| dc.description.abstract | Engilsh Abstract
In order to emphasize morality teaching of Han culture, The Ming Dynasty (MD) especially honored the virtue of temperance and justice in the early era of Ming dynasty. Merit-commending system was highly recognized ever since the first emperor, Great Ancestor of Ming, Hongwu Emperor, brought about the country. MD paid highly attention on the virtues when the country was first built. Since Hongwu Emperor highlighted erecting people’s will, legitimizing indoctrination, and deepening the decorum, and considered the incipience of indoctrination originated from ordering to one’s family, then organizing one’s country. The society greatly signified decency, morals and manners, especially chastity for widows. The government offered financial programs and preferential policies to insure widows’ economic situation and social status. The authority expected that through the operation of merit-commending system, which eulogized the deeds and spirit of virtuous widows officially and openly, the overall social moral stander could be risen and developed. What is more, the bureaucracy utilized the propaganda of Cheng-Zhu school (程朱理學)and Female Teaching Book (女書)to procure an overall control of ideology. The endeavor of the movement resulted the contemporary society pervading atmosphere of pan-moralism. Powerful clan hierarchy had great impact on constraining chastity-preserving. It turned out that women lost their property right so that preserving-chastity grow into the best choice for widows.
Earning living was the most difficulty problem for widows. It is also the key whether they were able to maintain chastity. However, the major issue for them was education to their male bereaved of their fathers. Family education is the most extraordinary responsibly for women according to Confucius teaching. In other words, it is considered as the most essential duty for mothers, especially, in terms of initiation, discipline, and instructing. Many mothers, whose husbands died at their early age, therefore played a role in two folds, loving mother and strict instructor. To hope a child having bright future is not only a usual mother’s wish, for widows the wish was even heavier. Since passing the imperial examination and becoming a member of official was a significant pathway to improve their living condition and glory their families, these widow mothers mostly applied rigid ways of education to urge their children to pass the exam and meet family goals under limited finance and restrained policy support.
The behavior patterns of the officials who were educated under their strict widow mothers remained their mothers’ way of teaching unconsciously. In order to make their people living in peace and enjoy their works. They overcame many hardships and challenges. Being a local official, they could be like a loving mother concerned their people and did their best to decrease the impact of nature disasters and man-made calamities. They turned resolute like persevere mothers when they confronted regional tyrants. In another side, being a minister in the government, they placed the country and people’s interests as their first priority. They took the risk of losing their lives to make correction to the emperor. Faith and filial piety complements each other-filial piety to their mother, then faithful to the emperor. They are the typical representatives laid down their lives for MD during the time changing dynasty to Qing, who were brought up by the widow mothers . The orphans and their widow mothers were complement one anther and built a very close tie to each other. Thus, the performance of the official adopted their mothers unconsciously. In turns both became a very important element to their lives.
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