China: A History

China: A History
John Keay

An accessible, authoritative single-volume narrative history of China, from the earliest times to the present day, designed both to engage the general reader and to challenge the horizons of the China specialist.Most histories of China appear to have been written by sinologists for sinologists. As China rejoins and perhaps comes to dominate our world order, the need for an authoritative yet engaging history is universally acknowledged.Modelled on the author's own 'India: A History', 'China: A History' is informed by a wide knowledge of the Asian context, an approach devoid of Euro-centric bias, and acclaimed narrative skills. Broadly chronological, the book presents a history of all the Chinas – including those regions (Yunnan, Tibet, Xinjiang, Mongolia, Manchuria) that account for two thirds of the People's Republic of China land mass but which barely feature in its conventional history (which tends to concentrate on the succession of mainly north China imperial dynasties).The book also examines the many non-Chinese elements in China's history – the impact of Buddhism, Islam and Christianity; the effects of trade; the nature of 'barbarian' invasion; the relevance of many imperial dynasties being of non-Chinese origin.Major archaeological discoveries in the last two decades afford a chance to flesh out and correct much of the written record. 'China: A History' will tell the epic story from the time of the Three Dynasties (2000-220 BC) to Chairman Mao and the current economic transformation of the country.

China

John Keay

Copyright (#ulink_523f029f-1901-5967-87e3-3f42e597581d)

HarperPress An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk (http://www.harpercollins.co.uk) Visit our authors’ blog at www.fifthestate.co.uk (http://www.fifthestate.co.uk) Love this book? www.bookarmy.com (http://www.bookarmy.com)

This HarperPress paperback edition published 2009

First published in Great Britain by HarperPress in 2008

Copyright © John Keay 2008 and 2009

John Keay asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Find out more about HarperCollins and the environment at

www.harpercollins.co.uk/green

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

Source ISBN: 9780007221783

Ebook Edition © MARCH 2010 ISBN: 9780007372089

Version: 2015-02-12

This ebook is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

For Julia

The Master said, ‘Is it not a pleasure, having learned something, to try it out at due intervals? Is it not a joy to have like-minded friends come from afar? Is it not gentlemanly not to take offence when others fail to appreciate your abilities?’

Confucius, The Analects, Book I, i

(#litres_trial_promo)

He who does not forget the past is master of the present.

Sima Qian, Shiji

(#litres_trial_promo)

Contents

Cover Page (#uf29eccfe-dff5-5bda-a560-83046a55721b)

Title Page (#u9fc82865-da44-565a-a8a6-5f6f1b9c3d75)

Copyright (#u5ed36c7c-1cfe-57bc-bdfb-ac4496d8fd2e)

Dedication (#u1fc76f0c-6738-5ebc-b20e-0f3a9f7fb342)

Epigraph (#u129348d1-b787-540b-893e-c5f813186b16)

INTRODUCTION (#u164f2c53-bc72-5837-9ed1-31cd029b75dc)

1 RITES TO WRITING (#uc0ef5154-c56c-5390-b932-89c7a9e55d2e)

2 SAGES AND HEROES (#u39cc0eba-f839-5d25-97e6-826dd116bd79)

3 THE FIRST EMPIRE (#ud26b4fc1-64bd-5910-a9c3-55030afb324a)

4 HAN ASCENDANT (#uf65abc23-689f-5eaf-9091-b73ef289e9d0)

5 WITHIN AND BEYOND (#ue9c8abe0-70fb-52cc-901b-9bbb1bec7536)

6 WANG MANG AND THE HAN REPRISE (#litres_trial_promo)

7 FOUR HUNDRED YEARS OF VICISSITUDE (#litres_trial_promo)

8 SUI, TANG AND THE SECOND EMPIRE (#litres_trial_promo)

9 HIGH TANG (#litres_trial_promo)

10 RECONFIGURING THE EMPIRE (#litres_trial_promo)

11 CAVING IN (#litres_trial_promo)

12 BY LAND AND SEA (#litres_trial_promo)

13 THE RITES OF MING (#litres_trial_promo)

14 THE MANCHU CONQUEST (#litres_trial_promo)

15 DEATH THROES OF EMPIRE (#litres_trial_promo)

16 REPUBLICANS AND NATIONALISTS (#litres_trial_promo)

EPILOGUE (#litres_trial_promo)