China's Early Empires A Re-appraisal

Recent archaeological discoveries, including manuscripts, have shed new light on China's history, in particular Qin and Han (221 BCE–220 CE), this volume's main focus. They make possible a deeper account of the growth of cities and of the spread of Chinese influence over distant areas. This book provides the first comprehensive survey of recent developments, evaluating the newly-found evidence in the light of earlier conclusions from China, Japan, Europe and America. Through cross-cultural comparisons and a close study of both the excavated and received literature, new conclusions are presented with respect to relatively understudied topics, such as gender, history of science, and modes of persuasion, while challenging the 'common wisdom' in such fields as Buddhism, Daoism and social history. Thus the volume provides a supplement to Volume 1 of The Cambridge History of China (1986) and shows how subsequent archaeology has enriched our perception of China's history in this period.

Introduction Michael Nylan and Michael Loewe: Part I. Archaeology: 1. Han Dynasty tomb structures and contents Susan N. Erickson; 2. Two Eastern Han sites: Mixian and Houshiguo Michèle Pirazzoli t'Serstevens; 3. Excavated manuscripts: context and methodology Enno Giele; 4. The archaeology of the outlying lands Susan Erickson and Michael Nylan; 5. Urbanism Michèle Pirazzoli t'Serstevens; 6. The Eternal City and the City of Eternal Peace T. Corey Brennan and Hsing I-tien; Appendix: major sources for Chang'an; 7. Imperial tombs Michael Loewe; Appendix: tombs of the Han emperors; 8. Archaeology in China: a view from outside Anthony Snodgrass; Part II. Administration: 9. The laws of 186 BCE Michael Loewe; Appendix: legal documents; 10. Administration of the family (Qihuai bisi) Michael Nylan; Appendix: on the sources; 11. Social distinctions, groups and privileges Michael Loewe; 12. The operation of the government Michael Loewe; Part III. Technical Arts: 13. Numbers, numeracy and the cosmos Christopher Cullen; Appendix: nine canons; 14. Divination and astrology; received texts and excavated manuscripts Marc Kalinowski; Appendix 1. Writings related to divination; Appendix 2. Mantic practitioners; 15. Manuscripts, received texts and the healing arts Li Jian and Vivienne Lo; Appendix: early evidence of the healing arts; 16. Yin-yang, five phases and qi Michael Nylan; Appendix: correlative cosmology; 17. Religious practices in Han Roel Sterckx; 18. Religious change under Eastern Han and its successors; some current perspectives and problems T. H. Barrett; Appendix 1. Four problematic texts in the history of Daoism; Appendix 2. Post-Han extra-canonical sources; Part IV. Modes of Persuasion: 19. The techniques of persuasion and the rhetoric of disorder (Luan) Geoffrey Lloyd; 20. Texts and authors in the Shiji Griet Vankeerberghen; 21. Tropes of music and poetry: from Wudi (r. 141-87 BCE) to ca. 100 CE Martin Kern; 22. The art of persuasion from 100 BCE to 100 CE Michael Nylan; 23. Prose and authority 100-300 CE David Schaberg; 24. Literary criticism and personal character in poetry ca. 100-300 CE Paul W. Kroll.

Shows how archaeological discoveries of recent decades have widened and enriched our perception of the political and cultural history of China in the classical era (in particular 323 BCE-316 CE) and reflects the very newest scholarship by a team of international experts.

Michael Nylan is Professor in the History Department at the University of California at Berkeley.
Michael Loewe was University Lecturer in Chinese Studies at Cambridge University from 1963 until his retirement in 1990.