Within the Inner Quarters: Marriage and Life for Women in the Song Dynasty

This revised edition is part of the Overseas Chinese Studies series. The Song Dynasty was a complex and turbulent era, full of change. On the one hand, foot binding began to spread, and scholars began to advocate that “starving to death is a small matter, but losing one’s chastity is a grave one.” On the other hand, we encounter a very different picture: women’s marital and property rights received greater protection.

In this book, the author presents an exceptionally rich panorama, bringing the lives of Song women vividly before our eyes: the division between inner and outer spheres, sacrificial rites and celebrations, arranging marriages, serving parents-in-law, raising children, vying for favor within the inner chambers, remaining chaste or remarrying... It shows that women’s history is dynamic, and full of possibilities.

Readers can not only gain a multifaceted understanding of Song women, but also grasp their choices and talents amid social change.