Title The Confucian-legalist state : a new theory of Chinese history / Dingxin Zhao

Published New York, NY : Oxford University Press, 2015 ©2015

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Description 1 online resource (xv, 447 pages) : illustrations, maps Series Oxford Studies in Early Empires Oxford studies in early empires. Contents Part I : Empirical and Theoretical Considerations. Introduction -- A theory of historical change -- Part II : The Historical Background of the Eastern Zhou Era. The Western Zhou (ca. 1045-771 BCE) order and its decline -- The historical setting of Eastern Zhou, an age of war -- Part III : War-driven Dynamism in Eastern Zhou Era. The age of Hegemons (770-546 BCE) -- The age of transition (545-420 BCE) -- In the age of total war (419-221 BCE) : philosophies and philosophers -- In the age of total war : absolutism prevailing -- In the age of total war : Qin and the drive toward unification -- Western Han and the advent of the Confucian-legalist state -- Part IV : The Confucian-Legalist State and Patterns of Chinese History. Pre-song challenges to the Confucian-legalist political framework and song responses -- Relations between nomads and settled Chinese in history -- Neo-Confucianism and the advent of a "Confucian society" -- Market economy under the Confucian-legalist state -- Concluding remarks Summary "In the The Confucian-Legalist State, Dingxin Zhao offers a radically new analysis of Chinese imperial history from the eleventh century BCE to the fall of the Qing dynasty. This study first uncovers the factors that explain how, and why, China developed into a bureaucratic empire under the Qin dynasty in 221 BCE. It then examines the political system that crystallized during the Western Han dynasty, a system that drew on China's philosophical traditions of Confucianism and Legalism. Despite great changes in China's demography, religion, technology, and socioeconomic structures, this Confucian-Legalist political system survived for over two millennia. Yet, it was precisely because of the system's resilience that China, for better or worse, did not develop industrial capitalism as Western Europe did, notwithstanding China's economic prosperity and technological sophistication beginning with the Northern Song dynasty. In examining the nature of this political system, Zhao offers a new way of viewing Chinese history, one that emphasizes the importance of structural forces and social mechanisms in shaping historical dynamics. As a work of historical sociology, The Confucian-Legalist State aims to show how the patterns of Chinese history were not shaped by any single force, but instead by meaningful activities of social actors which were greatly constrained by, and at the same time reproduced and modified, the constellations of political, economic, military, and ideological forces. This book thus offers a startling new understanding of long-term patterns of Chinese history, one that should trigger debates for years to come among historians, political scientists, and sociologists"-- Provided by publisher Bibliography Includes bibliographical references and index Notes Online resource; title from PDF title page (EBSCO, viewed September 16, 2015) Subject Social change -- China -- History -- To 1500 Confucianism and state -- China -- History -- To 1500 Legalism (Chinese philosophy) -- History -- To 1500 Imperialism -- History -- To 1500 HISTORY -- Asia -- China. Confucianism and state Imperialism Legalism (Chinese philosophy) Philosophy Politics and government Social change SUBJECT China -- History -- Philosophy China -- History -- To 221 B.C. http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85024033 China -- Politics and government -- To 221 B.C. http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85024154 Subject China Genre/Form History Form Electronic book ISBN 9780199351749 0199351740 9780199351756 0199351759 0199351732 9780199351732

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