The Inner Court: Women of the Palace
Context: While the Southern section of the Forbidden City was for government business, the Northern section (the Inner Court) was the private world of the Imperial family. Thousands of women lived here, yet many never stepped outside the palace walls for their entire lives.
The lives of women in the Forbidden City were defined by hierarchy. Every woman had a specific rank, and her clothing, food, and even the number of servants she could have depended entirely on that rank.
The Imperial Hierarchy
- The Empress Dowager: The mother of the Emperor. She was often the most powerful woman in the palace and highly respected.
- The Empress: The Emperor's primary wife. she was the "Mother of the World" and managed the other women of the court.
- Concubines: These were secondary wives. They were divided into eight different ranks. A woman could rise in rank if she gave birth to a son.
- Ladies-in-Waiting: Young women from noble families who served the Empress and Concubines, often learning palace etiquette and arts.
Daily Life and Education
Contrary to popular belief, many women in the Forbidden City were highly educated. They spent their days practicing Calligraphy, playing the Guqin (a traditional stringed instrument), and studying poetry. Their lives were comfortable and luxurious, but they were also restricted by thousands of "Palace Rules."
Power Behind the Throne
Though they could not rule as Emperors officially, some women held immense power. Empress Dowager Cixi is the most famous example. She effectively ruled China for 47 years during the late Qing Dynasty, making major political decisions from behind a yellow silk screen.
Academic Vocabulary
Hierarchy: A system in which members of a society are ranked according to relative status or authority.
Concubine: A woman who lives with a man but has lower status than his wife or wives.
Etiquette: The customary code of polite behavior in society or among members of a particular profession or group.
Dowager: A widow holding a title or property derived from her late husband.
Regent: A person appointed to administer a state because the monarch is a minor or is absent.
Seclusion: The state of being private and away from other people.
