of the Tusi system of the Ming Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty were slightly different,generally the ladies’ titles are granted according to their husbands’ titles.Considering the features of the southeastern Chongqing,the titles in the region are not limited to the regulation in the central China,that’s why the phenomenon of leap-forward gifts often appears.The social role played by ladies determines her grade.The most important title for the ladies is to be a virtuous wife to help her husband in managing the family.Therefore,wives are usually chosen for political interests.And the ladies must be a mother who can motivate their children to be a leader.That also contributed to the fights among the ladies cooperating with their born family.The eldest lady in a Tusi system,a grandmother or a great grandmother,symbolizes the ethical leader in the family,usually are granted to stabilize a region for political purpose.In addition to all of the three types of regular titles above,the most unique feature of the titles given system in the southeastern Chongqing is that they can obtain high-grade canonizationby the wife of the leader,the most typical of which is the only one in the book recorded as a king or a general--Qin Liangyu.The titles given system in Tusi in the southeastern Chongqing in the Ming and Qing Dynasties featured with its locality,historical stage and nationality.The relatively closed regional environment made the central dynasty only rely on the Tusi system to effectively rule the region.In order to take the advantage of the influence of the Tusi,ladies were also granted with titles for highly political purpose.Based on the regional political development,the specific titles given policy of the Tusi system developed with distinctive characteristics in different stages,demonstrated in the Ming Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty’s largest Youyang’s Tusi and his wife’s titles.The grades of the Tusi and his wife are closely related to the local situation.When the central government was stronger,the Tusi,the leader of local government,and his wife were at the regular grade.On the contrary,when the local government in the southeastern Chongqing,the Tusi and his wife were of higher grade.The ethical requirements for the minorities is different from the social requirements and cultural atmosphere of the traditional ethical requirements of the Han nationality.The people of Tusi system are relatively free and have a higher social status,mainly showed by the phenomenon that female could be awarded with titles for military merits.Women in this area can not only learn to sew,but also learn to ride and shoot.This unique cultural atmosphere provides women,especially family members,with the necessary ability to participate in a wide range of political and military activities.In addition,in the ancient Chinese Tusi system,inheritance system allowed the wives to inherit from their husbands,which provided the institutional basis for the ladies.Under the guarantee of the ability base and the institutional basis,a number of ladies with their own achievements have emerged in the southeastern Chongqing.They tend to have high grades,and they have basically obtained the highest-ranking title in the history.In addition to the positive influence of the great social status of the ladies in Tusi system,the nationality has also brought about certain negative effects,such as frequent wars and increased burden on the people.In order to obtain social status,the ladies in the system often launched many wars.After they gained power,they also actively participated in various dynasty wars in order to obtain higher grades,while also excessively using their powers,which greatly increased the burden of life for the local people.