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The resurgence of modern China has generated much interest, not
only in the country's present day activities, but also in its long
history. As the only uninterrupted ancient civilization still alive
today, the study of China's past promises to offer invaluable
insights into understanding contemporary China. Providing coverage
of the entire Imperial Era (221 BCE-1912 CE), this handbook takes a
chronological approach. It includes comprehensive analysis of all
major periods, from the powerful Han empire which rivalled Rome,
and the crucial transformative period of the Five Dynasties, to the
prosperous Ming era and the later dominance of the non-Han peoples.
With contributions from a team of international authors, key themes
include: Political events and leadership Religion and philosophy
Cultural and literary achievements Legal, economic, and military
institutions This book transcends the traditional boundaries of
historiography, giving special attention to the role of
archaeology. As such, the Routledge Handbook of Imperial Chinese
History is an indispensable reference work for students and
scholars of Chinese, Asian, and World History.
In the early eighth century, frustrated with the authorities but
still hoping to gain immortality through his future oeuvre, the
Tang court historian Liu Zhiji set out to write Shitong, in which
he would rigorously explore the tradition of historical writing in
China. Liu scrutinized hundreds of texts from antiquity to the
early Tang dynasty (618–907) and evaluated their authors
according to what he deemed the three essential qualities for
historians: talent, knowledge, and insight. Shitong is now
generally considered the greatest work of traditional Chinese
historiography. It preserves precious information on a host of lost
ancient and medieval titles while advancing a critical view on
history writing. This first translation of the work into a Western
language provides textual criticism and annotation for the
historical figures, events, and allusions that are crucial to
appreciating the work, making it a must-read for students of
historiography East and West.
The resurgence of modern China has generated much interest, not
only in the country's present day activities, but also in its long
history. As the only uninterrupted ancient civilization still alive
today, the study of China's past promises to offer invaluable
insights into understanding contemporary China. Providing coverage
of the entire Imperial Era (221 BCE-1912 CE), this handbook takes a
chronological approach. It includes comprehensive analysis of all
major periods, from the powerful Han empire which rivalled Rome,
and the crucial transformative period of the Five Dynasties, to the
prosperous Ming era and the later dominance of the non-Han peoples.
With contributions from a team of international authors, key themes
include: Political events and leadership Religion and philosophy
Cultural and literary achievements Legal, economic, and military
institutions This book transcends the traditional boundaries of
historiography, giving special attention to the role of
archaeology. As such, the Routledge Handbook of Imperial Chinese
History is an indispensable reference work for students and
scholars of Chinese, Asian, and World History.
The crucial period of Chinese history, 220-960, falls naturally
into contrasting phases. The first phase, also known as that of
"early medieval China," is an age of political decentralization.
Following the breakup of the Han empire, China was plunged into
civil war and fragmentation and stayed divided for nearly four
centuries. The second phase started in 589, during the Sui dynasty,
when China was once again brought under a single government. Under
the Sui, the bureaucracy was revitalized, the military
strengthened, and the taxation system reformed. The fall of the Sui
in 618 gave way to the even stronger Tang dynasty, which represents
an apogee of traditional Chinese civilization. Inheriting all the
great institutions developed under the Sui, the Tang made great
achievements in poetry, painting, music, and architecture. The An
Lushan rebellion, which also took place during Tang rule, brought
about far-reaching changes in the socioeconomic, political, and
military arenas. What transpired in the second half of the Tang and
the ensuing Five Dynasties provided the foundation for the next age
of late imperial China. The A to Z of Medieval China fills an
urgent need for a standard reference tailored to the interest of
Western academics and readers. The history of medieval China is
related through the book's introductory essay, maps, a table of
Dynastic Periods, a bibliography, and hundreds of cross-referenced
dictionary entries on key people, historical geography, arts,
institutions, events, and other important terms.
The crucial period of Chinese history, 168-979, falls naturally
into contrasting phases. The first phase, also known as that of
'early medieval China,' is an age of political decentralization.
Following the breakup of the Han empire, China was plunged into
civil war and fragmentation and stayed divided for nearly four
centuries. The second phase started in 589, during the Sui dynasty,
when China was once again brought under a single government. Under
the Sui, the bureaucracy was revitalized, the military
strengthened, and the taxation system reformed. The fall of the Sui
in 618 gave way to the even stronger Tang dynasty, which represents
an apogee of traditional Chinese civilization. Inheriting all the
great institutions developed under the Sui, the Tang made great
achievements in poetry, painting, music, and architecture. The An
Lushan rebellion, which also took place during Tang rule, brought
about far-reaching changes in the socioeconomic, political, and
military arenas. What transpired in the second half of the Tang and
the ensuing Five Dynasties provided the foundation for the next age
of late imperial China. This second edition of Historical
Dictionary of Medieval China contains a chronology, an
introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section
has over 1000 cross-referenced entries on historical figure. It
expands on existing thematic entries, and adds a number of new ones
with substantial content, including those on nobility, art,
architecture, archaeology, economy, agriculture, money, population,
cities, literature, historiography, military, religion, Persia,
India, Japan, Korea, Arabs, and Byzantium, among others. This book
is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone
wanting to know more about medieval China.
Looking at the life and legacy of Emperor Yang (569-618) of the
brief Sui dynasty in a new light, this book presents a compelling
case for his importance to Chinese history. Author Victor Cunrui
Xiong utilizes traditional scholarship and secondary literature
from China, Japan, and the West to go beyond the common perception
of Emperor Yang as merely a profligate tyrant. Xiong accepts
neither the traditional verdict against Emperor Yang nor the
apologist effort to revise it, and instead offers a reassessment of
Emperor Yang by exploring the larger political, economic, military,
religious, and diplomatic contexts of Sui society. This
reconstruction of the life of Emperor Yang reveals an astute
visionary with literary, administrative, and reformist
accomplishments. While a series of strategic blunders resulting
from the darker side of his personality led to the collapse of the
socioeconomic order and to his own death, the Sui legacy that
Emperor Yang left behind lived on to provide the foundation for the
rise of the Tang dynasty, the pinnacle of medieval Chinese
civilization.
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