A Change in Status: Marriage Rituals for Imperial Princes and Princesses of the Hongwu Reign (1368-1398)

• In Event: State Ritual and Political Culture in Imperial and Late Imperial China

Abstract

During the founding reign of the Ming dynasty, state-makers developed different marriage rituals for different members of the imperial family. Contrary to prevailing interpretations that see the Ming founder adopting and instituting pre-existing cultural and political practices, this paper argues that marriage rituals were negotiated and manipulated out of immediate political considerations. It shows that changes to the marriage ritual led to adjustments in the social status of the participants. By probing into the marriages of imperial children, the paper demonstrates that the kind of ritual used was determined by the status of sons or daughters, and that the sudden death of the heir apparent led to further modifications of the marriage ritual practices. Overall, the paper shows how one practice of li—state marriage rituals—was open to negotiation and transformation in the early Ming.

Author

• Beibei Zhan, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS)