ON THE REMARRIAGE CULTURE OF THE GENTRY CLASS WOMEN IN THE SOUTHERN SONG DYNASTY FROM YI JIAN ZHI

Abstract

This paper aims to analyze the phenomenon of women's remarriage in Yi Jian Zhi, show the culture of women's remarriage in the Southern Song Dynasty, and reveal marriage morality and life principles of women in the Southern Song Dynasty. Yi Jian Zhi recorded a total of 17 remarried women, who basically belonged to the gentry class of the Southern Song Dynasty. 16 of these remarried women married twice, and one married three times. Except for six women, the author did not explain their outcome, others hadn’t good outcome, and nine of them had a miserable outcome. The reasons why these gentry class women remarry have their class characteristics: first, widowhood is the premise of their remarriage. Second, childlessness is not the main reason for their remarriage. Third, They remarry for psychological and physiological needs. Fourth, the yearning for free marriage is the factor that affects their remarriage. Fifth, pressure from the outside world is also the reason for their remarriage. Sixth, in the Southern Song Dynasty, high dowry was popular, the economic conditions were good, and the rich dowry they had was an important reason for their successful remarriage. The cultural connotations reflected in the phenomenon of women remarriage in Yi Jian Zhi mainly include: first, the gentry in the Southern Song Dynasty were ambivalent about women's remarriage. Second, the gentry in the Southern Song Dynasty had contradictory views on the chastity of men and women.