In this Book
- Fire and Ice: Li Cunxu and the Founding of the Later Tang
- Book
- 2016
- Published by: Hong Kong University Press, HKU
summary
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.
Table of Contents
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- Acknowledgments
- p. xiii
- Map of Later Tang
- p. xiv
- Ancestry of Li Cunxu
- p. xv
- Chapter 1: The Prodigal Son
- pp. 1-31
- Chapter 2: Vassals and Kings
- pp. 32-90
- Chapter 3: The Tang Renaissance
- pp. 91-147
- Chapter 4: Raging Tempest
- pp. 148-194
- Chapter 5: The Hand of History
- pp. 195-204
- Chronology of Events in the Life of Li Cunxu
- pp. 205-212
- Sources Cited
- pp. 213-219
Additional Information
ISBN
9789888313990
Related ISBN(s)
9789888208975
MARC Record
OCLC
963359585
Pages
248
Launched on MUSE
2017-01-01
Language
English
Open Access
No