The Chinese Family System (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1922. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER II The Ancient Chinese Family System Passing from what may be called the formative period of Chinese social history, the period from primitive times to the Chow dynasty, 1122-1255 B. C, when the family system was in the making, we come now to a more advanced stage of Chinese civilization. It is generally said that the climax of the civilization of ancient China was reached under the Chowjdynasty. To a large extent, this is true. Besides the establishment of an efficiently working governmental system, many other social institutions assumed definite forms during this period, among them, the family system. The family system under the Chow dynasty deserves caroful and detailed consideration for it has been perpetuate 1 with relatively slight modifications down to the present dayi; The present system is essentially andfundamentally like its ancient predecessor. The study of the somewhat simpler system of the earlier period should help greatly in the analysis of the system of today. I. THE FAMILY LIFE OF THE ANCIENT CHINESE Family life under the Chow dynasty is portrayed as harmonious and happy. Popular sentiment regarding home life is well expressed in folk-songs of the time: "Happy union with wife and children is like the music of lutes and harps." The wife is depicted as frugal and industrious, loving her husband, rejoicing in her family.1 Among many poems of the period, describing the happiness of family life, the following ode gives a simple picture of a wife of the lower class: 1 She King (Translation by James Legge), pt. I, bk. II, odes II and IV. AH quotations from She King are taken from this translation. "How the dolichos spread itself out, Extending to the middle of the valley Its leaves were luxuriant and dense. I cut it and boiled it, And made bo...