Women Shall Not Rule: Imperial Wives and Concubines in China from Han to Liao

Women Shall Not Rule: Imperial Wives and Concubines in China from Han to Liao
ISBN-10
1442222905
ISBN-13
9781442222908
Category
History
Pages
310
Language
English
Published
2013-06-06
Publisher
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Author
Keith McMahon

Description

Chinese rulers guaranteed male successors by taking multiple wives, sometimes in the thousands. Women Shall Not Rule is a fascinating history of the imperial wives and concubines, especially in light of the greatest challenges to polygamous harmony—rivalry between women and their attempts to engage in politics. Keith McMahon, a leading expert on the history of gender in China, draws upon decades of research to describe polygamous emperors and women rulers throughout Chinese history. Displaying rare historical breadth, his lively and fascinating study will be invaluable as a comprehensive and authoritative resource for all readers interested in the domestic life of royal palaces across the world.

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