The History of Chinese Civilisation 4 Volume Set
Published on 26. April 2012
Book
Hardback
2000 pages
978-1-107-01309-4 (ISBN)
Description
Written by scholars at Peking University, this is a history of Chinese civilisation in its totality, from Neolithic times to the founding of the Chinese Republic in 1911. Each of the four volumes covers political and social institutions, economics, religion, philosophy, science and technology, literature, art and daily life. There is no other work in the English language that covers this range of subjects in a single history. These volumes make accessible a wealth of historical research and sources that have not previously been translated, and provide insights into the views of the foremost Chinese scholars of their generation. These views are placed in context by newly commissioned introductions to each volume, and discussion throughout is supported by illustrations sourced from collections around the world. This ambitious and inspiring work will stimulate fresh debate across the humanities and social sciences, opening new avenues of academic exchange between East and West.
Reviews / Votes
'These volumes are an immense gift to China specialists and to the general reader anxious to learn something of China's history.' The Times Literary SupplementMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Illustrations
128 Plates, color; 150 Halftones, unspecified; 50 Line drawings, unspecified
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 184 mm
Weight
5560 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-107-01309-4 (9781107013094)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Yuan Xingpei is Professor at the Department of Chinese Language and Literature and Director of the Institute for the Study of Traditional Chinese Culture at Peking University. He is a specialist in ancient Chinese literature and his research interests include ancient Chinese poetry, literature in the Wei, Jin, Sui and Tang dynasties, The Book of Odes and the study of Tao Yuanming. Yan Wenming is Professor at the School of Archaeology and Museology at Peking University and a specialist in Neolithic archaeology and the origins of ancient Chinese civilization. Zhang Chuanxi, Professor at the Department of History at Peking University, is a specialist in ancient Chinese history. His research interests include the social and economic history of ancient China and the history of the Yunnan people. Lou Yulie, Professor at the Department of Philosophy at Peking University, is a specialist in the history of ancient Chinese philosophy and the history of Chinese Buddhism.
Content
Volume I. Earliest Times - 221 BCE: Preface; General introduction; Introduction; 1. The dawn of Chinese civilization; 2. The beginnings of Chinese civilization; 3. The flourishing of civilization in the Shang and Zhou; 4. Brilliant bronze culture; 5. The application and production of bronze; 6. Capitals, cities and commerce of the Shang and Zhou; 7. The origins and early development of Chinese script; 8. Religion and belief in the Shang and Zhou periods; 9. The development of education and the flourishing of scholarship; 10. The birth of Chinese literature and art. Volume II. Qin, Han, Wei, Jin, and the Northern and Southern Dynasties: Preface; Introduction; 1. Creation and development of a multiethnic centralized state; 2. The establishment and transformation of bureaucratic government; 3. Growth of the feudal economy; 4. The position and evolution of Ruist learning; 5. Abtruse learning in the Wei and Jin dynasties; 6. The introduction of Buddhism and the appearance of Daoism; 7. The foundation and development of historiography and geography; 8. Literature of the Qin, Han, Wei and Northern and Southern dynasties; 9. The full flourishing of the Arts; 10. Systemization of science and technology; 11. Social life. Volume III. Sui and Tang to mid-Ming Dynasties (581-1525): Preface; Introduction; 1. Fusion of southern and northern cultures and unification of the empire; 2. The silk road and cultural exchange between China and foreign lands; 3. Economic prosperity and the shift of the economic center of gravity to the south; 4. The development of the civil service examination system and the rise of the new literati class; 5. The perfection of the civil official system; 6. Ruism and new developments in religion; 7. The expansion of scholarship and the florescence of education; 8. The evolution of the northern peoples and their contribution to Chinese civilization; 9. A new period in the history of Chinese-foreign relations; 10. Science and technology and the development of the concept of science; 11. The downward movement of literature and its full florescence; 12. Artistic style and the spirit of the times; 13. Social life. Volume IV. Late Ming and Qing Dynasties (1525-1911): Preface; Introduction; 1. Economic development; 2. Proto-enlightenment trends and new elements in political culture; 3. Science and technology; 4. The establishment and growth of a multiethnic state; 5. Political development and people's livelihood; 6. Cultural awareness and achievement in the early and mid-Qing dynasty; 7. The eastward flow of western learning and the spread of Chinese civilization; 8. Religious belief: concepts and practice; 9. New directions in literature and the arts; 10. Order and disruption in social life; 11. Education in schools and in society; 12. The building of core cities and the emergence of regional differences; 13. The push for reform: the birth of modern culture.