China in the 18th century: the individual, society, and state Flashcards
What does patrilineal refer to?
descent was traced through the male line, i.e., from father to son, over generations
What does patriarchal refer to?
the family unit was formally led and formally represented by the senior male
What does virilocal (patrilocal) refer to?
Wives generally married into their husbands’ families, both physically and symbolically
What is the primary unit of society?
the family (jia)
society viewed as an extension of the family
How did families deal with budget and property?
Shared budget and property: family expenditures were shared until the family was divided, and the family (or a group of closely related families) contributed to and drew upon shared property for ritual and emergency needs.
What are the 4 social ranks in society?
scholar official (shi)
peasants (nong)
artisans (gong)
merchants (shang)
Who was above the 4 social ranks?
the emperor and the imperial family
Who were the “mean people” (declasse groups)?
Actors, musicians, and entertainers
Courtesans and prostitutes
Butchers, nightsoil collectors, coroners, executioners
Soldiers
Beggars
Criminals
Buddhist monks, Daoist priests, nuns
Why was Qing society differentiated along ethnic lines?
Manchu were legally superior to all other groups
Segregated
Barred from trade or labour; hereditary military bannermen
Intermarriage with Chinese banned
Required to study Manchu language
Manchu women forbidden to have bound feet
Why were the Mongols legally superior to Han?
Chinese bannermen who joined the Manchu before 1644 were also legally privileged.
What was the symbol of subjugation?
Han Chinese males were required to wear their hair in the Manchu style (the queue bianzi 辮子).
What were the characteristics of multi-ethnic states? What did they consist of?
Non-Han groups outside of China Proper governed by Ministry of Dependencies (Bureau of Border Affairs)
Overlordship (suzerainty)
Local norms of governance, rather than Confucian-style bureaucracy
Religious patronage and recognition, e.g., Tibet
Strategic marriages
Five languages on official pronouncements: Manchu, Mongol, Tibetan, Uighur and Chinese
Attempts to prevent assimilation into Han culture
What was legitimatization about?
State Confucianism
Accepted the Mandate of Heaven and rituals of state (manipulation?)
Imperial image and personal patronage of arts and letters
Sponsored vast intellectual projects (e.g. Siku Quanshu 四庫全書 The Emperor’s Four Treasures; but note Siku Jinshu 四庫禁書)
Emphasized Neo-Confucian virtues that supported loyalty and stability: orthodoxy
Civil examination system and bureaucracy
What was the political order in Qing China?
Emperor at the very top
Beijing officials
Provincial officials
Prefectural officials
County Magistrates
What did administrative structure consist of?
Empire run by centralized bureaucracy
Manchu-Han joint rule over China Proper
