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Nüjiao jingzhuan tongzuan 女教經傳通纂

Jul 17, 2023 © Ulrich Theobald

The book Nüjiao jingzhuan tongzuan 女教經傳通纂 "Compendium on female education from classical texts with commentaries" was compiled during the early Qing period by Ren Qiyun 任啟運 (1670-1707), courtesy name Yisheng 翼聖, style Diaotai Xiansheng 釣臺先生, from Yixing 宜興, Jiangsu. He was a Confucian scholar and wrote the studies Zhouyi xixin 周易洗心, Yishu bu 逸書補, and Mengzi shishi kao 孟子時事考. His collected writings are called Qingfenlou wenji 清芬樓文集.

His book of 2 juan length quotes from "classics" on female education like Nüjie 女誡, Nüxun 女訓 or Nüshizhen 女史箴. The quotations are arranged topically in 13 chapters, following Zhu Xi's 朱熹 (1130-1200) book Xiaoxue jizhu 小學集注 on the education of boys.

The commentaries were actually written by the author's son, Ren Xiang 任翔, who also reveiled the true compiler of the book, namely his own mother (family name unknown). When she died, Ren Qiyun added the chapters Pinli and Sangli.

Table 1. Contents of the Nüjiao jingzhuan tongzuan 女教經傳通纂
1. 立教 Establishing education
2. 敬身 Respecting oneself
3. 笄禮 Rites or the hairpin
4. 昏(=婚)禮 Nuptial rites
5. 事父母舅姑 Serving parents and uncles
6. 謹夫婦 Attentiveness between husband and wife
7. 辨內外 Discourse on inner and outer duties
8. 逮妾媵 Receiving servant girls
9. 生子 Delivery of children
10. 勤職 Diligence in duties
11. 祭禮 Sacrificial rites
12. 喪禮 Funeral rites
13. 貞節 Chastity and self-restriction
Sources:
Li Xueqin 李學勤, Lü Wenyu 呂文郁, eds. 1996. Siku da cidian 四庫大辭典, vol. 2, 1597. Changchun: Jilin daxue chubanshe.
Jiaoyu da cidian bianzuan weiyuanhui 教育大辭典編纂委員會, ed. 1991. Jiaoyu da cidian 教育大辭典, part 8, Zhongguo gudai jiaoyu shi 中國古代教育史, vol. 1, 256. Shanghai: Shanghai jiaoyu chubanshe.