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Military Culture in Imperial China by Harvard University Press (Paperback, 2011)

This volume explores the relationship between culture and the military in Chinese society from early China to the Qing empire, with contributions by eminent scholars aiming to reexamine the relationship between military matters and law, government, historiography, art, philosophy, literature, and politics. This book critically investigates the perception that, due to the influence of Confucianism, Chinese culture has systematically devalued military matters. There was thing inherently pacifist about the Chinese governments' views of war, and pragmatic approaches - even aggressive and expansionist projects - often prevailed. Though it has changed in form, a military elite has existed in China from the beginning of its history, and military service included a large proportion of the population at any given time. Popular literature praised the martial ethos of fighting men. Civil officials attended constantly to military matters on the administrative and financial ends. The seven military classics produced in antiquity continued to be read even into the modern period. These original essays explore the ways in which intellectual, civilian, and literary elements helped shape the nature of military institutions, theory, and the culture of war. This important contribution bridges two literatures, military and cultural, that seldom appear together in the study of China, and deepens our understanding of war and society in Chinese history.

Place of Publication
Cambridge, Mass
Edited by
Nicola Di Cosmo
Date of Publication
04/03/2011
Content Note
3 Line Illustrations, 7 Maps, 1 Chart
Country of Publication
United States
Genre
Popular Culture & Media: General Interest
Author Biography
Nicola Di Cosmo is Luce Foundation Professor of East Asian Studies, Institute for Advanced Studies. Robin D. S. Yates is Assistant Professor of Chinese History, Harvard University. Peter C. Perdue is Professor of History at Yale University.

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