Chinese Hukou System - A Historical and Political Analysis

Author: Wang Weihai
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-02-01
Features: The household registration system is one of the most distinctive social systems in China's feudal society. Compared to the contemporary household registration system, the ancient Chinese household registration system had richer and broader connotations, as well as more functions, and had a profoundly important impact on the political, economic, and social life of feudal China. This book argues that the formation and development of the household registration system underwent a long historical process, from its initial emergence in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods to its formal establishment during the Qin Dynasty. It was then implemented for over two thousand years, with its development and evolution closely synchronized with the growth and maturation of feudal Chinese states. In terms of perfecting the functions of feudal states, its role was irreplaceable. This book traces the development and evolution of ancient Chinese household registration systems with a clear narrative and detailed historical records, and conducts a thorough and in-depth exploration of the relationship between the changes in the household registration system and the cyclical rise and decline of feudal states.