Law Codes in Dynastic China

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ISBN: 9781594600395 | 1594600392
Cover: Hardcover
Copyright: 6/1/2005

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In telling the story of Law Codes in Dynastic China, John Head and Yanping Wang offer a bird's eye view of Chinese legal history from the earliest dynasties to the last. They survey the majestic sweep of China's legal tradition by allowing the details to emerge from the works of many scholars and then connecting those details in a storyline that revolves around a unifying theme: legal codification. In this way, Law Codes in Dynastic China brings to life such characters as the Duke of Zhou, Confucius, Khubilai Khan, and dozens of other emperors, rebels, scholars, and eunuchs. The book also illuminates the great movements and philosophies of China - Imperial Confucianism, Legalism, correlative cosmology, Daoism, and others - all in order to reveal both the spirit and the practicalities of law in dynastic China.This new one-volume text will prove valuable not only for researchers in the areas of Chinese law, legal history, and Chinese history, but also for students in a variety of undergraduate and graduate programs and for legal practitioners whose work calls for them to have a historically-based understanding of China's legal culture. For all readers, the book provides comprehensive citation to authorities and sources for further study - with special emphasis on recent findings and translations. Moreover, for the general lay reader, the book offers a fascinating look at the intersection of three paths of literature and learning: law, history, and China. In doing so, it facilitates a broader appreciation of contemporary China as well.

List of Maps and Boxes

Preface

Chapter I The Long Reach of Chinese Law

(20)

I.A. Chinese Dynastic History in a Nutshell

(11)

I.A.1. Introduction

(2)

I.A.2. Before the Zhou Dynasty

(4)

I.A.3. From Western Zhou to Qin (ca. 11th Century BCE to 3rd Century BCE)

(1)

I.A.4. From Han to Tang (3rd Century BCE to 7th Century CE)

(1)

I.A.5. From Tang to Qing (7th Century to 20th Century CE)

(1)

I.A.6. Major Patterns in Chinese History

(2)

I.B. Overview of Chinese Legal History and Key Concepts

(9)

I.B.1. Historical Highlights

(2)

I.B.2. Conceptual Highlights

(1)

I.B.3. The Challenge of Chinese

(7)

Chapter II Confucianists and Legalists

(216)

II.A. The Concept of Li in the Western Zhou Period

(7)

II.A.1. The Duke of Zhou and Political Reforms

(4)

II.A.2. "The Duke of Zhou establishes li"

(2)

II.A.3. "Lü Hou establishes xing"

(1)

II.B. Li and Law in the Eastern Zhou Period

(30)

II.B.1. Confucius-His Times and His Failure

(3)

II.B.2. The Teachings of Confucius

(6)

II.B.2.a. An Expanding Conception of Li

(2)

II.B.2.b. Examples of the Expanded Concept of Li

(2)

II.B.2.c. A Disdain for Law

(1)

II.B.2.d. The Importance of Education

(1)

II.B.3. Mengzi and Xunzi

(4)

II.B.3.a. Social Stratification

(2)

II.B.3.b. Punishment versus Moral Example

(1)

II.B.4. Legalism

(3)

II.B.5. Confucianism versus Legalism

(1)

II.B.6. The Xing Shu

(8)

II.B.6.a. Account #1: An End to Secrecy in Law

(1)

II.B.6.b. Account #2: Successor to Ancient and Open Codes

(2)

II.B.7. Significance of the Xing Shu and Its Successors

(2)

II.B.8. Synopsis-Chinese Law in the Balance

(3)

Chapter III Legalist Victory and Defeat: The Qin and Han Dynasties

(44)

III.A. Overview of the Qin-Han Period

(1)

III.B. The Qin Dynasty-Legalism's Moment of Glory and Blood

(14)

III.B.1. The State of Qin and Shang Yang

(7)

III.B.2. The Unification of China under Qin Power

(2)

III.B.3. Li Si and Legalism

(1)

III.B.4. The Qin Code

(3)

III.B.5. The Demise of the Qin Dynasty

(1)

III.C. The Han Dynasty-Legalism's Surrender to Confucianism

(28)

III.C.1. Building the Han Dynasty and Empire

(6)

III.C.1.a. Prosperity and Expansion

(1)

III.C.1.b. From Former Han to Later Han and Collapse

(3)

III.C.1.c. Significance and Resilience

(1)

III.C.2. Written Language and Civilization

(3)

III.C.3. Imperial Confucianism

(5)

III.C.3.a. Outside Influences

(1)

III.C.3.b. Confucianism Plus "Correlative Cosmology"

(3)

III.C.4. The Han Code

(11)

III.C.4.a. Sources of Information

(1)

III.C.4.b. Origin of the Code

(1)

III.C.4.c. Structure, Size, and Organization of the Code

(1)

III.C.4.d. Statutes, Ordinances, and Other Legal Stipulations

(3)

III.C.4.e. Confucianist Teachings As Sources of Law

(2)

III.C.4.f. Punishments

(3)

III.C.4.g. Other Aspects of the Administration of Justice

101

(1)

IIIC.5. Rules of Behavior Outside the Code

102

(3)

Chapter IV The Tang Code

105

(32)

IV.A. From the Fall of the Han Dynasty to the Rise of the Tang Dynasty

106

(9)

IV.A.1. The Period of Division

106

(6)

IV.A.1.a. Neo-Daoism and Buddhist Influence

107

(2)

IV.A.1.b. Codification and Confucianism

109

(3)

IV.A.2. The Sui Dynasty

112

(3)

IV.A.2.a. The Beginning of Reunification

113

(1)

IV.A.2.b. The Kaihuang Code

114

(1)

IV.B. The Tang Code and Its Setting

115

(22)

IV.B.1. The Tang Dynasty

115

(2)

IV.B.2. Background to the Tang Code of 653

117

(1)

IV.B.3. Central Aims and Themes of the Code

118

(6)

IV.B.3.a. Law, Li, and Cosmic Harmony

119

(2)

IV.B.3.b. The Five Punishments

121

(2)

IV.B.3.c. The Ten Abominations

123

(1)

IV.B.4. Structure and Content of the Code

124

(10)

IV.B.4.a. The General Principles: Coverage

126

(1)

IV.B.4.b. The General Provisions: Sample Provision

127

(1)

IV.B.4.c. The Specific Articles

127

(7)

IV.B.5. Other Aspects of Tang Law

134

(4)

IV.B.5.a. Other Sources of Law

134

(1)

IV.B.5.b. Rules Outside the Imperial Law

135

(2)

Chapter V Reenactment, Displacement, Revival: Codification in the Song and Than Dynasties

137

(38)

V.A. Law in the Song Dynasty

138

(12)

V.A.1. Historical Overview-750 Years from Tang through Yuan

138

(1)

V.A.2. From Tang to Song

139

(4)

V.A.3. The Song Code and Its Supplements

143

(4)

V.A.4. The Song Code in Operation

147

(3)

V.B. Law in the Yuan Dynasty

150

(25)

V.B.1. The Mongol Conquest of China

150

(5)

V.B.2. Law in the Yuan Era

155

(21)

V.B.2.a. From Mongol Law to Chinese Law

155

(2)

V.B.2.b. The "Codes" of 1291 and 1331

157

(14)

V.B.2.c. Mongol Influence on the Legal System

171

(4)

Chapter VI Codification Reaches Maturity: The Ming and Qing Dynasties

175

(52)

VI.A. Law in the Ming Dynasty

176

(16)

VI.A.1. Rise of the Ming Dynasty

176

(3)

VI.A.2. The Ming Code

179

(10)

VI.A.2.a. Restoration and Contradiction

179

(1)

VI.A.2.b. The Da Ming Lii of 1389

180

(7)

VI.A.2.c. Zhu Yuanzhang's Legacy

187

(2)

VI.A.3. Other Legal Developments

189

(3)

VI.A.3.a. Other Legislation

190

(1)

VI.A.3.b. Confucianist Influences and the Examination System

191

(1)

VI.B. The Qing Code and Its Application

192

(35)

VI.B.1. Establishment of the Qing Dynasty

192

(7)

VI.B.2. Building on the Ming Code

199

(6)

VI.B.3. Sub-Statutes and the 1740 Version of the Qing Code

205

(2)

VI.B.4. Commentaries and the Presentation of the Code

207

(5)

VI.B.5. Other Features of Qing Law

212

(15)

VI.B.5.a. The Imposition of Punishment

212

(3)

VI.B.5.b. The District Magistrate

215

(2)

VI.B.5.c. Administration through Caselaw

217

(2)

VI.B.5.d. Civil Law or Criminal Law?

219

(8)

Chapter VII Concluding Observations: Codification and Chinese Legal History

227

(12)

VII.A. Codes and Continuity

227

(4)

VII.A.1. Qin Unification

228

(1)

VII.A.2. Continuity and Legal Conservatism

228

(1)

VII.A.3. Codes as Cultural Constitutions

229

(2)

VII.B. Codes and the Rejection of Challengers

231

(2)

VII.C. Dynastic Codes and Contemporary Issues

233

(6)

VII.C.1. Judicial Discretion and Political Control

233

(1)

VII.C.2. Legal Complexity and Constitutional Simplicity

234

(1)

VII.C.3. Ethics in Law and Government

235

(1)

VII.C.4. Government Control over Law

236

(3)

Bibliography

239

(6)

Works in English and French

239

(5)

Works in Chinese

244

(1)

Index

245

(16)

About the Authors

261

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Law Codes in Dynastic China

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Table of Contents

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