Ancient China by Major, John S. -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents List of figures List of maps List of tables Illustration credits About the authors 1 Introduction to Ancient China

Introduction Diversity and continuity in ancient China Eras, cultures, nations, states, and dynasties Dynastic rule in the ancient East Asian Heartland Region Two historical myths: “isolated China”and “unchanging China” Why study ancient China?

2 Geography, climate, and the physical setting of Chinese history

Introduction The Northern Heartland Region The Southern Heartland Region The Extended East Asian Heartland Region: The northeast and north The Extended East Asian Heartland Region: The northwest and west The Extended East Asian Heartland Region: The south The climate of the East Asian Heartland Region The human landscape Focus: Loess Focus: The Qinling Mountains Focus: Millet Focus: Rice Focus: Ox Mountain

3 The Neolithic Era and the Jade Age

Introduction Overview The end of the Paleolithic, and the Neolithic transition The Neolithic transition in East Asia The Early Neolithic Representative Early Neolithic sites The Middle Neolithic and the beginning of the Jade Age The Late Neolithic: Longshan Focus: Shamanism Focus: Signs on Neolithic pottery Focus: Jade Focus: Ritual jades and cosmic symbolism

4 The Early Bronze Age

Introduction The Three Dynasties and the Bronze Age The Xia enigma Erlitou The Erlitou economy Bronze and bronze production Religion, rituals, and cosmology at Erlitou Erlitou in context Focus: A tomb at Erlitou Focus: Yu the Great and China’s flood myth Focus: Bronze casting by the piece-mold method Focus: The Erlitou sky Focus: Early Bronze Age warfare Focus: The sixty-day cycle and the ten-day week

5 The Shang dynasty

Introduction An overview of Shang history Characteristics of Shang government and society Shang religion Shang and its neighbors The decline and fall of Shang Focus: Oracle bones Focus: The discovery of the Shang dynasty Focus: Shang bronzes Focus: What is Chinese writing? Focus: The tomb of Fu Hao Focus: Human sacrifice Focus: Were Shang kings shamans? Focus: The chariot

6 The Western Zhou Period

Introduction The Zhou founding myth An historical overview Inscriptions and literacy The ritual state Women, commoners, and slaves The Western Zhou legacy Focus: A Western Zhou tomb Focus: What is De 德 Focus: Zhou “feudalism”? Focus: A Zhou ancestral hymn from the Book of Odes Focus: The Duke of Zhou lectures the nobles of Shang Focus: A Zhou bronze inscription

7 The Spring and Autumn Period

Introduction Regional cultures and the rise of the peripheral states The ba “hegemons” Agriculture, technology, and commerce Literature, music, and intellectual life Focus: A year in the Springs and Autumns Focus: The Book of Changes Focus: Chong’er Focus: Confucius and the Analects

8 The Warring States Period

Introduction The states at war Warfare Administrative reform Law The expansion of literacy Intellectual life Texts and trends Literature Texts from tombs The arts Burials and funerary practices Focus: The Jixia Academy Focus: Who is a Ru? Focus: Mozi and Mohism Focus: Zhuangzi on death and transformation Focus: Lord Yi of Zeng’s tomb Focus: The death of Shao Tuo

9 The rise and fall of the Qin dynasty

Introduction The campaigns of conquest Administering the empire Public works Standardization Monopolizing knowledge Intellectual and religious currents Imperial progresses Ershihuangdi and the collapse of the state Qin Shihuangdi in retrospect Focus: The terra-cotta warriors Focus: Weights and measures Focus: A protest song from the Book of Odes

10 The Western Han dynasty through the reign of Emperor Wu

Introduction The struggle to succeed Qin Challenges to imperial authority Governing the empire Imperial rites and religion Imperial and elite tombs Art and literature Intellectual life Cosmology Emperor Wu’s waning years Focus: The travels of Zhang Qian Focus: The Mawangdui funerary banner Focus: The Great Learning Focus: The Shiji

11 The Later Western Han and the Wang Mang Interregnum

Introduction Chaos under Emperor Zhao The fate of the Huo Clan A look back: Modernists versus Reformers Religious and government reform Han popular religion Disruption and usurpation: The Xin dynasty The restoration of the Han dynasty Focus: Debates on Salt and Iron Focus: Liu Xiang and Liu Xin Focus: A TLV mirror

12 The Han restoration, the Eastern Han dynasty, and the Three Kingdoms Period

Introduction Emperor Guangwu Emperor Guangwu’s successors The rise of the eunuchs The fall of the Eastern Han The Three Kingdoms Intellectual life and the arts Buddhism and Daoism The legacy of the Three Kingdoms Focus: The Ban family Focus: Zhang Heng Suggestions for further reading

Index

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