Customary Law in the Qing Dynasty: Society and State

Author: Liang Zhiping
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1999-10-01
Features: The customary law discussed in this book mainly refers to unwritten norms spontaneously formed by the people, which are often related to the daily lives of rural residents, especially economic activities and interactions. From a sociological perspective of law, the author, based on official archives from the Qing Dynasty, contracts, and judicial investigations from the early Republic of China, as well as other primary materials, builds upon previous research to conduct the most systematic investigation of Qing Dynasty customary law to date. The scope of the discussion ranges from the origins, context, and evolution of Qing customary law to its nature, forms, functions, as well as the relationship between customary law and state law, and the significance of customary law research in social theory.