Imperial China's dynastic legal codes provide a wealth of
information for historians, social scientists, and scholars of
comparative law and of literary, cultural, and legal history. Until
now, only the Tang (618-907 C.E.) and Qing (1644-1911 C.E.) codes
have been available in English translation. The present book is the
first English translation of The Great Ming Code (Da Ming lu),
which reached its final form in 1397. The translation is preceded
by an introductory essay that places the Code in historical
context, explores its codification process, and examines its
structure and contents. A glossary of Chinese terms is also
provided. One of the most important law codes in Chinese history,
The Great Ming Code represents a break with the past, following the
alien-ruled Yuan (Mongol) dynasty, and the flourishing of culture
under the Ming, the last great Han-ruled dynasty. It was also a
model for the Qing code, which followed it, and is a fundamental
source for understanding Chinese society and culture. The Code
regulated all the perceived major aspects of social affairs, aiming
at the harmony of political, economic, military, familial, ritual,
international, and legal relations in the empire and cosmic
relations in the universe. The all-encompassing nature of the Code
makes it an encyclopedic document, providing rich materials on Ming
history. Because of the pervasiveness of legal proceedings in the
culture generally, the Code has relevance far beyond the
specialized realm of Chinese legal studies. The basic value system
and social norms that the Code imposed became so thoroughly
ingrained in Chinese society that the Manchus, who conquered China
and established the Qing dynasty, chose to continue the Code in
force with only minor changes. The Code made a considerable impact
on the legal cultures of other East Asian countries: Yi dynasty
Korea, Le dynasty Vietnam, and late Tokugawa and early Meiji Japan.
Examining why and how some rules in the Code were adopted and
others rejected in these countries will certainly enhance our
understanding of the shared culture and indigenous identities in
East Asia.
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