Abstract:

In 1859 the Jiang family redeemed themselves through a written contract and ended their economic dependence and their status as servants to the Fang family, which dated to the Ming dynasty. From that point on, the Jiang family initiated a series of family-organized construction activities: establishing an ancestral hall, compiling a genealogy and selecting a clan elder. Through this institutional building the Jiang lineage realized a resurgence of the family’s social status. By virtue of continuous purchases of land, the necessary material base was prepared for the survival and development of the lineage. Through production and management of land as well as the education of their sons, and the development of marriage alliances, the lineage eventually adapted to the local social life. The Jiang lineage finally realized its transformation from a small family to a commoner lineage and successfully integrated into Huizhou clan society. An examination of the transformation of the Jiangs from lower class family to an established lineage provides a model case for the investigation of how small lineages came to flourish in Huizhou.