宋代聘财与聘财争讼

Research on betrothal gifts and litigation of betrothal gift in song dynasty

宋承唐律,规定了聘财数目的下限,宋真宗、宋仁宗和宋徽宗时期的聘财等第,明确了社会各阶层聘财的上限。宋代聘财等第的修订与颁行,折射出当时聘财数目的节节攀升及官方对聘财问题的重视。宋代聘财纠纷,大多发生在婚约取消时,少数出现在新婚夫妇和姻亲之间,一女许两家的聘财争讼及法官裁断,作为典型案例被收入《名公书判清明集》。聘财事件虽属细事,但升级为刑事案件的亦非个例。以此观之,宋廷对聘财失序的重视和矫正,亦关乎社会秩序的稳定。

The law of song dynasty inherited the law of tang dynastythat set a lower limit for betrothalgifts.Therewas an upper limit on betrothalgifts of every social class duringemperor of Zhenzong,Renzong and Huizongof song dynasty.Because of the rising cost of engagement giftsand the importance of the government that promptedrevision and enactment of betrothal gift grade of the law.Most of the disputes and lawsuits about engagement gifts occurredwhen the engagement was called off.A small number of disputes and lawsuits over engagement gifts arised between newlyweds and daughter-in-law’s family and son-in-law’s family.The case of a girl was engaged to two boys thathad happend and the judge took the case seriously.The case was included in Ming Gong Shu Pan Qing Ming Jibecause of its typicality.The betrothal gift case may develop into a criminal case although it was a small matter in ordinary times.The stability of social order was related to the engagement gift.Emperorsand officials ofsong dynasty attached great importance to betrothal gifts and revised the law for each class.