Research on the Song Xingtong

Author: Xue Meiqing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1997-11-01
Features: Comrade Xue Meiqing has been engaged in teaching and academic research on the history of Chinese legal system since the mid-1950s after graduating as a graduate student from the Law Department of Renmin University of China. Among them, she devoted great effort to the study of Song Dynasty legal codes and achieved profound expertise. This monograph is divided into thirteen topics, categorized into three parts.
Part one discusses the historical reasons for the rapid compilation of the Song Xingtong and its specific promulgation date, refuting the theory that "Dou Yan compiled the Kaibao Xingtong." It argues for the inevitable upward and downward continuity of legal codes in the Chinese legal system, demonstrating that the Song Xingtong did not solely inherit the Tang Dynasty's Lü, but also elaborates on aspects not covered by the Tang Lü Shuyi. Additionally, it examines the implementation of the Song Xingtong throughout the Song Dynasty and its significant influence on legislative efforts in various historical periods (including Jin, Western Xia, Yuan, Ming and Qing, as well as Goryeo and Japan).
Part two supplements and extends the above arguments on the Song Xingtong from several perspectives and specific issues, such as the analysis of the nature of the "Bending Stick Law" and Shen Jiabens research and dissemination of the Song Xingtong.
Part three focuses on questioning some of the omissions and errors in the current annotated editions of the Song Xingtong. The publication of this book is a new bloom that has blossomed in the academic field of the history of Chinese legal system.