The Women of the Qin Empire
The warriors of the Qin (秦) State were extremely combative and intrepid. As Spartans, the children of the Qin State were trained to be a strong warrior since their childhood. In the Qin State, only farming and fighting were encouraged, and farming was for fighting. The rank of an army man of the Qin State was related to the number of the heads of enemies. In order to raise rank, some army men of the Qin State even killed each other for getting more enemies’ heads. At last, the warriors caused their state to be a large country, the Qin Empire. And, they caused their king to be the only lord under the sky, the First Emperor.
In the Qin State and later the Qin Empire, women were low in position. They should absolutely follow their husband. If their husband died, they couldn’t remarry. If one dared to remarry, she would be regarded as a wanton woman. We don’t know what the brave warriors of the Qin State thought about their mother. It is an eternal principle that a son respects his mother. However, with the cruel training of the Qin State, warriors prefer being proud of their father’s honor.
In the Historical Museum of Shaanxi Province, there are two pottery statues of the women of the Qin Dynasty. The pottery statues were unearthed in the area around the mausoleum of Qin First-Emperor. The two women are sitting quietly. Their faces show fortitude and a little anxiety. Are they missing their sons who were fighting against enemies after enemies? The two pottery statues vividly represent the image of the women of the Qin Empire.
The Front and the Side of a Pottery Statue
The Front and the Side of the Other Pottery Statue
