China: A History

Many nations define themselves in terms of territory or people; China defines itself in terms of history. Taking into account the country’s unrivaled, voluminous tradition of history writing, John Keay has composed a vital and illuminating overview of the nation’s complex and vivid past. Keay’s authoritative history examines 5,000 years in China, from the time of the Three Dynasties through Chairman Mao and the current economic transformation of the country. Crisp, judicious, and engaging, China is the classic single-volume history for anyone seeking to understand the present and future of this immensely powerful nation.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

INTRODUCTION

REWRITING THE PAST

SPADEWORK

CRADLE, CORE AND BEYOND

THE DYNASTIC DYNAMIC

THE TRIUMPH OF PINYIN

A MATTER OF SCALE

RITES TO WRITING, PRE C. 1050 BC

THE GREAT BEGINNING

GLINT OF BRONZE

FINDING FAMILY

IN THE ORACULAR

SAGES AND HEROES, C. 1050– C. 250 BC

FOOTPRINTS OF ZHOU

LESS SPRING THAN AUTUMN

THE CONFUCIAN CONVEYANCE

WARRING STATES AND STATIST WARS

THE FIRST EMPIRE, C. 250–210 BC

STONE CATTLE ROAD

QIN’S CULTURAL REVOLUTION

CRUMBLING WALL, HIDDEN TOMB

HAN ASCENDANT, 210–141 BC

QIN IMPLODES

PAWN TO KING

JADED MONARCHS

WITHIN AND BEYOND, 141 BC–AD 1

HAN AND HUN

EXPLORER ZHANG AND THE WESTERN REGIONS

ADMINISTERING AN EMPIRE

CONFUCIAN FUNDAMENTALISM

WANG MANG AND THE HAN REPRISE, AD 1–189

A ONE-MAN DYNASTY

ACROSS THE WATERSHED

DECLINE AND FALL

FOUR HUNDRED YEARS OF VICISSITUDE, 189–550

THREE KINGDOMS AND THE RED CLIFFS

DAO AND THE CELESTIAL MASTERS

ENTER THE ENLIGHTENED ONE

INTO THE ABYSS

LUOYANG AGAIN

SUI, TANG AND THE SECOND EMPIRE, 550–650

INTERCALARY CONJUNCTION

SUI-CIDE

SONS OF THE SUNSET AND THE SUNRISE

BEYOND THE JADE GATE

HIGH TANG, 650–755

WANTON, NOT WAYWARD

THE GREATEST POWER IN ASIA

LIKE A BREATH OF SPRING

A TURNING POINT

RECONFIGURING THE EMPIRE, 755–1005

LOW TANG

FIVE DYNASTIES OR TEN KINGDOMS

SONG AND LIAO

CAVING IN, 1005–1235

THE GREAT STATE OF WHITE AND HIGH

REFORM AND REAPPRAISAL

IN SINGING-GIRL TOWERS

JIN AND SONG

BY LAND AND SEA, 1235–1405

SUNSET OF THE SONG

MONGOL REUNIFICATION

MONGOL MISADVENTURES

TRIUMPH OF THE MING

THE RITES OF MING, 1405–1620

FROM THE EDGE OF THE SKY TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH

MISADVENTURES AND MISFORTUNES

THE GREAT RITES CONTROVERSY

LANDMARKS AND INROADS

THE MANCHU CONQUEST, 1620–1760

OVERWHELMING MING

FROM JURCHEN TO MANCHU

MUCH IN DEMAND

ZUNGHARIA, XINJIANG AND TIBET

DEATH THROES OF EMPIRE, 1760–1880

SELF-EVIDENT TRUTHS

INSULTS AND OPIUM

TAIPING AND TIANJIN

REPUBLICANS AND NATIONALISTS, 1880–1950

BRUSH TO PEN

FROM EMPIRE TO REPUBLIC

WAR AND MORE WAR

LONG MARCH, LONG WAR

EPILOGUE

NOTES

BIBLIOGRAPHY