A Study On The Remarriage Of Women In Qin And Han Dynasties

Female remarriage refers to the act of remarriage with others after the death or divorce of the husband.Due to the lack of holistic attention from scholars on the family life of women after remarriage,this article is based on handed down literature,unearthed bamboo slips,and existing research results to study the issue of female remarriage during the Qin and Han dynasties.It is divided into three parts:The first part explores the types and limitations of remarriage among women in the Qin and Han dynasties.During the Qin and Han dynasties,there was a widespread phenomenon of female remarriage.The types of remarriage of women in the Qin and Han dynasties include remarriage after divorce and remarriage after the death of their husbands.Given the frequent phenomenon of remarriage and divorce in the pre Qin period,there were preliminary restrictions during the Qin and Han dynasties,with legal restrictions on the frequency,form,and object of remarriage;Promote the concept of chastity in the etiquette system and advocate for women’s chastity.Some special status individuals,such as some prisoners and maidservants,do not have the right to remarry or complete the right to remarry.The second part studies the family order of remarried women in the Qin and Han dynasties.The existence of marriage and the attribution of children determine whether there is a legal relationship between generations and whether corresponding legal responsibilities need to be borne;The funeral service system stipulates how children should mourn their biological parents,stepparents,outgoing mothers,and remarried mothers.Children’s mourning should not be canceled due to the termination of their parents’ marital relationships,which more reflects human and ethical factors beyond the legal provisions.The third part explores the property rights and interests of remarried women in the Qin and Han dynasties.After remarriage,women still have the right to inherit dowry,family property,and former husband’s property.In a remarried family,the principle of equal distribution of property is applied to the children born of the parents,and the subsequent children have priority in inheritance;After divorce,children who remarry with their mothers can also inherit their father’s property,but it is unclear how much they can inherit in real life.In a remarried family,the private property of the stepmother is inherited by the parent-child.If there is no parent-child,it is considered to be inherited by the step-child.However,the step-child has no possibility of inheriting the property of the stepfather,and may only be given a portion.In short,studying the issue of remarriage among women in the Qin and Han dynasties will help to understand the types and proportions of remarriage among ancient Chinese women,as well as their family life after remarriage.