China between Empires: The Northern and Southern Dynasties (History of Imperial China Book 2)

After the collapse of the Han dynasty in the third century CE, China divided along a north-south line. Mark Lewis traces the changes that both underlay and resulted from this split in a period that saw the geographic redefinition of China, more engagement with the outside world, significant changes to family life, developments in the literary and social arenas, and the introduction of new religions. The Yangzi River valley arose as the rice-producing center of the country. Literature moved beyond the court and capital to depict local culture, and newly emerging social spaces included the garden, temple, salon, and country villa. The growth of self-defined genteel families expanded the notion of the elite, moving it away from the traditional great Han families identified mostly by material wealth. Trailing the rebel movements that toppled the Han, the new faiths of Daoism and Buddhism altered every aspect of life, including the state, kinship structures, and the economy. By the time China was reunited by the Sui dynasty in 589 ce, the elite had been drawn into the state order, and imperial power had assumed a more transcendent nature. The Chinese were incorporated into a new world system in which they exchanged goods and ideas with states that shared a common Buddhist religion. The centuries between the Han and the Tang thus had a profound and permanent impact on the Chinese world. (20100101) Cover Contents Maps Figures China Between Empires Introduction I. The Geography of North and South China Agriculture and Water Control Mountains and Migration Writing the Periphery Painters, Hermits, and Sacred Places The Birth of Elite Regionalism II. The Rise of the Great Families The Pursuit of Status among the Great Families The Han Collapse and the Rise of the Three Kingdoms Character Evaluation and Claims to Office Pure Conversation and Eremitism among Elites The Golden Age of the Great Families III. Military Dynasticism Origins of Military Dynasticism Military Dynasticism in the South Military Dynasticism in the North IV. Urban Transformation Regional Cities and Customs Cityscapes, Villas, and Gardens Buddhist Temples as Semi-Public Spaces Urban Economies V. Rural Life New Crops and Agricultural Techniques Social Organization of Families in the North and South State-Owned Lands Writing about Village Life VI. China and the Outer World The Northern Nomads in China Sedentary Neighboring States Trade and Buddhism Foreigners in China VII. Redefining Kinship Cemeteries and Festivals Writing the Lineage Kinship and Buddhism New Roles for Women VIII. Daoism and Buddhism Institutional Daoism Institutional Buddhism Overlap and Borrowing between Daoism and Buddhism Taming the Wilds IX. Writing Explorations of the Mysterious Lyric Poetry Literary Theory Calligraphy Prose Narrative Conclusion Supplemental Information Dates and Dynasties Pronunciation Guide Notes Introduction 1. The Geography of North and South China 2. The Rise of the Great Families 3. Military Dynasticism 4. Urban Transformation 5. Rural Life 6. China and the Outer World 7. Redefining Kinship 8. Daoism and Buddhism 9. Writing Conclusion Bibliography Acknowledgments Index

After the collapse of the Han dynasty in the third century CE, China divided along a north-south line. Mark Lewis traces the changes that both underlay and resulted from this split in a period that saw the geographic redefinition of China, more engagement with the outside world, significant changes to family life, developments in the literary and social arenas, and the introduction of new religions.

The Yangzi River valley arose as the rice-producing center of the country. Literature moved beyond the court and capital to depict local culture, and newly emerging social spaces included the garden, temple, salon, and country villa. The growth of self-defined genteel families expanded the notion of the elite, moving it away from the traditional great Han families identified mostly by material wealth. Trailing the rebel movements that toppled the Han, the new faiths of Daoism and Buddhism altered every aspect of life, including the state, kinship structures, and the economy.

By the time China was reunited by the Sui dynasty in 589 ce, the elite had been drawn into the state order, and imperial power had assumed a more transcendent nature. The Chinese were incorporated into a new world system in which they exchanged goods and ideas with states that shared a common Buddhist religion. The centuries between the Han and the Tang thus had a profound and permanent impact on the Chinese world.

V. C. Xiong - Choice

The book is wide-ranging in scope and interspersed with interesting ideas.

After the collapse of the Han dynasty in the third century A.D., China divided along a north-south line. Mark Lewis traces the changes that both underlay and resulted from this split in a period that saw the geographic redefinition of China, more engagement with the outside world, significant changes to family life, developments in the literary and social arenas, and the introduction of new religions. The Yangzi River valley arose as the rice-producing center of the country. Literature moved beyond the court and the capital to depict local culture, and newly emerging social spaces included the garden, temple, salon, and country villa. The growth of self-defined genteel families expanded the notion of the elite, moving it away from the traditional great Han families identified mostly by material wealth. Trailing the rebel movements that toppled the Han, the new faiths of Daoism and Buddhism altered every aspect of life, including the state, kinship structures, and the economy. By the time China was reunited by the Sui dynasty in A.D. 589, the elite had been drawn into the state order, while the imperial court had become more detached from society, transcending both regional ties and the concerns of daily life. The Chinese were incorporated into a new world system in which they exchanged goods and ideas with states that shared a common Buddhist religion. The centuries between the Han and the Tang thus had a profound and permanent impact on the Chinese world. "After the collapse of the Han dynasty in the third century CE, China divided along a north-south line. Mark Lewis traces the changes that both underlay and resulted from this split in a period that saw the geographic redefinition of China, more engagement with the outside world, significant changes to family life, developments in the literary and social arenas, and the introduction of new religions." "The Yangzi River valley arose as the rice-producing center of the country. Literature moved beyond the court and capital to depict local culture, and newly emerging social spaces included the garden, temple, salon, and country villa. The growth of self-defined genteel families expanded the notion of the elite, moving it away from the traditional great Han families identified mostly by material wealth. Trailing the rebel movements that toppled the Han, the new faiths of Daoism and Buddhism altered every aspect of life, including the state, kinship structures, and the economy." "By the time China was reunited by the Sui dynasty in 589 CE, the elite had been drawn into the state order, and imperial power had assumed a more transcendent nature. The Chinese were incorporated into a new world system in which they exchanged goods and ideas with states that shared a common Buddhist religion. The centuries between the Han and the Tang thus had a profound and permanent impact on the Chinese world."--Jacket The geography of the northern and southern dynasties -- The rise of the great families -- Military dynasticism in the northern and southern dynasties -- Cities in the northern and southern dynasties -- Rural society in the northern and southern dynasties -- China and the outside world in the northern and southern dynasties -- Kinship in the northern and southern dynasties -- Institutional religions in the northern and southern dynasties -- The literary field of the northern and southern dynasties After the collapse of the Han dynasty, China divided along a north-south line. Lewis traces the changes that underlay and resulted from this split in a period that saw China's geographic redefinition, more engagement with the outside world, significant changes to family life, literary and social developments, and the introduction of new religions.