Research On The Legal Status Of Women Inspecial Industries In The Qing Dynasty

In the ancient Chinese feudal society,"male superior female" was a concept promoted and maintained by the ruling class and accepted and recognized by civilians.Men and women have been distinguished since the day they were born.Women ’s social status is low.Among them,those who engaged in special industries and commit to prostitutes,not to mention,often suffer more tragic experiences than the ordinary women.In the Qing dynasty,from Emperor Shunzhi to Kangxi,by state orders,the official prostitute system passed down through the ages in ancient China was abolished at the legal level,however,the prostitute industry was not eliminated,but entered the era of private business booming.Under the punishment and suppression of the Qing government’s severe penalties and laws,there were still many women who engaged in occupations that were not recognized and protected by the state and the law because of the difficult family environment or tragic life circumstances."On the one hand,she is a machine for tourists’ sexual desire,on the other hand,she is a money tree for the procuress." While suffering from physical and mental torture,they also suffered from legal blows and discrimination.In social life,women engaged in special professions were recognized as the lowest level in class society and were branded as "people of a lower social status than common people".Therefore,they were the most oppressed and suffering class in the Qing Dynasty.This article summarizes the state policies and laws on prostitutes in the Qing dynasty,supplemented by reading and analyzing historical materials such as case notes and novels.Starting from the sources and types of prostitutes and their social background in the Qing dynasty,it analyzes the social management system implemented by the Qing government,including household registration,taxation and prohibition,from the perspectives of system and actual life,besides,it studies the personal rights of women engaged in special trades in the Qing dynasty,including personal freedom,life and health,sexual freedom,marriage and parental rights,and their property rights.Finally,this article analyzes the similarities and differences between the legal status of prostitutes in the Qing dynasty and that of other contemporary "untouchable" class groups,so as to reconstruct the actual social life picture of women engaged in special trades in the Qing dynasty,summarize the legal status of this group,and form a more profound and systematic understanding of the legal status of ancient women.