''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 of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...
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 ...
(45/49–117/120 CE). As one of the ''
Four Books for Women'', ''Lessons'' had wide circulation in the late Ming and Qing dynasties (i.e. 16th–early 20th centuries). 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'' is a history of China finished in 111 CE, covering the Western, or Former Han dynasty from the first emperor in 206 BCE to the fall of Wang Mang in 23 CE. The work was composed by Ban Gu (32–92 CE), ...
References
External links
* Chinese Cultural Studies: "Lessons for a Woman
{{Confucian texts
Women from Imperial China, *
Chinese literature
Women's rights in China
1st-century books
2nd-century books