The Elaborate Weddings Of Men With Concubines

The tradition of men having concubines has existed in many cultures throughout history, including ancient Rome, China, Japan, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and the pre-Columbian Americas. In most societies, concubines were considered inferior to wives and often came from lower social classes or were purchased as slaves. However, in some cases, concubines could gain power and influence, such as Lady Yehenara, who became the de facto ruler of Qing China.

In terms of weddings, the process of taking a concubine varied across cultures. In some cases, there was no formal ceremony, while in others, there may have been a ritual or contract involved. For example, in ancient China, wealthy men often purchased concubines, and in some Jewish traditions, a concubine was acquired through a process called pilegesh, which did not include a marriage contract (ketubah) or formal betrothal (kiddushin).

Overall, while the specifics of the process may differ, the taking of a concubine generally did not involve the same level of ceremony and legal recognition as a traditional wedding between a man and a wife.

Concubines were often slaves or of lower social status

In the Bible, a concubine was a woman acquired by a man as a secondary wife. She was often a Hebrew girl sold by her father, a Gentile captive taken in war, a purchased foreign slave, or a Canaanite woman, bonded or free. A concubine's status was higher than a slave but lower than a wife.

In the Muslim world, concubines were enslaved women, though in rare cases they were free. In pre-Islamic Arabia, concubines were often the children of slaves. In the early Islamic conquests, female captives were given to soldiers as a reward for military participation. In the Umayyad period, concubinage was motivated by a desire for sons.

In ancient Greece, concubines were usually slaves or foreigners, but occasionally freeborn women from poor families. In India, the concubines of the Mughal Empire were often free women from prestigious Muslim families.

Concubines were expected to bear children

In premodern China, concubines were expected to bear children for their masters, and they were recognised as sexual partners. However, they were of lower status than the wife and their children were considered illegitimate. In ancient China, men of higher social status often supported several concubines, and Chinese emperors almost always had dozens of royal concubines.

In ancient Greece and Rome, concubines were common among the upper classes, and they were often slaves or foreigners. In Roman law, the relationship was identical to marriage except for the lack of marital affection, which conferred rights related to property, inheritance and social rank.

In medieval Europe, concubinage was common among royalty and nobility. However, as Christianity became more widespread, the Church began to exert its influence over marriage practices, leading to a decline in the practice of taking concubines.

Concubines were afforded some rights and protections

Hebrew law endowed concubines with rights and protections, though the exact nature of these rights and protections is not entirely clear. Some sources suggest that concubines were entitled to proper food and clothing. However, concubines could not get a bill of divorce like a wife could.

In ancient Rome, concubines were granted property and inheritance rights, usually reserved for wives. In Roman law, concubinage was a monogamous union recognised socially and to some extent, legally, as an alternative to marriage.

In China, until the 20th century, concubinage was a formal and institutionalised practice that upheld concubines' rights and obligations. A concubine's experience could vary greatly depending on her master's whim. The status of concubines improved during the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). It became permissible to promote a concubine to a wife, if the original wife had died and the concubine was the mother of the only surviving sons.

In the 21st century, concubines are primarily referred to as either extramarital mistresses or sex slaves.

Concubinage was common in ancient China

The practice of concubinage in China was outlawed when the Chinese Communist Party came to power in 1949. Before this, the purchase of concubines was commonplace, with wealthy men adding concubines to their households in addition to their wives. The acquisition of concubines was similar to the purchase of a servant or slave, yet concubines had a higher social status.

In ancient China, the status of concubines was inferior to that of a wife. Although concubines could produce heirs, their children were of lower status than the children of a wife. The child of a concubine had to show filial duty to two women: their biological mother and their legal mother, the wife of their father.

In the royal family, concubines were recognised only as sexual partners of the king and were expected to bear children but would never ascend the throne as an Empress while the Empress lived. Concubines were forbidden to have sexual relationships with anyone other than the king, and violation of this rule was punishable by death.

The selection process for concubines was rigorous and included a series of inspections and qualification tests. Candidates were typically recruited when they were between 13 and 16 years old and were evaluated based on their physical appearance, intelligence, mental stability, and discipline. The candidates who passed the initial evaluation received lessons and tests in various subjects, including mathematics, Chinese literature, and art.

The life of a concubine in ancient China was difficult, as they were expected to be subservient to the wife and could be divorced arbitrarily. They were not allowed to leave the Forbidden City without the Emperor's consent and often had to compete with other concubines for his attention.

Concubines were not equal in status to a wife

In the Bible, a concubine was a woman acquired by a man as a secondary wife. Her purpose was to provide a male heir in the case of a barren wife, to provide more children in general to enhance the family's workforce and wealth, and to satisfy the man's sexual desires. A concubine was endowed with rights and protections by Hebrew law but was not equal in status to a wife. A concubine's children were legitimate, but they may have been socially considered secondary to the children born from a wife. They were not legally entitled to an inheritance but were sometimes included in their father's will.

In traditional Chinese culture, wives held a higher status than concubines and were entitled to property rights and inheritance. Concubines had limited legal rights, and their children were often seen as inferior to those born within marriage. Similarly, in ancient Greek and Roman society, women who were married had greater social standing than courtesans or other women who were not legally recognised as wives. In many cases, children born to a man's concubine did not have the same inheritance rights as those born within marriage.

In conclusion, concubines were generally not equal in status to wives. They typically had fewer legal rights and social protections, and their children were often considered inferior.

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