Women, Property, and Confucian Reaction in Sung and Yüan China (960–1368)

Cambridge Studies in Chinese History, Literature and Institutions

by Bettine Birge

This book argues that the Mongol invasion of China in the thirteenth century precipitated a lasting transformation of marriage and property laws that deprived women of their property rights and reduced their legal and economic autonomy. It describes how indigenous social change combined with foreign invasion and cultural confrontation to bring laws more into line with the goals of the radical Confucian philosophers, who wished to curtail women's financial and personal autonomy. This book provides a reevaluation of the Mongol invasion and its influence on Chinese law and society, and presents a new look at the changing position of women in premodern China.

Genres: China

368 pages, Hardcover

Published January 7, 2002

Reviews

[Katy McCallion · Rating 3 out of 5]

Does what it says on the tin. Informative. A bit dry at times. It's nice to know women did have some rights in the Song dynasty.