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The Later Tang was the first of several ephemeral states created by the Shatuo Turks in tenth-century China and Li Cunxu, a martial genius, was its founder. In fifteen years, he turned a small satrapy on China’s periphery into a powerhouse capable of unifying the north and much of the southwest. He governed on the principle of racial inclusion and refused to set the ruling minority above the Chinese majority through special privileges. As someone highly literate and artistically gifted, Li Cunxu seemed uniquely capable of bridging rifts within his culturally diverse ruling elite. Unfortunately, he shared the sort of self-absorbed narcissism typical of dynastic founders, which contributed to his denouement merely three years into the reign.
The Later Tang dynasty presided over the epic changes that occasioned the Five Dynasties, when China evolved from a moribund medieval state dominated by hereditary elites to one organized around individual merit, an essential element of the nation-state. Critical to the evolution of governance in the tenth century was the rule of military magnates without vested interest in the old order.
The Later Tang dynasty presided over the epic changes that occasioned the Five Dynasties, when China evolved from a moribund medieval state dominated by hereditary elites to one organized around individual merit, an essential element of the nation-state. Critical to the evolution of governance in the tenth century was the rule of military magnates without vested interest in the old order.
Price: £45.00
Pages: 256
Publisher: Hong Kong University Press
Imprint: Hong Kong University Press
Publication Date:
09 August 2016
Trim Size: 9.00 X 6.00 in
ISBN: 9789888208975
Format: Hardcover
BISACs:
“When empires fall, only the bold survive. Who will be the hero, and who the villain, in the eyes of history? Richard Davis takes us into the maelstrom of violence that was early tenth-century China in a lively account of an outstanding warrior king.”
—T. H. Barrett, Professor Emeritus of East Asian History, SOAS, University of London
—T. H. Barrett, Professor Emeritus of East Asian History, SOAS, University of London