Research On The Female Dowry Ownership In Song Dynasty

The Song Dynasty is a very representative dynasty in Chinese history.During this period,the commodity economy flourished and property relations became complicated.People have also undergone great changes in their thinking,which led to a change in the concept of marriage in the Song Dynasty,and gradually formed an atmosphere of focusing on property in marriage.In the Song Dynasty,women usually took a generous dowry from their natal home to their husband’s home when they got married.Therefore,the dowry became an important property of Song Dynasty women and a symbol of women’s status.Many modern scholars have explored women’s dowry rights in the Song Dynasty from different perspectives,and have achieved certain results,which have important reference significance for future generations.However,through previous studies,it is found that the academic circles have failed to reach a consensus on the issue of female dowry ownership in the Song Dynasty,and there is controversy.Therefore,there is still a lot of room for research on this issue.Therefore,this article will comprehensively sort out and analyze the issue of female dowry ownership in the Song Dynasty on the basis of relevant historical records and absorbing the research results of predecessors,combined with the legislation,justice and life reality of the Song Dynasty.In order to realize the status of women in the Song Dynasty in society and law at that time,they can enrich the research on women’s property rights.This article is mainly divided into four parts.The first part focuses on the main sources of the dowry for unmarried women in the Song Dynasty,including the way and amount of dowry obtained by the virgins in families with male heirs and families without male heirs.The purpose is to explain the importance of families in the Song Dynasty to daughters’ dowry and the protection of women’s rights in the law at that time.The second part mainly focuses on the dowry of married women,and demonstrates from the legal provisions of the Song Dynasty and civil life.It proves that the laws of the Song Dynasty affirmed the dowry ownership of married women and that the women in the Song Dynasty possessed the dowry in life and can control and dispose of the dowry.The third part then summarizes different types of dowry ownership disputes,summarizing the dowry disputes between women and their natal brothers and tribes,and their husbands and their tribes.At the same time,it also analyzes the cases of children competing for the dowry after their mothers die.Through these cases,it was learned that women in the Song Dynasty were able to participate in some dowry litigation,and the Judge of Binge took care of women’s interests in the judgment,which further proved that women in the Song Dynasty had actual ownership of the dowry and this right was protected by justice.The last chapter is a summary of the research conclusions.Three conclusions are drawn on the basis of the previous research.The first is that women in the Song Dynasty actually enjoyed dowry ownership,and the second is that women in the Song Dynasty were able to actively maintain their dowry under the influence of the society at that time.The third point is that the dowry ownership of women in the Song Dynasty is protected by legislation and justice.