Old-Age Support in the Han Dynasty through the Relevant Records in the Han Bamboo Slips of Xuanquan

Abstract

Filial piety was regarded by the Han government as the basis of its rule. It respected the elderly people and took care of them. Besides, it issued several decrees on the old-age support and established the old-age support system to care for the well-being of the elderly people. Based on the age of the elderly, the old-age support system of the Han Dynasty provided them with various benefits, such as granting them the privileged canes, awarding them millets, decreasing their off-springs’ taxes and corvee, or exempting them from these things. The newly published bamboo slip on old-age support in the Han bamboo slips of Xuanquan vividly reflects the old-age support system of the Han Dynasty. These bamboo slips clearly record the various preferential treatments enjoyed by elderly people of different age groups, which gives us a clearer understanding of age stratification in the old-age support system of the Han dynasty. During the period of the two Han dynasties, there was a gradual change in the old-age support policy of the Han Government. The old-age support bamboo slips were produced during the reign of Emperor Cheng of Western Han and the preferential treatment for the elderly people recorded in these bamboo slips is a reflection of the old-age support system of the late Western Han Dynasty.

Keywords

Han bamboo slips of Xuanquan, old-age support system, Han Dynasty, law of awarding millet

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