明代过继规则的民间文书表达

Folk Document Expression of Inheritance Rules in Ming Dynasty

“过继”是明代户绝家庭宗法继承制度的重要组成部分。明代的民间“过继”文书有“立继”文书、“出继”文书、赠与文书、遗赠抚养文书、招婿养老文书等。明代民间“过继”的内容有“奉祀”“继产”“当差”等,“过继”的方式有全部权利义务承继的“过继”、养老“承分”不“奉祀”的“过继”、以养老换取继产的“过继”、只继产不奉祀不养老的“过继”。明代的“过继”不仅继承了传统社会的做法,而且在继承方式和范围方面形成了独具特色的规则,为现代民事继承制度提供了可供借鉴的历史经验。

“Adoption” was an important part of the patriarchal inheritance system in the Ming Dynasty. The folk “adoption” documents in the Ming Dynasty included “inheritance” documents, “inheritance” documents, gift documents, bequests and maintenance documents, and old-age documents. The content of folk “adoption” in the Ming Dynasty included “sacrifice”, “inheritance” and “duty”, etc. The methods of “adoption” included “inheritance” of all rights and obligations, “inheritance” of old-age without “sacrifice”, “inheritance” of old-age exchange for inheritance, and“inheritance”of only inheritance without sacrifice and without old-age support. The “adoption” in the Ming Dynasty not only inherited the practices of the traditional society, but also formed unique rules in the mode and scope of inheritance, providing historical experience for the modern civil inheritance system.