Ban Zhao, a Chinese scholar, was very well known throughout China during the Han Dynasty. Her writing, Nu Jie, or Lessons for Women, discusses the values of young women, and how they should act in society.
Ban Zhao, born in 45 CE, lived in the Anling, Fufeng province of China. She was the daughter of Ban Biao, a historian who wrote about the Western Han Dynasty. She was also the sister of Ban Gu, another historian, who took over his father’s work after his death. After the death of Ban Gu, Ban Zhao was instructed by the emperor to finish the work of her father and brother. Once she completed their work, Hanshu, or the Book of Han, was published. Hanshu became a model for future Chinese histories, along with becoming one of the most well-known histories. Ban Zhao came from a very prestigious, important family of historians. Ban Zhao, unlike her father and brother, became a well-known historian for the Eastern Han Dynasty, instead of the Western Han Dynasty. She was married very young, at age 14, but was widowed not long after (Britannica). Ban Zhao had at least one child, a son, but wrote to all girls that she called ‘her daughters’ (Swann 1). Ban Zhao also wrote about women’s education, primarily on the devotion and obedience to the family, and the elements of life between husband and wife (von Sivers 263-264).
Lessons for Women was originally written for all women and daughters during Zhao’s lifetime. Although Zhao wrote to appeal to all women, “my daughters” could have also specifically referred to a future daughter-in-law that would be entering the family through her son’s marriage. Ban Zhao writes, “I wish every one of you, my daughters each to write out a copy for yourself” (Swann 1). Lessons for Women was meant to be more permanent due to the time period in which it was written. Many concepts, like spousal relationships, humility, and respect were highly valued and honorable during the Han Dynasty. Ban Zhao wrote, “I fear that by failure in good manners in other families you will humiliate both your ancestors and your clan” (Swann 1). Disrespecting a family member, or not following the advice given in Lessons for Women, would have caused the family of the daughter to be dishonored or even humiliated by other families.
Ban Zhao wrote Lessons for Women to teach women how to properly behave in the public and private spheres. She wrote this piece to help women benefit in society, instead of forcing them to figure out how to accomplish things on their own, whilst possibly damaging their honor. Ban Zhao’s motivations to write this piece were very persuasive and critical. She needed to persuade the women to behave properly to uphold their honor, while also being very critical of how they need to act. Ban Zhao writes, “From this time on every one of you to strive to practice these lessons” (Swann 1). She emphasized the importance of these lessons in her writing.
Ban Zhao also had personal motivators for writing this piece since she was a woman, who married young, and had to be taught how to act. Zhao writes, “During this time (of marriage) with trembling heart I feared constantly that I might disgrace my parents” (Swann 1). During the early years of Ban Zhao’s life, she did not know how to properly act, and feared that she would do something terribly wrong. Zhao also writes, “Being careless, and by nature stupid, I taught and trained my children without system. Consequently I fear that my son Gu may bring disgrace upon the Imperial Dynasty” (Swann 1). Ban Zhao learned how to properly act after growing up and becoming wiser, but she was once a frightened, young girl. Ban Zhao’s personal experience motivated her to write this piece so other young girls would not follow her risky path, but instead, learn the proper manners quickly and easily to ensure the honor stays with their families for generations to come.
During Ban Zhao’s lifetime, men were seen as being superior to women in China. Women had many responsibilities in and outside of the household. Filial piety, or respect for your elders, was highly valued in China during that time. The emphasis on filial piety resulted in a more rigid model for women’s behaviors that were proper versus dishonorable (von Sivers 262). Women were put down during this time period, resulting in girls suffering first if families found themselves in hard times (von Sivers 263).
During part of Ban Zhao’s lifetime, the ‘martial emperor’, also known as Emperor Wudi, was in power. This Emperor faced the Xiongnu’s wrath during invasions, which led to the building of the Great Wall of China (von Sivers 253-254). Emperor Wudi had a lot of problems since he had to deal with the Xiongnu, which led to the increased protection of the empire. Even though his efforts did not work, in the end, he still helped the empire grow and spread their cultures. The Han Dynasty also began to decline, but did not completely struggle until the end of the second century CE (von Sivers 254-255).
Land reform was also major during the end of the Han Dynasty. Land was mainly owned by scholars, who continued to expand their land, which caused taxes to fall on the lower classes, instead of the upper classes. Along with the growth of land, agricultural productivity grew, resulting in new rice strains and new fruits and vegetables. Animals, such as oxen, were introduced and utilized in farming. New techniques like crop rotation and fertilization became very popular, leading China to become the leader in agricultural productivity (von Sivers 260).
The majority of the Han Dynasty followed Legalist policies, along with some Confucian theories; therefore, it was not a majorly religious state. During the Golden Age, the Han Dynasty switched to follow mainly Confucian principles. Confucianism, created by Confucius, has five main relationships: ruler/subject, father/son, husband/wife, elder brother/younger brother, and friend/friend. Each one of these relationships corresponds with one’s daily life, and one’s own personal relationships. Confucianism also deals with mutual obligations, filial piety, and aristocracy of merit. The goal of Confucianism is to reinstate political and social order in the world. The Analects, written by Mencius, a follower of Confucianism, put all of Confucius’ teachings together into a book. The main basis of Confucianism is that people do not understand their place in society, which is why Confucius created the five relationships for respect (Harding).
All of the history of the Han Dynasty directly relates to Ban Zhao through her writings about the Han Dynasty in the Hanshu. However, besides the emphasis of gender roles in society, which was very important, nothing major occured for Ban Zhao to have to write out the values and manners that women needed to learn to survive. The gender roles, in it of itself, were influential enough to motivate Ban Zhao to want to help other women learn the correct mannerisms of the private and social spheres. Overall, the society was not too great or too poor, it was in the middle. The invasions wrecked the society, but the agricultural techniques, industry and ironworking helped the economy and the society to recover.
Ban Zhao’s Lessons for Women contains many important and historically based structures that are still fairly common in today’s society. Lessons for Women directly tells women how they need to act, but only from Ban Zhao’s high status point of view, which makes her perspective bias. Ban Zhao writes, “I am fortunate…to have had a cultured mother and teachers upon whom to rely for a literary education as well as training in good manners” (Swann 1). Since Ban Zhao was a member of the upper class, she was only able to see how women should act around men and others from her status level. On the other hand, a woman of lower class status may not need to be as much of a servant to men or others like the upper class women. Class statuses were very influential in society, leading to a certain level of sophistication that women needed to achieve. Women of lower classes are not held to the same standards of the upper class women, changing their required level of elegance. Subsequently, the voice that is missing is the perspective from the lower class women.
Another missing voice could be that of an elderly woman who has lived her life and experienced the real historically and structurally based relationships and duties. The elderly woman could give her experiences truthfully, being able to fully explain her emphasis on the most important duties, along with what duties are not as important or highly valued.
Lessons for Women helps historians learn about the Han Dynasty’s culture through Zhao’s perspective of womanly duties in the private and public spheres. Ban Zhao writes, “A woman ought to have four qualifications: (1) womanly virtue; (2) womanly words; (3) womanly bearing; and (4) womanly work” (Swann 3). Zhao’s writing explains, in detail, the duties of women during her lifetime in China. The source also teaches us about how the woman was to treat a newborn girl. Zhao writes, “On the third day after the birth of a girl the ancients observed three customs: first to place the baby below the bed; second to give her a potsherd; and third to announce her birth to her ancestors by an offering” (Swann 1). Additionally, Zhao discusses the relationship between a husband and wife, writing, “The Way of the husband and wife is intimately connected with Yin and Yang. and relates the individual to gods and ancestors” (Swann 2). Even though Yin and Yang are supposed to be equal, the husband and wife are certainly not. The husband is to always be placed above the wife, which is why the wife is dutiful to the husband and family.
Lessons for Women is very important as a primary source because it paints a picture about the social hierarchy during ancient China. Ban Zhao’s writing discusses how women should have behaved during that time period, along with the importance of the social hierarchy. Even though Ban Zhao’s perspective was from the upper class point of view, she is still adequately covers the basis of all duties and relationships. These class standards were highly respected, not only by Ban Zhao’s generation, but preceding generations as well.
Ban Zhao’s Lessons for Women was a groundbreaking piece about the social hierarchies during ancient China. Zhao dove into the importance of the man being above the woman, along with the most important womanly duties. Zhao wrote about these lessons to ensure women would be spared from dishonoring their families for generations to come.