A Day in the Life of a Concubine in Imperial China

<p>Until the Chinese communist party came to power in 1949, Chinese law mandated that a man could have only one wife but as many concubines as his wealth allowed.</p> <p>This tradition, which can be traced back to the Han Dynasty of 25 AD to 220 AD, evolved over the years but remained a cornerstone of Chinese familial structure.</p> <p>From slave markets in the ancient times to financially constrained families offering their daughters to wealthy households, the routes to becoming a concubine were numerous and, in many cases, soul-crushing.</p> <p><a href="https://medium.com/lessons-from-history/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-concubine-in-imperial-china-b372c6b12a81"><strong>Read More</strong></a></p>