Final answer:
When a wife owned land and passed away, her husband would receive a life estate known as dower, allowing him to use the property or its income for the duration of his life. Throughout the Han imperial period, the wife had legal recognition in property management, ownership, and could inherit and bequeath property, as seen in historical records.
Step-by-step explanation:
If the owner of the land was the wife, the husband has a life estate called a dower. This legal term refers to a husband's life estate interest in his deceased wife's property, which enables him to use the property or receive income from it until his death, at which time the estate would pass to the heirs or as directed by the wife's will. In traditional Han practice and law, property rights between husband and wife were shared in different forms, and women had considerable rights regarding property management and ownership.
During the imperial period, it was customary and legally recognized that a wife managed the household budget, and she maintained this control even if the husband became incompetent or passed away. This responsibility did not transfer to their son while the mother was still alive. Women's rights to own land were also legally supported, and they could engage in lawsuits contesting men's claims to land ownership.
Furthermore, the dowry that a wife brought into a marriage remained her property, both in law and customary practice. The dowry, an important representation of her family's status and a form of retirement insurance for the parents, would ultimately be inherited by her children, not her husband's other children.
In some cases, as seen with a fabulously wealthy female owner of cinnabar mines, a widow could inherit her deceased husband's property outright. Property distribution could also be influenced by the woman's will, as indicated by historical records such as the tomb-contract from AD 5.