WOMEN WARRIORS IN THE LAST CHINESE FEUDAL DYNASTY: A STUDY OF QING DYNASTY ARMOR AR

Abstract

This paper delves into the emergence and implications of female armor in the Qing Dynasty of ancient China, focusing on the hierarchical system of armor and its politicized performance by the ruling class. The paper also explores the multi-ethnic cultural integration of the time, including the struggle of the Manchu rulers to establish a cultural system, and the trend of foot-binding among Han Chinese women. The authors analyze the significance and constraints of female armor through historical literature and visual archives, highlighting the complexities and contradictions of the time. Ultimately, the paper provides insights into the relationship between fashion and power in ancient China.The traditional costumes in ancient China played a vital function in establishing the status hierarchy between the nobles and commoners. However, the paintings of Qing Dynasty women in armor and the historical background of these images reveal a new image of Chinese women. In this regard, the paper explicates that the emergence of female armor was a politicized performance of the ruling class, projecting the aesthetic interest of feudal patriarchy. Furthermore, the paper establishes the artistic images of women in armor as "art installations of the male ruling class in a patriarchal society," a reflection of feudal authority and aesthetic interests under the influence of Confucianism. The paper analyzes the politics of the Qing Dynasty, a minority regime with an ineffable cultural complex, with the aim to stick to their identity and adopt certain aspects of Han culture. Using historical research, the authors highlight the diverse attitudes towards the Manchu-Chinese costume system by the Qing emperors. In light of this, the paper provides a new perspective on the pursuit of freedom dress by elite women in the late Qing Dynasty, arguing that it was a tentative push into the realm of freedom, which found expression in armor