Chunyu Tiying (Chinese: 淳于緹縈; fl. c. 174 BCE) was a woman known for persuading the Emperor Wen of Han to abolish the "Five Punishments",[1] as told in the Western Han folktale, "Tiying Saves Her Father" (Chinese: 缇萦救父).
Chunyu Tiying (淳于緹縈) | |
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 Qing-era drawing of Tiying | |
| Born | ca. 174 BC |
| Chunyu Tiying | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 淳于緹縈 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 淳于缇萦 | ||||||||||||||||||
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Biography edit
Tiying was born in Lingzhi, around 190 BCE. She was the youngest of five daughters of Chunyu Yi. While Tiying's father was originally an official in charge of an imperial warehouse, responsible for storing grain, he eventually studied with several famous doctors, and became a well-known medical practitioner.[1]
In 176 BCE, when Chunyu Tiying was around age 14, her father was accused of malpractice.[1] Some say that this was due to his refusal to give medical care to some people; others say that, after he couldn't save the life of a noblewoman, the devastated husband claimed that it was Chunyu Yi's treatment that caused the death of his wife. In any case, Chunyu Yi was imprisoned.
When Chunyu Yi was taken away, he knew he would be subjected to one of the Five Punishments. Knowing that he had no one who could appeal for him, he looked at his daughters and said "I will be sent to the capital for punishment where no woman can follow and I have five daughters. If only I had a son!"[2][citation needed] In the pre-modern China, women did not have a say in the court nor in society, unless they had some sort of special status. After hearing what her father said, Tiying made up her mind and followed her father on a journey to the capital. On the journey there she endured pain and hunger.
Once she arrived at the capital, she made an appeal on behalf of her father to Emperor Wen himself instead of going to any of the officials. She made the appeal despite knowing that, as a young girl, her appeal would likely be treated with derision and even seen as improper conduct. She also took a novel approach in her appeal. Instead of her writing about her father's good nature and accomplishments to show he deserved leniency, as might have been expected, she instead wrote about the legal tradition of Five Punishments, showing how cruel and unethical they were.[3]
After hearing that a young girl had written a letter of grievance to him, the Emperor was eager to read what the letter was about. In her letter, she wrote, "'Once a man is executed, he cannot come back to life. Once a man is mutilated, even if he proved to be innocent later, he would be disabled for life, and there is no way to reverse the suffering he experiences. Even if he wishes to start anew, he will be unable to do so. I have heard stories of how a son can redeem a father’s guilt,' she continued. 'As a daughter, I am willing to redeem my father’s sin by being your slave for the rest of my life. I beg you to spare him from this punishment, and thus he will have an opportunity to make a fresh start.'"[4][citation needed] Emperor Wen was deeply moved by Tiying's letter. Not only was it well written, it also pointed out the cruelty and injustice of the Five Punishments and how it did not give the convicted a chance to defend themselves. This letter also impressed many officials in the court. Many praised the way in which she endured hardships along with her father and was willing to become a slave in exchange for her father's life.[5]
After reading this letter, Emperor Wen pardoned Tiying's father and declined her offer to become a slave and he also abolished the cruel Five Punishments standard. Soon the story of Tiying's bravery was spread around the country and many wished to have a daughter like her.
References edit
- ^ a b c Peterson, Barbara Bennett (16 September 2016). Notable Women of China: Shang Dynasty to the Early Twentieth Century. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-46372-6.
- ^ Lee, Lily Xiao Hong; Stefanowska, A. D.; Wiles, Sue (26 March 2015). Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women: Antiquity Through Sui, 1600 B.C.E. - 618 C.E. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-47591-0.
- ^ Zheng, Zhenduo (28 October 2021). History of Chinese Folk Literature. Springer Nature. ISBN 978-981-16-5445-9.
- ^ Wang, Robin (1 January 2003). Images of Women in Chinese Thought and Culture: Writings from the Pre-Qin Period Through the Song Dynasty. Hackett Publishing. ISBN 978-0-87220-651-9.
- ^ Kinney, Anne Behnke (18 February 2014). Exemplary Women of Early China: The Lien zhuan of Liu Xiang. Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0-231-16308-8.
Sources
- Bullock, Olivia. "Badass Ladies of Chinese History: Ti Ying". Badass Ladies of Chinese History: Ti Ying. 汉 语世界. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
- "缇萦". 缇萦. 临淄区人民政府. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
- 杨, 英. 101個決定孩子命運的好習慣. 飛翔時代. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
- 张, 敏杰 (1 September 2013). 一百个中华传统美德故事. Beijing Book Co. Inc., 2013. p. 93. ISBN 9787539270241. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
- 缇萦救父. Beijing Book Co. Inc. 1 May 2014. ISBN 9787999032656. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
- Lu, Hong; Miethe, Terance D. (2010). China's Death Penalty: History, Law and Contemporary Practices. Routledge. p. 192. ISBN 9781135914912. Retrieved 2 December 2019.