This volume begins the historical coverage of The Cambridge History of China with the establishment of the Ch'in empire in 221 BC and ends with the abdication of the last Han emperor in AD 220. Spanning four centuries, this period witnessed major evolutionary changes in almost every aspect of China's development, being particularly notable for the emergence and growth of a centralized administration and imperial government. Leading historians from Asia, Europe, and America have contributed chapters that convey a realistic impression of significant political, economic, intellectual, religious,...

The four centuries of the Han dynasties from 206 BC to AD 220 witnessed major developments in the ideas of sovereignty. Michael Loewe traces these changes along with some of their religious aspects, including the techniques used by emperors and others to forecast the future or to divine the present. Both mythology and the tradition of learning affected the growth of the imperial ideal that, despite its failings, was of major importance both for the Han and China's subsequent dynasties.

This broad-ranging examination of Chinese state and court ritual from 1000 BC to AD 1750 represents the first modern account of the subject in any language. The essays, written by some of the most distinguished scholars in the field, demonstrate how and why ritual has played such a fundamental and often controversial role in the practice of Chinese politics. The book will be of interest to students of Chinese history and religion, as well as those seeking to understand the legacy of that history in the context of modern China.

Dr Loewe has transcribed the inscriptions on about 700 wooden strips, which are records of the Han administration. The first of these two volumes, Historical Assessment, surveys the evidence and the conclusions that can be drawn, and the second, Documents, sets out the evidence itself.

An examination of the links between religion and statecraft and how they affected the concept of monarchy during the Han dynasty.

The "Wu Family Shrines" pictorial carvings from Han dynasty China (206 BCE-220 CE) are among the earliest works of Chinese art examined in an international arena. Since the eleventh century, the carvings have been identified by scholars as one of the most valuable and authentic materials for the study of antiquity. This important book presents essays by archaeologists, art and architectural historians, curators, and historians that reexamine the carvings, adding to our understanding of the long cultural history behind them and to our knowledge of Han practices.

The authors offer a...

Intellectual developments of the Western Han dynasty (202 BCE - 9 CE) have been studied hitherto on the assumptions that a system described as 'Confucianism' acquired paramount importance and that Dong Zhongshu (ca. 198 to ca. 107 BCE) had been responsible for formulating its principles. In challenging these assumptions, this book examines Dong' career and reputation, and his supposed authorship of the Chunqiu fanlu, for long subject to question. It is concluded that while some parts of that text may well represent the teachings that Dong Zhongshu promoted, some may perhaps date from...