Marriage, Kinship and Power in Northern China

This volume on changing marriage practices and kinship structures in China focus on the interaction between the ruling elites and their Chinese subjects. It covers three themes: the adaptability of steppe society; shifts in inheritance procedure; and changes in social parameters.

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This volume focuses on changing marriage practices and kinship structures in a setting of interaction between the ruling elites and their Chinese subjects. The collection covers three major themes: the unique adaptability of steppe society in the face of threats to its politcal dominance; the way shifts in inheritance procedure (including rights of office) induce a radical shift in attitudes to marriage as well as change in the parameters of kinship solidarity; and the enduring importance of affinal ties (connections through the mother, wife and sister) in Chinese society.