Women and Gender in Ancient China and India

1. Women and Gender in Ancient China and India

2. Shang and Zhou Dynasty

3. Oracle Bones Development of Writing Oracle Bones Ancestor Worship Filial Piety

4. Examples of Filial Piety Selection
 from
 the Confucian 
Analects: On
 Filial
 Piety 1:11
 The
 Master
 said,
 “When
 a 
person’s
 father
 is
 alive,
 observe
 his 
intentions.
 After
 his 
father
 is
 no
 more,
 observe
 his
 actions. 
If for
 three
 years
 he
 does 
not
 change 
his
 father’s 
ways,
 he
 is
 worthy 
to
 be
 called
 filial.”
 Selections
from The
Classic
of
Filiality
(Xiaojing) Our 
body,
 skin,
 and
 hair 
are
 all
 received
 from 
our
 parents;
 we
 dare
 not 
injure
 them.
 This 
is
 the
 first
 priority
 in
 filial
 duty.
 To
 establish
 oneself
 in
 the
 world
 and
 practice
 the
Way;
 to
 uphold
 one’s
 good
 name
 for
 posterity
 and
 give
 glory
 to
 one’s
 father
 and
 mother
‑‑
this
 is
 the
 completion of
 filial
 duty.
 Thus
 filiality
 begins
 with
 service
 to
 parents,
 continues
 in
 service
 to
 the
 ruler,
 and
 ends
 with
 establishing 
oneself 
in
 the
 world 
[and 
becoming
 an
 exemplary 
person].

5. Stories of Filial Piety SHE BIT HER FINGER AND PAINED HIS HEART His mother has just bitten her finger, When her son's heart aches uncontrollably; He shoulders his wood to return and is not too late; The tie between mother and child [lit.: bones & flesh] is so deep. HE LET MOSQUITOES CONSUME HIS BLOOD On summer nights without a mosquito net, When mosquitoes are many he dares not wave them off; They gorge themselves on his flesh and blood, And thus he avoids their bothering his parents.

6. Confucianism Warring States Period Creation of the Analects View of Women and thier Roles

7. Confucian Doctrine and Women Confucian doctrine, however, did not accord women a status equal to that of men, because women were generally regarded as unworthy or incapable of a literary education. In fact, the Confucian classics say little about women, which shows how little they rnattred in the scheme of Confucian values. Most Confucians accepted the subservience of women to men as natural and proper. In their view, failure to maintain a proper relationship between two such obviously unequal people as a husband and wife or brother and sister would result in social disharmony and a breakdown of all the rules of propriety. Yet this was only part of the traditional Chinese view of women. Both Confucian doctrine and Chinese society at large accorded women, as noth mothers and mothers-in-law, a good deal of honor, and with that honor came power within the family structure. In every age, moreover, a handful of extraordinary women managed to acquire literary educations or otherwise achieve positions of far-ranging influence and authority despite social constraints.

8. Women and Confucian Beliefs Selection
 from 
the Confucian 
Analects: On
 Women
 and 
Servants 17:25 Women
 and
 servants
 are
 most 
difficult
 to 
nurture.
 If
 one
 is 
close
 to
 them,
 they lose their
 reserve,
 while 
if
 one
 is
 distant,
 they
 feel
 resentful. Ban Zhao Lessons for Women On the third day after the birth of a girl the ancients observed three customs: first to place the baby below the bed; second to give her a potsherd [a piece of broken pottery] with which to play; and third to announce her birth to her ancestors by an offering. Now to lay the baby below the bed plainly indicated that she is lowly and weak, and should regard it as her primary duty to humble herself before others. To give her potsherds with which to play indubitably signified that she should practice labor and consider it her primary duty to be industrious. To announce her birth before her ancestors clearly meant that she ought to esteem as her primary duty the continuation of the observance of worship in the home.

9. Ban Zhao: Lessons on Women Han was Ban Zhao (ca 45-116 CE), younger sister of the court historian Ban Gu (32 - 92 CE). Upon Gu's death,, Zhao served as imperial historian under Emperor Han Hedi (r. 88-105 CE) and completed her brother's Han Annals, a history of the Former Han Dynasty, which is generally regarded as second only to the historical work of Sima Qian. Ban Zhao also served as an adviser on state matters to the Empress Deng, who assumed power as regent for her infant son in 106 CE.

10. Female Hindu Deities

11. Female Hindu Deities

12. Early Caste System

13. Later Caste System Influence of the Caste System on Indian Society Later Changes Increased Subdivisions Women's Roles

14. Hinduism: Wheel of life Reincarnation Karma Dharma

15. Laws of Manu: On Women 2/213"It is the nature of women to seduce men in this world; for that reason the wise are never unguarded in the company of females." 3/17. " Brahman who marries a Shudra woman, degrades himself and his whole family ,becomes morally degenerated , loses Brahman status and his children too attain status of shudra." 5/150. A female child, young woman or old woman is not supposed to work independently even at her place of residence. 5/151. Girls are supposed to be in the custody of their father when they are children, women must be under the custody of their husband when married and under the custody of her son as widows. In no circumstances is she allowed to assert herself independently.

16. Laws of Manu: On Women 9/6. "It is the duty of all husbands to exert total control over their wives. Even physically weak husbands must strive to control their wives." 9/3. "Since women are not capable of living independently, she is to be kept under the custody of her father as child, under her husband as a woman and under her son as widow."

17. Saraswati and the God of Death Savitri and the God of Death is a story that extols the virtue and cunning of a woman who is markedly independent in her actions. In the story, the birth of Savitri made her unique from the start. The goddess Savitri granted the king a child after much prayer and worship. Due to her unique origins, beauty and intelligence she found herself tasked with finding a suitable husband. When she finally found her future husband, she was warned that he only had a year to live, but chose to marry him anyway. This was a significant decision since widows were traditionally afforded almost no status in society and often viewed with indifference to contempt. Upon the day of his foretold death she traveled with him, all the while he was unaware of his fate. When the god of death came to claim his soul, Savitri refused to leave her husband's soul. Through her intelligence and cunning she was able to outwit the god of death and regain her husband life.

18. Buddhism Main Beliefs Challenges to Hinduism and Women's Roles

19. Poems of Buddhist Nuns Sumangalamata A woman well set free! How free I am, How wonderfully free, from kitchen drudgery. Free from the harsh grip of hunger, And from empty cooking pots, Free too of that unscrupulous man, The weaver of sunshades. Calm now, and serene I am, All lust and hatred purged. To the shade of the spreading trees I go And contemplate my happiness. Mutta So free am I, so gloriously free, Free from three petty things – From mortar, from pestle, and from my twisted lord, Freed from rebirth and death I am, And all that has held me down Is hurled away.