Designing Boundaries in Early China: The Composition of Sovereign Space

Author:

Garret Pagenstecher Olberding

Publisher: 

Cambridge University Press

Publication date: 

November 2021

Abstract:

Ancient Chinese walls, such as the Great Wall of China, were not sovereign border lines. Instead, sovereign space was zonally exerted with monarchical powers expressed gradually over an area, based on possibilities for administrative action. The dynamically shifting, ritualized articulation of early Chinese sovereignty affects the interpretation of the spatial application of state force, including its cartographic representations. In Designing Boundaries in Early China, Garret Pagenstecher Olberding draws on a wide array of source materials concerning the territorialization of space to make a compelling case for how sovereign spaces were defined and regulated in this part of the ancient world. By considering the ways sovereignty extended itself across vast expanses in early China, Olberding informs our understanding of the ancient world and the nature of modern nation-states.

Table of Contents:

I. Preamble
II. The basis of ancient borders
III. The visual modeling of space in text and map
IV. Movement and geography
V. The perception of the "state": the internal definition of sovereign space
VI. The perception of the "enemy": the external definition of sovereign space
VII. Transgressions: rupturing the boundaries between sovereignties
VIII. Conclusion

Bronze Weapons of the Qin Terracotta Warriors: Standardisation, craft specialisation and labour organisation

Author:
Xiuzhen Li

Publication Year: 

July 2020

Publisher:

British Archaeological Reports (Oxford) Limited

Abstract: 
Over 40,000 lethal bronze weapons were discovered with thousands of terracotta warriors in the tomb complex of the Qin First Emperor (259-210 BC). This book carries out the first systematic and comprehensive study on these weapons to investigate the mass production and labour organisation in early imperial China.  The research draws upon extensive measurements, typological analysis and related statistical treatment, as well as a study of the spatial distribution of the bronze weapons. A combination of metrical and spatial data is used to assess the degree of standardisation of the weapons’ production, and to evaluate the spatial patterns in the array of the Terracotta Army. This provides further information about the labour organisation behind the production, transportation and placement of weapons as they were moved from the workshop and/or arsenal to the funeral pits. Integrating these insights with inscriptions, tool marks, and chemical analysis, this book fills a gap in the study of mass production, the behaviour of craftspeople, and related imperial logistical organisation in the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), marking the most crucial early stage in Chinese political unification.

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction
2. Approaches to Standardisation and Labour Organisation
3. Methodology
4. Inscriptions on the Weapons
5. Bronze Triggers
6. Bronze Arrows
7. Bronze Ferrules and Long Weapons
8. Discussion and Conclusions

The Oxford Handbook of Early China

Editor:
Elizabeth Childs-Johnson

Publisher:
Oxford University Press

Publication date:
August 2020

Abstract:
The Oxford Handbook on Early China brings 30 scholars together to cover early China from the Neolithic through Warring States periods (ca 5000-500BCE). The study is chronological and incorporates a multidisciplinary approach, covering topics from archaeology, anthropology, art history, architecture, music, and metallurgy, to literature, religion, paleography, cosmology, religion, prehistory, and history.

Table of Contents:

Section I: Introduction and Background by Elizabeth Childs-Johnson

Section II: Neolithic Farmers, Ceramics and Jade
1. The Neolithic revolution in the north, ca. 7/6000-2000 BCE Xinglongwa, Xinlei, Yangshao, Hongshan, and related cultures(Inequality/social complexity in Neolithic northern China) by Andrew Womack, Yale University
2. The Neolithic revolution in the south, ca. 7/6000-2000BCE
Majiabang, Hemudu, Daxi, Songze cultures by Xiangming Fang, Zhejiang IA
3. The Neolithic jade revolution in Northeast China by Chung Tang, Mana H. Tang, and Yadi Wen, Chinese University of Hong Kong and Liu Guoxiang, CASS, IA
4. The Jade Age revisited, ca. 3500-2000BCE by Elizabeth Childs-Johnson, Independent Scholar
5. The Liangzhu Culture and the Ancient City of Liangzhu by Bin Liu, Zhejiang IA
6. Longshan Culture Issues: Taosi and cosmology by He Nu, CASS, IA

Section III: First Dynasty of the Bronze Age: Xia Period
7. Introduction: definitions, themes and debate by Xu Hong, Department of Xia-Shang-Zhou Archaeology, CASS, IA
8. Settlements, Buildings, and Society of the Erlitou Culture by Xu Hong and Li Xiang Hong Xu and Xiang Li
9. The bronze casting revolution and the ritual vessel set by Hong Xu and Yu Liu
10.The spread of Erlitou yazhang (VM3:4) to South China: origin and dispersal of early political states and order in early China by Chung Tang, Chinese University of Hong Kong and Fang Wang, Jinsha Museum, Chengdu

Section IV: The First Height of the Bronze Age- The Shang Period
11. Shang cultural and historical setting by Jonathan Smith, Christopher Newport University and Yuzhou Fan, Nanjing University
12. Early and Middle Shang by Guoding Song, Department of History, Beijing Normal University
13. Shang religion, belief, and art by Elizabeth Childs-Johnson
14. Bronze casting technology and metallurgy issues by Changping Zhang, Wuhan University
15. Late Shang: Anyang Shang City architecture and layout by E. Childs-Johnson
16. Late Shang: Fu Zi and M5 at Xiaotun by Dingyun Cao, CASS, Institute of History

Section V: The Second Height of the Bronze Age: The Western Zhou Period
17. Western Zhou cultural and historic setting by Maria Khayutina, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich
18. Government and society by Nicholas Vogt, Indiana University
19. Rites and mortuary practice (inscriptions and texts) by Connie Cook, Lehigh Univ.
20. Bronze working, stylistic and other innovations by Yan Sun, Gettysburg College
21. Bells and music in the Zhou by Scott Cook, University of Singapore

Section VI: The Third Height of the Bronze Age-Springs and Autumns Period
22. Historical background: terms and dating by Yuri Pines, Hebrew University
23. Historiography, thought, and intellectual development by Yuri Pines, Hebrew University of Jerusalem University
24. Cultures and styles by Xiaolong Wu, Hanover College

Section VII: The Iron Age- Warring States Period
25. The Warring States Period: Historical Background by Yuri Pines, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
26. The iron, agricultural, and military revolution by Wangcheong Lam, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
27. Political, military, and economic reforms: Institutional Reforms and Reformers by Yuri Pines, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
28. Political, military, and economic reforms: Change and Continuity at the intersection of received history and the material record: capitals, population registration, oaths, and tallies by Charles Sanft, University of Arizona
29. Political, military, and economic reforms: The army, wars, and military arts by Albert Galvany, University of Barcelona
30. Social, intellectual, and religious transformations: The shi, diplomats, and urban expansion by Andrew Meyer, Brooklyn College
31. Social, intellectual and religious transformations: Thinkers: Confucians and their critics; Mozi and Mencius; Laozi, Zhuangzi, and Han Feizi by Moss Roberts, New York University
32. Social, intellectual and religious transformations: Mozi by Vincent S. Leung, Hong Kong University
33. Social, intellectual and religious transformations: Mohism and jian ai by Carine Defoort, University of Leuven
34. Chu religion and art by John Major and Elizabeth Childs-Johnson
35. The artistic revolution by Jie Shi, Bryn Mawr College

[Dissertation] Polyphonic Thinking : Music and Authority in Early China

Author:
Avital Rom

School:
University of Cambridge

Defended:
2019

Abstract:
What are the socio-political roles of music? Why do people write about music? These are the essential questions underpinning this dissertation. The study interrogates early Chinese thinkers' engagement with music in political, philosophical, and military treatises of the Warring States (戰國, 453-221 BCE) and Western Han (西漢 206 BCE-9 AD) periods. In a few words, it can be defined as 'a socio-political analysis of musical references in Warring States and Han China.' This study traces and analyses musico-political links in texts dating to these periods. In doing so, it demonstrates how textual references to music may be used as rhetorical tools, attesting to ideological conflicts raging within early Chinese society.

In the first chapter I argue for a new understanding pertaining to perceptions of sound in early China. By re-examining language and contents of passages relating to sound from some of the most widely-read musical discussions of the period (in particular Xunzi's 荀子 ca. 340-ca.245 BCE 'Discourse on Music' 樂論), I substantiate that sounds were, in fact, perceived by early Chinese thinkers not only as joyful and educating - as previously emphasised by critics - but also emotionally compelling and, moreover, potentially dangerous. In this quality of sounds lies the key to understanding the power of music in early Chinese texts, which is examined in detail throughout the four remaining chapters of my work. Chapter two discusses the terms and terminology used by critics in deeming music 'good' or 'bad' in early China. It argues that music critics tended to ground their musical arguments in ethical rather than aesthetical reasonings, and used music criticism to establish and maintain the sense of local or social identities. Chapter three examines the role music and sound played in the military, and argues that within the context of warfare, drums were perceived as sonic communication devices rather than musical instruments per see. Finally, chapter Four explores conceptualisations of silence and soundlessness, claiming that silence was perceived both positively - as the ancestor of sound, and negatively - as an indicator of ignorance. The thesis as a whole aims to explore the boundaries of the musical in early China and reveal how both the musical and the boundaries between the musical and the non-musical served intellectuals rhetorically and ideologically.

Ultimately, I suggest, it is through the lens of music (albeit music that does not itself survive to us in sound) that one can unveil multiple aspects of early Chinese social, political, and intellectual life that have not, up to this point, been examined in scholarly literature.

The Art of War: A New Translation by Michael Nylan

Translator: 
Michael Nylan

Publisher: 
W. W. Norton & Company

Publication date:
January 7, 2020

Abstract:
Sun Tzu’s ancient book of strategy and psychology has as much to tell us today as when it was first written 2,500 years ago. In a world forever at odds, his rules for anticipating the motivations and strategies of our competitors never cease to inspire leaders of all kinds.

Michael Nylan, in her provocative introduction, sees new and unexpected lessons to be learned from The Art of War—in business ventures, relationships, games of skill, academic careers, and medical practices. Strategy, like conflict, is woven into society’s very roots.

Nylan’s crisp translation “offers a masterly new evaluation of this classic work, which balances the overtly military content with a profound and thought-provoking analysis” (Olivia Milburn). Readers newly engaging with ancient Chinese culture will be inspired by Nylan’s authoritative voice. Informed by years of scholarly study, Nylan is uniquely placed to introduce readers to Sun Tzu’s classic work through her detailed annotations on culture and the intricacies of translating ancient Chinese into modern English. She proves that Sun Tzu is more relevant than ever, helping us navigate the conflicts we know and those we have yet to endure.

The Eurasian Way of War: Military Practice in Seventh-Century China and Byzantium

Author:
David A. Graff

Publication Month:
2016 April

Publisher:
Routledge

Abstract:

This book is a comparative study of military practice in Sui-Tang China and the Byzantine Empire between approximately 600 and 700 CE. It covers all aspects of the military art from weapons and battlefield tactics to logistics, campaign organization, military institutions, and the grand strategy of empire. Whilst not neglecting the many differences between the Chinese and Byzantines, this book highlights the striking similarities in their organizational structures, tactical deployments and above all their extremely cautious approach to warfare. It shows that, contrary to the conventional wisdom positing a straightforward Western way of war and an "Oriental" approach characterized by evasion and trickery, the specifics of Byzantine military practice in the seventh century differed very little from what was known in Tang China. It argues that these similarities cannot be explained by diffusion or shared cultural influences, which were limited, but instead by the need to deal with common problems and confront common enemies, in particular the nomadic peoples of the Eurasian steppes. Overall, this book provides compelling evidence that pragmatic needs may have more influence than deep cultural imperatives in determining a society’s "way of war."

Table of Contents:

1. War and Culture

2. Resources and Institutions

3. Weapons and Tactics

4. The Army on Campaign

5. The Legacy of the Past

6. Contacts and Influences

7. The Shadow of the Steppe

8. Conclusion

[Dissertation] World Views and Military Policies in the Early Roman and Western Han Empires

Author:
Wang, Zhongxiao 王忠孝

School:
Leiden University

Department:
Institute of History, Faculty of the Humanities

Year:
2015

Abstract:

This thesis, from a comparative perspective, examines the worldview and its interplay to the frontier and military policies in early periods of the two ancient empires on Eurasian: Rome and Han China. The first part (chapter 1 and chapter 2) concerns the formation and transformation of the world views of Rome and Qin-Han China in their respectively lengthy trajectories of empire-building. It is followed by part two (chapter 3 and chapter 4) in which I shift my focus from ideology to practical issues in attempt to observe how the distinctive world views held by the elite class of Rome and China were manifested and interacted with the actual policy-making and territorial conquests. The last part of the dissertation (chapter 5 and chapter 6) concentrates on the roles of emperors. By highlighting the distinctive roles that the Roman and Chinese emperors had played, it allows audience to have a better understanding in the similarities, and especially the crucial differences concerning the perception of the world and actual policies discussed above. Also, I hope this tentative comparative study sheds some lights on the reflection of the concept of empire in current scholarship of ancient history.

Debating War in Chinese History

Editor:
Peter Allan Lorge

Publisher:
Brill

Publication Year:
2013

Abstract:
Chinese rulers and statesmen were naturally concerned about the issue of war, when to wage it, when it was justified, and when to avoid it. Although much has been asserted about how these issues were understood in Chinese culture, this work is the first study actually to focus on the debates themselves. These debates at court proceeded from specific understandings of what constituted evidence, and involved the practical concerns of policy as well as more general cultural values. The result is a decidedly messy portrait of Chinese decision making over two millenia that is neither distinctly Chinese nor entirely generic.

Table of Contents:

List of Maps ... vii 
List of Contributors ... ix 
Introduction ... 1 Peter Lorge 

Righteous, Furious, or Arrogant? On Classifications of Warfare in Early Chinese Texts ... 13 Paul van Els 

Debates and Decision-Making: The Battle of the Altai Mountains (Jinweishan 金微山) in AD 91 ... 41 Shu-hui Wu 

The Debate Between Wang Hui and Han Anguo: A Case Study of Early Han Military Addresses ...79 Garret Olberding 

Fighting Against Empire: Resistance to the Later Zhou and Song Conquest of China ... 107 Peter Lorge 

Debates in the Field During Bayan's Campaigns Against Southern Song China, 1274-1276 ... 141 David Curtis Wright 

As Close as Lips and Teeth: Debating the Ming Intervention in Korea ...163 Kenneth M. Swope 

To War or Not to War: Decisions for War in Late Imperial China, 1870s-1900...191 David Pong 

Debating War in China: The Decision to Go to War, July-August 1937 ... . 237 Parks M. Coble Index ... 257

東晋南朝における傳統の創造

Author:
戸川貴行

Publication Year:
2015

Publisher:
Kyuko Shoin

Table of Contents:

序　章
第一編　東晉南朝の軍事体制

　第一章　魏晉南朝の民爵賜与について

　　第一節　軍功賜爵と兵制、財政の関係

　　第二節　民爵賜与と籍田儀礼


　第二章　東晉、宋初の「五等爵」について

            ―民爵との関連を中心としてみた―

　　第一節　「五等爵」と劉裕起義の関係

　　第二節　「五等爵」の実態


　第三章　劉宋孝武帝の戸籍制度改革について

　　第一節　詔における「伐蛮の家」の実体

　　第二節　「鰥貧疾老」の解釈と戸籍制度改革の意義

　　第三節　黄籍戸への民爵賜与と戸籍制度改革に対する抵抗

　
   第四章　東晉南朝の建康における華林園について

            ―「詔獄」を中心としてみた―
　　第一節　宋斉時代の華林園における「詔獄」

　　第二節　華林園の軍事的機能


第二編　東晉南朝の天下観

　第一章　東晉南朝における天下観について

            ―王畿、神州の理解をめぐって―

　　第一節　東晉前期の王畿、神州について

　　第二節　東晉後期より劉宋文帝期までの王畿、神州について


　第二章　劉宋孝武帝の礼制改革について

            ―建康中心の天下観との関連からみた―

　　第一節　明堂の建設

　　第二節　五輅の製造

　　第三節　南　　巡


　第三章　東晉南朝における建康の中心化と国家儀礼の整備について

　　第一節　東晉の建康と国家儀礼の関係

　　第二節　南朝の建康と国家儀礼の関係

　　第三節　江南政権における郊廟儀礼の実態


　第四章　東晉南朝における伝統の創造について

            ―楽曲編成を中心としてみた―

　　第一節　劉宋孝武帝期における楽曲改革と中原恢復との関係

　　第二節　劉宋孝武帝による楽曲改革が南北朝、隋唐に与えた影響

終　章

Zhuge Liang: Strategy, Achievements, and Writings 諸葛亮戰略

Author: 
Ralph D. Sawyer

Publisher: 
CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Publication Year: 
2014

Abstract:

A decidedly historic figure whose legend was increasingly magnified over the centuries, Zhuge Liang (Chu-ko Liang) has long been regarded as a brilliant strategist, commander, administrator, inventor, practitioner of the esoteric arts, originator of arcane wisdom, military thinker, and a sagacious king maker. His geostrategic insights rescued Liu Pei from extinction, resulting in China’s Three Kingdoms period, and his innovative tactics – including the “empty city ploy” -- reportedly resulted in defeating vastly superior, often befuddled foes. His escapades and achievements have become the subject of tales and novels, movies and tv serializations, and he looms large in war games and contemporary media. However, understanding his extensive military writings requires penetrating the myths and stories, discerning Chu-ko Liang’s real accomplishments, and acknowledging his shortcomings.

In addition to a complete, annotated translation of all his martial works and many of his missives and memorials, Zhuge Liang: Strategy, Achievements, and Writings contains an extensive historical introduction which outlines the military context, examines his strategic thought, and analyzes the numerous campaigns he personally directed after Liu Pei’s death. Insights from the Art of War and other classic Chinese military works well familiar to Chu-ko Liang are employed throughout.