Legal History of Xia, Shang, and Western Zhou Dynasties - Legal Library

Author: Hu Liuquan, Feng Zhuohui / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-07-01
Features: The Chinese legal system originated from the Xia, Shang, and Western Zhou dynasties, with the Western Zhou being particularly significant. This period was a time of relative development in slave law in China. Due to the scarcity, fragmentation, and the challenging work of authenticating ancient texts in the pre-Qin legal history, there are no systematic monographs on this topic either domestically or internationally. This book, in its handling of historical materials, relies on underground documents as credible evidence, supplemented by verification from ancient texts. For example, regarding the legal records of the Xia and Shang dynasties, archaeological findings such as Xia and Shang tombs, palace ruins, and a large number of oracle bone inscriptions are first utilized, followed by verification from pre-Qin ancient texts. For the Western Zhou legal system, a substantial number of bronze inscriptions are used, complemented by ancient texts. Oracle bone inscriptions primarily draw from the Huiji collection, supplemented by other oracle bone texts. Inscriptions combine traditional gold inscriptions with important newly unearthed inscriptions since the liberation. The ancient texts used for verification include the Xia, Shang, and Zhou sections of the Book of Documents, as well as relevant chapters from the Book of Songs (such as Feng, Ya, and Song). Additionally, works such as the Book of Changes, Rites of Zhou, Liji, and Zuo Zhuan are referenced. In terms of structure, the book is organized by legal departments, facilitating a comprehensive understanding of the legal systems of the three dynasties. Special attention is given to the study of legal systems in the middle and late periods of the Shang and Western Zhou dynasties. Through the research of oracle bone inscriptions, bronze inscriptions, and other documents, an in-depth understanding of the civil and litigation legal systems of the Western Zhou is achieved, thereby refuting the claim that "ancient China had no civil law."