| The Empresses and Imperial Concubines is one of the most important components of the political system in the Ming Dynasty. As a faithful performer and participant in the system, the Empresses and Imperial Concubines have scarcely been thought to have anything to do with the development of the politics in the Ming Dynasty. However, as a matter of fact, this special group of women had a significant impact on the 276 years evolution of the Ming Dynasty. Therefore, a clear picture of the Empresses and Imperial Concubines at that time and an objective discussion of its influence on the evolution of the political situation in the Ming Dynasty are vital to the further understanding of the history of the Ming Dynasty as a whole.There have been enormous books and papers on the topic of the Empresses and Imperial Concubines from previous researchers and scholars, some of which demonstrated great insights on the topic. However, most of these researches usually focused on the very trivial details of the topic, studying only the individual and the most specific part of the whole story. A whole picture of the Empresses and Imperial Concubines in the Ming Dynasty is yet to be painted. This essay endeavors to do so.Besides the parts of introduction and the conclusion, this essay consists of three chapters. A brief retrospect on the study of the Empresses and Imperial Concubines and a short introduction to the current research situation is presented on the first part of the essay, therefore pointing out the specific study direction of the essay. A detailed introduction to the titles and Royal Seals of the Empresses and Imperial Concubines is presented in the first chapter. The second chapter gives a detailed narrative on a series of Imperial Rituals, concerning the Empresses and Imperial Concubines, including their careful selection, as well as a number of other relevant rituals. The following chapter gives an introduction to the study of the rigid regulations on the Empresses and Imperial Concubines and their influence on the Politics. Moreover, besides the introduction, the analysis and the systematic study from the previous three parts, a summing-up is given, in the concluding part of the essay, on the general topic of the Empresses and Imperial Concubines in the Ming Dynasty. The Empresses and Imperial Concubines did play an important part in a rigid feudalism society in ancient China, despite the fact that man usually held a dominate role in it.In conclusion, the study of the Empresses and Imperial Concubines in the Ming Dynasty is of vital importance both theoretically and to the current research. |
