The Imperial Network in Ancient China: The Foundation of Sinitic Empire in Southern East Asia (Routledge Studies in the Early History of Asia)

This book examines the emergence of imperial state in East Asia during the period ca. 400 BCE–200 CE as a network-based process, showing how the geography of early interregional contacts south of the Yangzi River informed the directions of Sinitic state expansion. Drawing from an extensive collection of sources including transmitted textual records, archaeological evidence, excavated legal manuscripts, and archival documents from Liye, this book demonstrates the breadth of human and material resources available to the empire builders of an early imperial network throughout southern East Asia – from institutions and infrastructures, to the relationships that facilitated circulation. This network is shown to have been essential to the consolidation of Sinitic imperial rule in the sub-tropical zone south of the Yangzi against formidable environmental, epidemiological, and logistical odds. This is also the first study to explore how the interplay between an imperial network and alternative frameworks of long-distance interaction in ancient East Asia shaped the political-economic trajectory of the Sinitic world and its involvement in Eurasian globalization. Contributing to debates around imperial state formation, the applicability of world-system models and the comparative study of empires, __The Imperial Network in Ancient China__ will be of significant interest to students and scholars of East Asian studies, archaeology and history. This book examines the emergence of imperial state in East Asia during the period ca. 400 BCE – 200 CE as a network-based process, showing how the geography of early interregional contacts south of the Yangzi River informed the directions of Sinitic state expansion. Cover 1 Half Title 1 Series Page 2 Title Page 3 Copyright Page 4 Dedication 5 Contents 7 List of figures 10 List of tables 12 Historical periods 13 Acknowledgments 14 1. Introduction 17 Theoretical frameworks: Networks, world-systems, borderlands 21 Scholarly context: New approaches to southern East Asia 24 Rise and fall of the Qin Empire: The triumph and tragedy unnoticed? 27 Two perspectives on the Qin Empire 28 Excavated documents and their context 33 Outline of content 35 2. Before the empire: The Middle Yangzi interaction space 51 Geographical outline 52 Emergence of the Middle Yangzi interaction space 54 From interaction space to territorial state 59 Concluding remarks: Interaction, consolidation, and expansion 68 3. Qin’s southward expansion in the Warring States period 81 An unexpected strategic turn? 82 From connectivity to conquest 82 Drive to the south: Qin arrives on the Middle Yangzi 89 Fighting Chu (mid-fourth century to 221 BCE) 91 Incorporating the conquered territories north of Yangzi 94 Concluding remarks: A long-term perspective on empire-building 97 4. The Qin Empire in the south: Territoriality, organization, challenges 107 Lands old and new: Qin imperial territoriality 108 A dynamic frontier in the South 113 Administrative organization south of the Middle Yangzi 115 Challenges from within: Insurgency, unrest, and control over populations 120 Concluding remarks: A house divided against itself? 124 5. Local administration in the south 133 The You River valley on the eve of the Qin conquest 135 Territorial administration in Qianling County 137 Settlements and communities 140 Forced migrations and unfree population 145 Government spending and monetization 150 Concluding remarks: The local dimension of state power 153 6. Resources and resource exploitation 161 Agricultural resources 162 Metals 171 Plants, animals, and wildlife products 173 Concluding remarks: The stuff of the empire 177 7. Southern borderlands after the Qin 186 After the fall: The East Asian political space in the early second century BCE 188 The Han reconquest of the south 196 Maturation of the imperial network: Demographic, political, and economic geography of the early Sinitic empire in southern East Asia 199 Concluding remarks: The imperial network and the fluctuating contours of the Sinitic empire in the South 207 8. Epilogue: Networks, empires, world-systems: Southern East Asia and the dynamics of early Sinitic empire 220 Formation of the East Asian world-system: From imperial network to a world-system? 221 Beyond the frontier: the transformation of semi-periphery in southern East Asia and the dynamics of the Sinitic world-system 225 Appendix 1: Origins of individuals in Qianling County 237 Appendix 2: Grain ration records in Qianling County 243 Appendix 3: Increase in the registered populationof the southern commanderies between 2 CE and 156 CE 248 Glossary of Chinese terms 250 References 265 Index 307 Introduction;,Middle,Yangzi;,Qin’s,expansion;,Qin,South,Empire,;,Administration;,Resources;,Southern,borderlands;,Epilogue Introduction,Middle Yangzi,Qin’s expansion,Qin South Empire,Administration,Resources,Southern borderlands,Epilogue "This book examines the emergence of imperial state in East Asia during the period ca. 400 BCE-200 CE as a network-based process, showing how the geography of early interregional contacts south of the Yangzi River informed the directions of Sinitic state expansion. Drawing from an extensive collection of sources including transmitted textual records, archaeological evidence, excavated legal manuscripts, and archival documents from Liye, this book demonstrates the breadth of human and material resources available to the empire builders of an early imperial network throughout southern East Asia - from institutions and infrastructures, to the relationships that facilitated circulation. This network is shown to have been essential to the consolidation of Sinitic imperial rule in the sub-tropical zone south of the Yangzi against formidable environmental, epidemiological, and logistical odds. This is also the first study to explore how the interplay between an imperial network and alternative frameworks of long-distance interaction in ancient East Asia shaped the political-economic trajectory of the Sinitic world and its involvement in Eurasian globalization. Contributing to debates around imperial state formation, the applicability of world-system models and the comparative study of empires, 'The Imperial Network in Ancient China' will be of significant interest to students and scholars of East Asian studies, archaeology and history."-- Provided by publisher List of illustrations -- Historical periods -- Acknowledgments -- Chapter 1. Introduction -- Chapter 2. Before the empire: the middle Yangzi interaction space -- Chapter 3. Qin's southward expansion -- Chapter 4. The Qin empire in the south: territoriality, organization, challenges -- Chapter 5. Local administration in the south -- Chapter 6. Resources and resource exploitation -- Chapter 7. Southern borderlands after the Qin -- Epilogue: Networks, empires, world-systems: southern East Asia and the dynamics of early Sinitic empire -- Appendix 1. Origins of individuals in Qianling County -- Appendix 2. Grain ration records in Qianling County -- Appendix 3. Increase in the registered population of the southern commanderies between 2 CE and 156 CE -- Glossary of Chinese terms -- Bibliography