The Lives of Women in Ancient China

[@WorldHistoryEncyclopedia]

Do you know of any exceptional ancient Chinese women who lived an extraordinary life even with the social and political boundaries built up against them?

[@dr.gaosclassroom]

There were many exceptional women from different dynasties. The Tang Dynasty witnessed the most extraordinary women. In addition to the Empress Wu Ze-tian, there was also her secretary Shang-Guan Wan-er who was a maid at the royal palace due to the persecution of her grandfather. She was promoted as an assistant by the Wu Ze-tian when the Empress discovered her literary talent. Shang-Guan quickly rose to a prominent position as the "Shadow Premier" drafting all the laws, decrees, and orders for the Empress. She was also a talented poet and writer whose appraisal was sought after by many of the Tang scholars of her time. She was executed by the ninth Emperor of Tang Li Long-ji due to her involvement in a court coup on the 21st of July, 710!

[@augustineUK]

I'm pleasantly surprised by the high quality of the video. It covers a lot ground and very well researched. But I want to point out that foot binding lasted until the 20th century. It is part of the contemporary history. And this inhumane practice has a long lasting impact on the psychic of modern day Chinese women and society. I hope there will be researches about those issues in the future.

[@WorldHistoryEncyclopedia]

Thank you for your kind words and valuable feedback. 🙂

[@dr.gaosclassroom]

I disagree. The quality of this video is not very good and lack of depth in understanding of Chinese history. I would suggest more research be done as I pointed out in my comment.

[@ericconnor8251]

Not a bad video, but foot binding began in medieval China during the Southern Song dynasty in the 12th century AD, long after "ancient" China of the Bronze and Iron Age or even early Imperial China following Qin and Han. Also, you didn't quite nail the importance of Ban Zhao. She was one of the world's first female historians! A contemporary of Pamphile of Epidaurus who lived in Roman Egypt.

[@professor0076]

i still get ill when i remember first hearing how fathers gave their daughters to the mongols in exchange not to be invaded or murdered or both. that's about 1230ad which isn't ancient china. hell must be full for a long time now?

[@thedeadmyths]

hi sorry it might be my computer quality, but the video sounded very quiet.

[@MrDouglas-q2e]

thx buddy

[@dr.gaosclassroom]

I appreciate this kind of video presenting the lives of women in ancient China. However, this picture of the subordinate and obedient women is over simplified and distorted one. This situation of women was still rather good until the Southern Song Dynasty with many female generals such as Jiang Hong-yu and the widows of the Yang family (杨家将) in the 13th century. The situation of woman started to worse off with the revival of Neo-Confucianism around the 14th century when the Mongol invaded China. The Han Chinese scholars reinvented the imagines of virtuous women that were different from the barbarians, especially during the Ming Dynasty who defeated the Mongols and re-established the Chinese rule in China. Before that time, there were a lot of politically powerful women from the Han Dynasty, Tang Dynasty (there was even an empress in the name of Wu Ze-tian). The Song Dynasty (10th-13th century) saw the significant rose of women's social status when they made more money in the silk and tea industry. The miserable picture of women's life here was mostly from the fictions of male scholars of the Qing Dynasty (17th to 20th century), which was not true for most of Chinese history. I hope more research should be done for this topic. This over simplified and distorted version of women's life in ancient China is neither informative and accurate!!

[@krishanu-d1k]

Not like Europe tho, concubines and slavery and even burning women in the street happened in Europe.

[@Anastazka00]

Krishanu Chattopadhyay: What Are you talking about? 1. Wich countries 2. Wich time period. The only country Wich threated women same was ancient Greece (But not in all cities), But even there they did not burn them. Burning occured in late medieval Times (not just for women though), But there were no concubines or slaves.

[@webuyhouse8917]

The Vikings literally had slaves and concubines what are u talking about I’m pretty sure they enslaved lots of Anglo saxons

[@abhinabdas1092]

​@@Anastazka00 haha irish women always suffered sex slavery by vikings and Romans later by ottomans. I wish it's a lie just wish

[@Odasakuismylife]

In ancient times, concubinage was legal in every country