Description
History mattered to the political elite in ancient China. Leung explores why it was so important and to what end.
About the Author
Vincent S. Leung is Associate Professor of Chinese history at Lingnan University, Hong Kong.
Reviews
'Vincent S. Leung has produced an exceptional piece of intellectual history. The book is a powerful testament to the fact that the past is not necessarily a neutral, objective given; it can be a high-stakes enterprise involving contested notions of heritage, origin, and authority that reflect concerns and interests in the present.' Erica Brindley, Pennsylvania State University
'This well-annotated study of Chinese historiography from the Bronze Age through Sima Qian stands out for its wide range of sources, including received texts and palaeographical material, such as bronze inscriptions and manuscripts on bamboo. Also notable is the author's grasp of secondary studies, in both Chinese studies and the philosophy of history generally.' Paul R. Goldin, University of Pennsylvania
'... Leung adeptly illuminates the 'ambivalent status of historical knowledge' (p. 115), revealing how historiographical discourse was deployed to legitimate or undermine contemporary political regimes and institutions. The examination, in chapter 3, of how a series of Qin stele inscriptions poignantly articulated the state's 'dominion over the past' is a compelling example among many of Leung's masterful ruminations on the enduring power of the past ... Highly Recommended.' M. Landeck, Choice
'The Politics of the Past in Early China is an elegantly written book, and Leung's pithy summations provide food for thought and allow readers to easily follow his claims ... offering both sophisticated readings and highly approachable overviews, Leung has managed the difficult task of writing a bridge-spanning book that will interest specialists as well as students just starting to explore early historical rhetoric and, indeed, Warring States and early imperial thought more broadly. I look forward to Leung's further considerations of these and other topics.' Luke Habberstad, Journal of Chinese History
Book Information
ISBN 9781108443241
Author Vincent S. Leung
Format Paperback
Page Count 214
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 350g
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 152mm * 11mm