Reflections | Domestic abuse in ancient China was common and a woman’s punishment for divorcing her husband was harsh, but one woman said ‘enough’
- Countless women suffered domestic abuse in pre-modern China, with most so dependent on their menfolk that seeking redress was simply not an option
- Song-period poet Li Qingzhao famously divorced her abusive second husband; she was subsequently sentenced to prison, as the law of the time stipulated
It is incomprehensible that the trial involving Johnny Depp and Amber Heard shared the same front-page prominence as the war in Ukraine and school shootings in America, but like the proverbial car wreck, we just could not look away, especially when celebrities were in the dock.
At the heart of the tedious and at times vicious sparring between these two rather unpleasant people was domestic violence, which continues to afflict millions around the world.
It has been reported that many places have seen a marked increase in domestic violence during pandemic-related lockdowns in the last couple of years.
Facilitated by the patriarchal organisation of most human societies in the past and present, women have been the primary victims of domestic violence.
In pre-modern China, countless women were abused by their husbands, fathers and other male family members. Although there were laws that protected women from domestic violence, most women were so dependent on their menfolk in almost all aspects of their lives that seeking redress was simply not an option.
A prominent exception was the renowned Song-period poet Li Qingzhao (1084-1155). The deep affection between Li and her first husband was celebrated in her verses and other contemporary writings. After he died, the widowed Li remarried a man called Zhang Ruzhou, who had coveted Li’s wealth and extensive art collection.