From: "Frank Conlon" <conlon@U.WASHINGTON.EDU>
To: <H-ASIA@H-NET.MSU.EDU>
Sent: Tuesday, August 16, 2011 9:44 PM
Subject: H-ASIA: Member pub. Power and Politics in Tenth-Century China: The
Former Shu Regime by Hongjie Wang
> H-ASIA
> August 16, 2011
>
> Member publication: _Power and Politics in Tenth-Century China: The
> Former Shu Regime_ by Hongjie Wang
> ************************************************************************
> From: Hongjie Wang <Hongjie.Wang@armstrong.edu>
>
> I am pleased to share with the H-ASIA members, the notice of publication
> of my new book,
>
> Power and Politics in Tenth-Century China: The Former Shu Regime
> By Hongjie Wang
> (Amherst NY: Cambria Press, 2011), 404pp
> ISBN 9781604977646
>
> This book is an exploration of the complicated national politics and
> intricate interstate relations of the early tenth century with a focus
> on the Former Shu (891-925), one of the 'Ten States' that
> significantly contributed to the formation of the unique political
> configuration of the day. From the viewpoint of traditional
> historiography, the five northern dynasties constituted the 'central
> powers; of the tenth century that dominated national politics and
> ultimately led China to the Northern Song reunification. In contrast,
> southern regimes were usually treated as subordinate or secondary
> powers, all considered neither legitimate nor capable of ever
> challenging the north, politically or militarily. This binary grouping
> and its discriminatory interpretation fundamentally shaped later
> historians' perception of the national politics of Five Dynasties
> China. Even today, compared to the studies on the political history of
> the five northern dynasties, the neglect of the southern regimes is
> obvious in modern scholarship, especially in Western language
> publications. By focusing on the political history of the
> Former Shu regime in the south, this book seeks to provide a new
> understanding of the geopolitics of Five Dynasties China.
>
> This book sheds much light on the complicated national politics and
> intricate interstate relations of the divided tenth-century China. It
> examines how Wang Jian, a military governor of Tang, rose to power
> from obscurity in the chaotic late ninth century and founded an empire
> in what is today's Sichuan province in the early tenth century.
> Depending on a powerful military, the strategic location, and astute
> diplomatic tactics in dealing with surrounding powers, the Former Shu
> under Wang Jian's rule successfully challenged the hegemonies of the
> most powerful regimes of the day from its base in the south. It was
> recognized as a political equal and treated as such by the
> contemporary northern powers, with whom the Former Shu shared the
> Mandate of Heaven both in rhetoric and in reality. As the achievements
> of the Former Shu demonstrate, the widely accepted predominance of the
> northern dynasties over the other states during the Five Dynasties
> period does not reflect the political reality, at least in the first
> half of the tenth century, when no single power possessed the
> capability of destroying other rivals and dominating the entire
> country. The constructive relationships between the Former Shu
> and other regimes discussed in this study define a unique political
> configuration of tenth-century China that was characterized by power
> balance and pragmatic coexistence among the 'dynasties' and' states',
> which in most cases sensibly chose to "share" the Mandate and maneuvered
> to survive by interacting strategically with other powers and thus
> should be equally treated as 'regional regimes.' This study thus
> provides a reevaluation of the biased Song interpretation of the Five
> Dynasties and rethinks national politics, the reality of interstate
> relations, and the mentality of the contemporary people in perceiving
> the upheavals and changes of tenth-century China. This book is an
> important study for scholars and students of medieval China and regional
> studies. It will also appeal to the general reader interested in
> political and military history.
>
> Table of Contents
> Introduction
> Chapter 1. Shu in the Tang Dynasty
> Chapter 2. The Rise of Wang Jian, 884-903
> Chapter 3. Wang Jian and the Military, 887-907
> Chapter 4. Warfare and Diplomacy, 903-918
> Chapter 5. Legitimizing a Regional Regime, 907-918
> Chapter 6. Crisis and Collapse, 915-925
> Conclusion
> Appendix 1. Major Regional Regimes and Their Rulers in the Late
> Tang and Early Five Dynasties Periods
> Appendix 2. Military Commands and Their Governors of F
> Appendix 3. The Adopted Sons (jiazi) of Wang Jian
> Appendix 4. Civil Officials under Wang Jian's Rule, 891-918
>
> For further information::
> http://www.cambriapress.com/books/9781604977646.cfm
>
>
> *****************
> Hongjie Wang, Ph.D.
> Assistant Professor of History
> Armstrong Atlantic State University
> Savannah GA 31419
> PHONE #: 912 344-3130
> hongjie.wang@armstrong.edu
> http://aasujournalofhistory.wordpress.com/
>
> Confucius said, "Simple meals, water to drink, bent elbow for pillow:
> therein is happiness. Riches and position without righteousness are to
> me as the floating clouds."
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