''Lessons for Women'' (), also translated as ''Admonitions for Women'', ''Women's Precepts'', or ''Warnings for Women'', is a work by the
Han dynasty
The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by th ...
female intellectual
Ban Zhao
Ban Zhao (; 45 or 49 – c. 117/120 CE), courtesy name Huiban (), was a Chinese historian, philosopher, and politician. She was the first known female Chinese historian and, along with Pamphile of Epidaurus, one of the first known female h ...
. As one of the ''
Four Books for Women'', ''Lessons'' had wide circulation in the late Ming and Qing dynasties. Ban Zhao made the "Admonitions for Women" for her daughters.
Outline
''Lessons'' outlines the four virtues a woman must abide by, proper virtue, proper speech, proper countenance, and proper conduct. The book itself describes the
status and position of women in society. It is a small book and many women had the sections memorized. The book contains only 7 chapters as outlined below.
Contents
Precepts for Women
Ban Zhao also wrote on the four desired "Precepts for Women" which were intended to guide women in society. These precepts were: womanly virtue, womanly speech, womanly manner, and womanly merit.
See also
*
Book of Han
The ''Book of Han'' or ''History of the Former Han'' (Qián Hàn Shū,《前汉书》) is a history of China finished in 111AD, covering the Western, or Former Han dynasty from the first emperor in 206 BCE to the fall of Wang Mang in 23 CE. ...
References
External links
{{wikisourcelang, zh, 女誡
* Chinese Cultural Studies: "Lessons for a Woman
Ancient Chinese women
Chinese literature
Women's rights in China