Local Clan Societies and Migrants to Cities in the Qin and Han Dynasties

Abstract

The autocratic monarchy system of ancient China was established on the basis of patriarchal clans. In the Qin and Han Dynasties, as cities expanded and business flourished, the clan system developed from the ancient pattern into a feudal one, by experiencing three major changes. At the same time, the noble descent of the system began to weaken. The further development of cities and business made the local clan societies stable, and under certain conditions it also became an unrest factor. In the Han Dynasty, Confucianism achieved ideological supremacy. The rituals of ancestor worship were more regulated and rigorous, which gave more power to local clan societies. The great unity in the Qin and Han Dynasties promoted the formation of a cultural melting pot. A new clan culture as well as a unified clan society was born.