Women in Early Imperial China (Asia/Pacific/Perspectives) Review

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Women in Early Imperial China (Asia/Pacific/Perspectives) ReviewI picked up _Women in Imperial China_, expecting a relatively straight forward history and analysis of the role and place of women during the QIn (221 - 206 BCE) and Han (202 BCE - 220 CE) dynasties. What I got was much more complex, nuanced and detailed than I could have possibly imagined. In his introduction, Hinsch explains that even under the Han China was incredibly varied by region: "every hundred li there were different habits; every thousand li there were different customs; Households had different governments; people wore distinguishing clothes." (Mind you, this is a China much smaller than that of the 21st century.) Added to this are "varied and often contradictory" attitudes towards women even in the same region. In spite of these tremendous obstacles, a comprehensible historical narrative has been written that gives a richly detailed and incredibly nuanced perspective of the role of women during this 400 year (221 BCE - 220 CE) time span.
To help non-Asian specialists such as myself make sense of the variety of roles and perspectives of women, the book is organized topically, with chapters on Kinship, Wealth and Work (detailing social class differences), Law, Government, Education, and Ritual. Regardless of topic, Hinsch finds a number of common threads common to women: how Chinese understanding of gender shapes societal roles from the economic interdependence of genders (in work, regardless of social class and marriage) and the social status of women (within households and, by extension, the empire), to the importance of women's participation in the spiritual life of ancient China. Much to my suprise, the place and role of women was much more vibrant, active and highly regarded than I had imagined.
For those interested in womens' studies, ancient Chinese history or the Han dynasty in particular, I strongly recommend this book. For the armchair historian, Hinsch does not presuppose knowledge of Chinese culture and history and goes to great lengths to explain and "break down" many of the terms and concepts alien to a western audience. It is a fascinating read.Women in Early Imperial China (Asia/Pacific/Perspectives) Overview

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