Reconstructing the Empire of Law in the Qing Dynasty: Cases of Marital Adultery, Especially Shamed Women Who Committed Suicide after Attempted Rape or Sexually Harassment, in Legal Case Records of Grand Secretariat (Neige Xingke Tiben)
Abstract
The present paper analyzes the cases in “the Microfilm of Marital Adultery files” collected from Qing-dynasty Legal Case Records of Grand Secretariat, held by Academia Sinica in Taiwan. The article discusses how these files will influence future studies of Chinese legal history. The present paper focuses on the cases involving shamed women committing suicide after experiencing attempted rape or sexual harassment. Through the careful study on these cases, the present paper: reconstructs the legal system in Qing-dynasty by using case records, and represents life and gender relations in terms of the legal system, finally, "re-portrays" women's positions from the perspective of law in Qing-dynasty.
Keywords
Qing-dynasty Legal Case Records of Grand Secretariat, Qing Empire, marital adultery, rape, sexual harassment
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