China's early empires
Subtitle: a re-appraisal
By: edited by Michael Nylan and Michael Loewe
Series: University of Cambridge Oriental publications -- 67
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 2010
Place of publication: Cambridge; New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 630
ISBN-13: 9780521852975
Subjects: Antiquities; History
Description: In recent decides archaeological discoveries, including manuscripts, have shed new fight on the history of China. For example, they make possible a wider and deeper account of the growth of cities and of the spread of chinese influence over distant areas. This book, with a focus on Qiti and Has (221 BCE-220 CE) as seen within the classical era, provides the first comprehensive survey of these developments and evaluates the newly found evidence in the light of earlier conclusions and the research of scholars in China, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Europe and America. Through cross-cultural comparisons, as well as through close study of both the excavated and received literature, new conclusions are presented with respect to relatively understand topics, such as gender, history of science and modes of persuasion. The volume also challenges the "common wisdom" in such established fields as Buddhism, Daoism, legal studies and social history. Thus the volume provides an effective supplement to Volume 1 of The Cambridge History of China published in 1986, and shows how subsequent archaeology has widened and enriched our perception of China's history in this period. --Book Jacket.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Introduction / -- Michael Nylan and Michael Loewe; title: Archaeology. Han Dynasty tomb structures and contents  -- Susan N. Erickson ;; title: Two Eastern Han sites :; title: Dahuting and Houshiguo  -- Michèle Pirazzoli-t'Serstevens ;; title: Excavated manuscripts :; title: context and methodology  -- Enno Giele ;; title: The archaeology of the outlying lands  -- Susan N. Erickson, Yi Sŏng-mi, and Michael Nylan ;; title: Urbanism  -- Michèle Pirazzoli-t'Serstevens ;; title: The Eternal City and the City of Eternal Peace  -- T. Corey Brennan and Hsing I-tien ; -- Appendix :; title: major sources for Chang'an ;; title: Imperial tombs  -- Michael Loewe ; -- Appendix :; title: tombs of the Han emperors ;; title: Archaeology in China :; title: a view from outside Anthony Snodgrass --; title: Administration. The laws of 186 BCE  -- Michael Loewe ; -- Appendix :; title: legal documents ;; title: Administration of the family (Qihuai bisi)  -- Michael Nylan ; -- Appendix :; title: on the sources ;; title: Social distinctions, groups and privileges  -- Michael Loewe ;; title: The operation of the government  -- Michael Loewe; title: Technical arts. Numbers, numeracy and the cosmos  -- Christopher Cullen ; -- Appendix :; title: nine canons ;; title: Divination and astrology received texts and excavated manuscripts  -- Marc Kalinowski ; -- Appendix :; title: writings related to divination ; -- Appendix :; title: mantic practitioners ;; title: Manuscripts, received texts and the healing arts  -- Vivienne Lo and Li Jianmin ; -- Appendix :; title: early evidence of the healing arts ;; title: Yin-yang, five phases and qi  -- Michael Nylan ; -- Appendix :; title: correlative cosmology ;; title: Religious practices in Qin and Han  -- Roel Sterckx ;; title: Religious change under Eastern Han and its successors :; title: some current perspectives and problems  -- T. H. Barrett ; -- Appendix :; title: four problematic texts in the history of Daoism : -- Appendix :; title: post-Han extra-canonical sources --; title: Modes of Persuasion. The techniques of persuasion and the rhetoric of disorder (Luan) in late Zhanguo and Western Han texts  -- Geoffery Lloyd ;; title: Texts and authors in the Shiji  -- Griet Vankeerberghen ;; title: Tropes of music and poetry :; title: from Wudi (r. 141-87 BCE) to ca. 100 CE  -- Martin Kern ;; title: The art of persuasion from 100 BCE to 100 CE  -- Michael Nylan ;; title: Prose and authority 100-300 CE  -- David Schaberg ;; title: Literary criticism and personal character in poetry ca. 100-300 CE -- Paul W. Kroll.