北宋宗妇的社会地位探析

An Analysis of the Royal Women's Social Status in The Northern Song Dynasty

宗妇是皇族宗室的正妻,作为社会上层女性为北宋宗室成员的重要组成部分,在家庭中及社会上都有较高的地位。正是由于其皇族宗室的身份,故在婚姻及对外交往等方面相较于民间妇女有更多的约束和限制。皇帝比较关注宗妇的权益,对犯罪宗妇的惩治措施主要有削封邑、冠帔、勒住请授,严重的强制出家为尼或入道。对于罪行较轻的,多是形式上的惩罚甚至赦免,并多次核实。对于罪行较重的,惩罚较为严厉。在中国古代男尊女卑的观念下,宗妇是附属于丈夫宗子的,离开夫家,相应的地位和待遇也就随之丧失。

The royal women are the wives of imperial clan.As the upper-class women they are the im-portant member part of The Northern Song Dynasty clan and higher in the family and social status.It is because of the royal clan identity of them,the marriage and social intercourse compared to the folk wom-en have more constraints and limitations.The emperor paid more attention to the rights and interests of the royal women.The main punishments to the guilty royal women are cutting principality and trappings,restricting outing,more serious,they will be forced to become a monk or Taoist priest.In the light of the lesser crimes,most of them are punished exterior,and will be verified many times.Then they will be ap-propriately mitigated and even be amnestied.For the royal women who commit a serious crime,such as those who have been forced to become a monk or Taoist priest,their punishments are more severe.Be-cause the ancient values that man is superior to woman in China,the women are attached to her hus-band's eldest son,if they left the family of her husband's,the corresponding status and treatment will lose.