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Imperial China, 900-1800
This history of China for the 900-year time span of the late imperial period, by a senior scholar of this epoch, highlights the personal characteristics of the rulers and dynasties and probes the cultural theme of Chinese adaptations to recurrent alien rule. No other work provides a similar synthesis: generational events, personalities, and the spirit of the age combine to yield a comprehensive history of the civilization, not isolated but shaped by its relation to outsiders.
F. W. Mote offers a vast panorama of the civilization of the largest society in human history reveals much about Chinese high and low culture, and the influential role of Confucian philosophical and social ideals. Throughout the Liao Empire, the world of the Song, the Mongol rule, and the early Qing through the Kangxi and Qianlong reigns, culture, ideas, and personalities are richly woven into the fabric of the political order and institutions. This is a monumental work that will stand among the classic accounts of the nature and vibrancy of Chinese civilization before the modern period.
F. W. Mote offers a vast panorama of the civilization of the largest society in human history reveals much about Chinese high and low culture, and the influential role of Confucian philosophical and social ideals. Throughout the Liao Empire, the world of the Song, the Mongol rule, and the early Qing through the Kangxi and Qianlong reigns, culture, ideas, and personalities are richly woven into the fabric of the political order and institutions. This is a monumental work that will stand among the classic accounts of the nature and vibrancy of Chinese civilization before the modern period.
1128 pages, Hardcover
First published February 9, 2000
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1982 people want to read
About the author
Frederick W. Mote
13 books6 followersFrederick Wade "Fritz" Mote, was an American Sinologist and a professor of History at Princeton University for nearly 50 years. His research and teaching interests focused on China during the Ming Dynasty and the Yuan Dynasty.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 10, 2012
The only history of China for me.
For my purposes (steppe study) - he is no less than fantastic on the frontier states or conquest dynasties... right up until the Mongols. I felt let down in that section, and much prefer The Cambridge History of China, Volume 6: Alien Regimes and Border States, 907-1368 as a look at the Mongols in China. Of course the Cambridge has more detail on its period, and after the Cambridge, Mote seems interpretive: you have his views. However, he still gets five stars for Liao, Jurchen and the book in general - yes, even the Chinese stuff. In fact the latter is great; gives you much on the mental life or philosophy and the changes thereof (not in a dull way). For a thousand-page-book, comes close to unputdownable.
For my purposes (steppe study) - he is no less than fantastic on the frontier states or conquest dynasties... right up until the Mongols. I felt let down in that section, and much prefer The Cambridge History of China, Volume 6: Alien Regimes and Border States, 907-1368 as a look at the Mongols in China. Of course the Cambridge has more detail on its period, and after the Cambridge, Mote seems interpretive: you have his views. However, he still gets five stars for Liao, Jurchen and the book in general - yes, even the Chinese stuff. In fact the latter is great; gives you much on the mental life or philosophy and the changes thereof (not in a dull way). For a thousand-page-book, comes close to unputdownable.
February 24, 2018
I first read this in college in 2005, it opened my eyes to the non-Mongol frontier peoples of China being often just as interesting as the Mongols themselves.
I re-read it (or the most interesting sections anyway) when I was writing my own book as well as just recently. There are few places outside of Cambridge History of China Vol.6 that have so much not only on the Khitans and first Jurchens, but on the Tanguts as well.
I re-read it (or the most interesting sections anyway) when I was writing my own book as well as just recently. There are few places outside of Cambridge History of China Vol.6 that have so much not only on the Khitans and first Jurchens, but on the Tanguts as well.
July 16, 2017
Probably the best one book overview on imperial China. Basically similar to the later several books of the cambridge history of China series, but more up to date on scholarship and the names updated from Wades-Giles romanisation to Pinyin (While it is a small thing, once one is used to pinyin it must be said that Wades-Giles is rather disconcerting). While by no means a perfect book (Mote is often very quick to make value judgements, and the epilogue comes across a tad incoherent) it is by far the most through and engaging one volume work on imperial China, and for those who want to have a clear and relatively straightforward narrative of Imperial Chinese history from the five dynasty period onward, they need look no forward. In terms of political, diplomatic and intellectual history it is certainly much more comprehensive than the Harvard University Press History of Imperial China series (Admittedly I have only read the ones on the Ming (Which also briefly covers the Yuan) and Qing, the Song book may be better in that regard), which I would nonetheless recommend as a supplement for their insight into Chinese culture, society, position of women, economy, legal system etc. Certainly a book I shall reread many a time.
June 4, 2021
This is clearly a superior treatment of this extensive topic. The only reason why someone may prefer a different book on imperial China is the girth of this one, but it is possible to read only parts of it at first; no need to start from the beginning.
There is something old-fashioned about the book in that it spends a lot of time on great personalities (emperors, administrators, rebels etc.) and their characters and inclinations. Still, there is enough commentary on cultural, ethnographic, economic, and ecological matters, and plenty of interesting references for these.
I found that the book suffers from a common shortcoming. There is no introduction to topography and natural conditions of China, only scattered explanations in relevant places. An attentive reader must treat this as a prerequisite, and it is not a trivial one. The paleoecology of the Yellow River, climate zones, maritime conditions historically relevant for trade, a list of relevant agricultural commodities, etc. Familiarize yourself with that elsewhere before you start out, because you will need it anyway.
There is something old-fashioned about the book in that it spends a lot of time on great personalities (emperors, administrators, rebels etc.) and their characters and inclinations. Still, there is enough commentary on cultural, ethnographic, economic, and ecological matters, and plenty of interesting references for these.
I found that the book suffers from a common shortcoming. There is no introduction to topography and natural conditions of China, only scattered explanations in relevant places. An attentive reader must treat this as a prerequisite, and it is not a trivial one. The paleoecology of the Yellow River, climate zones, maritime conditions historically relevant for trade, a list of relevant agricultural commodities, etc. Familiarize yourself with that elsewhere before you start out, because you will need it anyway.
October 4, 2020
This is a very rich source of information and analysis. The author covers 900 years in about 900 pages and it was always possible to follow him along this path.
Some parts are less compelling than others. I find it difficult to have much enthusiasm for different forms of philosophical belief held by a small group of scholars 500 years ago.
And, of course, for someone like me who is generally unfamiliar with the history and the names of the people involved, there are a LOT of names to keep straight. Emperors normally wound up with three forms of identification, which by itself is no worse than aristocratic nomenclature in Europe, but it doesn't make it easier to follow.
The one thing, above all others, that I really liked about this book is that the author puts China in its Asian context. For example, when describing the various invaders - Khitan, Jurchen, Uighur, Mongol, etc. - he will stop and present a chapter from their point of view. This makes the history more whole.
Mote's writing style is also very good, although very dense. There is seldom a really gag-inducing stretch of text, but there is almost something worth reading in every sentence. I found it a slow book to read because it is so full. No skipping along (except for the passages on philosophy).
The book was written 25 years ago, so it could probably do to be updated, but as it stands it is an excellent survey of 900 years of history.
Some parts are less compelling than others. I find it difficult to have much enthusiasm for different forms of philosophical belief held by a small group of scholars 500 years ago.
And, of course, for someone like me who is generally unfamiliar with the history and the names of the people involved, there are a LOT of names to keep straight. Emperors normally wound up with three forms of identification, which by itself is no worse than aristocratic nomenclature in Europe, but it doesn't make it easier to follow.
The one thing, above all others, that I really liked about this book is that the author puts China in its Asian context. For example, when describing the various invaders - Khitan, Jurchen, Uighur, Mongol, etc. - he will stop and present a chapter from their point of view. This makes the history more whole.
Mote's writing style is also very good, although very dense. There is seldom a really gag-inducing stretch of text, but there is almost something worth reading in every sentence. I found it a slow book to read because it is so full. No skipping along (except for the passages on philosophy).
The book was written 25 years ago, so it could probably do to be updated, but as it stands it is an excellent survey of 900 years of history.
August 14, 2013
Frederick W. Mote was an eminent American sinologist and in this opus, Imperial China one sees the dedication and love towards the history of China that this man had.
Covering nearly a millennium, from the fall of the Tang and the Five Dynasties, the Liao Dynasty, the Song Dynasty, the Xi Xia state, the Jin Dynasty, the Yuan Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty to the first century and a half of the Qing Dynasty, this book is a major contribution to scholarship.
Readable and accessible to layperson and scholar alike, Mote intimately brings alive 900 years of history and in spite of its length, is able to maintain the reader's attention throughout. As scholarly material, this book is well-researched with an excellent bibliography.
This is an excellent addition to any sinologist's library or to an interested layperson.
Covering nearly a millennium, from the fall of the Tang and the Five Dynasties, the Liao Dynasty, the Song Dynasty, the Xi Xia state, the Jin Dynasty, the Yuan Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty to the first century and a half of the Qing Dynasty, this book is a major contribution to scholarship.
Readable and accessible to layperson and scholar alike, Mote intimately brings alive 900 years of history and in spite of its length, is able to maintain the reader's attention throughout. As scholarly material, this book is well-researched with an excellent bibliography.
This is an excellent addition to any sinologist's library or to an interested layperson.
March 23, 2020
This is an awesome book, and I use that adjective in it's original sense that I am in awe of it. 900 years of history can't exactly fly by and there were a few sections (namely on artistic and cultural accomplishments I don't have much of a grounding in) I skimmed, but overall just a stunning work of historical analysis.
I think what I most appreciate is the sense of continuum, the echos and so on of past events that reverberate still. There's also a sense of wistfulness, regret for that long span of history that hasn't been lost exactly, but is no longer relevant to the lived experience of the population.
But it's an incredibly important history nonetheless, highly recommend if you've got the interest and the time.
I think what I most appreciate is the sense of continuum, the echos and so on of past events that reverberate still. There's also a sense of wistfulness, regret for that long span of history that hasn't been lost exactly, but is no longer relevant to the lived experience of the population.
But it's an incredibly important history nonetheless, highly recommend if you've got the interest and the time.
May 4, 2009
different tone on the mongols than weatherford, that's for sure! Curious praise of Yelu Chucai's administrative innovations, which reminds me, any anarcha/o should def consider the conditions under which bureaucracy and administration arose to better understand what it means to dispense with them and the limits of what they replaced--basically loose confederations.
January 16, 2016
Written by one of the greatest of scholars on the history of China this magnificent work is very well written and easy to understand. Certainly, the goings-on of any empire make TV shows like 'Game of Thrones' seem timid by comparison. History enthusiasts as well as lovers of dramatic events will find great game inside the covers of this great work of history. Clearly, Mote's lifetime of study and teaching at Princeton University and his deep respect for Chinese history make him a worthy resource for learning about the history of one of the world's great political entities. Ming China's contribution to seafaring technology, its ability to sail huge ships long distances, and its place as a great maritime power in the fifteenth century pose one of those great what-if questions about history. I truly enjoyed this book and it took me nearly two years to read, study, and read important passages, full of information, again and again.
May 12, 2017
Only got up to Chapter 27, on the Ming Dynasty, but what I managed to read before my loan ended was enough to convince me to track down a more permanent copy. Very good overview that, while you do sometimes get the sense some important things are left out, seems to hit on most of the immediate questions. Mote does a good job moving up and down in scale, giving just enough biographical information to personalize the periods he's talking about (and, significantly, to make clear how different life was at various points), while never losing sight of the big picture. I especially appreciated the digressions on China's nomadic neighbors, which despite being even more abbreviated than the main body of the text were detailed and consistently engrossing in their own right.
July 24, 2013
An amazing book. I particularly like his dissection of the minds of significant individuals such as those of Abaoji, Kubilai Khan, and especially (even though speculative) what could have raced through the mind of the last emperor of Northern Song/first emperor of Southern Song when a fugitive from Jin troops tracking him.
You can see both the author's mastery n passion for his subject. This book is a classic historiography of Chinese civilisation.
You can see both the author's mastery n passion for his subject. This book is a classic historiography of Chinese civilisation.
January 15, 2020
It’s a big commitment, probably truly 2,000 pages given font size. Very very rewarding. The scope and scale are tremendous. Mote’s command of the material world-leading. Perhaps the most astonishing thing is I came away from each section wanting to read more, rather than feeling over-burdened.
A worthwhile, large reading project for anyone deeply interested in Chinese history.
A worthwhile, large reading project for anyone deeply interested in Chinese history.
Read
October 4, 2015a tremendous work of longue durée scholarship from one of the venerable old guard of American Sinology. This book is not only meticulously researched, but engagingly written. For narrative history of China, it is unparalleled.
June 2, 2025
This book is certainly an investment but feel free to take your time with it. You will learn about all of the dynasties and history of Later Imperial China (roughly overlapping with European Medieval and Early Modernity time periods). As a bonus you also learn about other Inner Asian civilizations that interacted heavily with China over the centuries.
The overall flow is Tang -> Norther Song/Xi Xia/Liao -> Southern Song/Jin -> Yuan (Mongols) -> Ming ->Qing.
You will learn political, religious, economic, philosophical and artistic history of this time period of Chinese civilization. You will learn facts like these:
-Mongols conquered China but ended up being poorer them then because they weren't allowed to be anything other than warriors. Normal Mongols were higher status but poorer than normal Chinese.
-The Ming dynastic founder was sensitive about his lack of education. He was making fun of others about clever wordplay insults that his scholar-officials came up with but then thought that maybe they did the same to him.
-The Great Wall of China really was a result of bad foreign policy with Mongols. All the Mongols wanted was fair trade and instead the Ming decided to literally wall them off.
-Ming imperial family wasn't allowed to do anything other than sit around and be royalty. After several hundred years there were 100,000 of them and were a serious drain on the states fiscal base!
-The most famous/impactful Qing emperor (Kangxi) only was chosen at the heir because he had survived small pox and was thus less likely to die from it.
-The Southern Song founder was a survivor. He was literally driven to the sea by the Jurchens (Jin) but then went on to stick around and found the Southern Song that was prosperious and lasted another 100+ years!.
The overall flow is Tang -> Norther Song/Xi Xia/Liao -> Southern Song/Jin -> Yuan (Mongols) -> Ming ->Qing.
You will learn political, religious, economic, philosophical and artistic history of this time period of Chinese civilization. You will learn facts like these:
-Mongols conquered China but ended up being poorer them then because they weren't allowed to be anything other than warriors. Normal Mongols were higher status but poorer than normal Chinese.
-The Ming dynastic founder was sensitive about his lack of education. He was making fun of others about clever wordplay insults that his scholar-officials came up with but then thought that maybe they did the same to him.
-The Great Wall of China really was a result of bad foreign policy with Mongols. All the Mongols wanted was fair trade and instead the Ming decided to literally wall them off.
-Ming imperial family wasn't allowed to do anything other than sit around and be royalty. After several hundred years there were 100,000 of them and were a serious drain on the states fiscal base!
-The most famous/impactful Qing emperor (Kangxi) only was chosen at the heir because he had survived small pox and was thus less likely to die from it.
-The Southern Song founder was a survivor. He was literally driven to the sea by the Jurchens (Jin) but then went on to stick around and found the Southern Song that was prosperious and lasted another 100+ years!.
February 8, 2024
Dry but extraordinarily informative. A great beginning to understanding a vast swath of Chinese history. The only complaint I have is that I wished more was discussed about women and cultural minorities within China - they're not completely ignored, but still I feel like their contributions are overlooked a bit and some are not even named. Regardless, this book is meant to be a general overview, and should not be the only book you read to understand the history of the eras covered, but an excellent start. Recommend to budding and amateur historians, and those who love a good reading challenge.
November 9, 2025
Outdated in some areas but absolutely one of the best surveys of such a large period. I've seen a lot of praise for the coverage of non-Chinese bordering peoples but I found the sections on the Jurchens (Jin), and especially Tanguts (Xia) to be fairly weak and somewhat hostile-coded. It'll legit be something like "the Regime of the Wild Jurchen's Alien Evil Empire" vs "Beauty and Elegance, the Unparalleled Achievement of the Song."
November 18, 2025
Wow. What a book - I loved how Mote was able to move through 900 years of history with an engaging pace and necessary brevity, but also inject so much richness and insight. His profound grasp of Chinese history (and the Liao/Tangut/Jurchen/Mongol peoples in their interactions with China) was an immense pleasure to experience, travelling from the Five Dynasties all the way up to the Mid-Qing.
Truly a superb volume for anyone interested in understanding China.
Truly a superb volume for anyone interested in understanding China.
Read
May 17, 2025Nice little (AKA 900 page) survey. Has the issues surveys inherently have, and bears signs of being dated, but still a worthwhile read if you want to encapsulate such a large period in one volume.
November 24, 2025
Overwhelmed by Mote’s scholarship. I now understand Chinese Imperial thought, processes & history.
August 3, 2023
I’m endlessly impressed by Mote’s Imperial China. The wealth of knowledge he packs into this book is astounding. It’s dense and scholarly and even though I’m very new to Chinese history I had no issues with the material because Mote is a master. The way he lays it out based on his lectures makes it a good book for the novice or the experienced reader of Chinese history.
I’m writing this up a month later and the shifting dynasties, gradually making their way south… being pushed south, is still something I mull over from time to time.
A top 5 history of all time for me. I certainly will return for a reread.
I’m writing this up a month later and the shifting dynasties, gradually making their way south… being pushed south, is still something I mull over from time to time.
A top 5 history of all time for me. I certainly will return for a reread.
October 16, 2010
A dazzling, comprehensive work on Chinese history. I was quite ready to go into an undergraduate of Chinese history after putting this down. Covers everything you could possibly want.
Sadly, and for whatever reason, The Cambridge History of China series (to go-to place after reading this) is appallingly expensive, so my little dread ended there.
Sadly, and for whatever reason, The Cambridge History of China series (to go-to place after reading this) is appallingly expensive, so my little dread ended there.
January 6, 2008
emm... this is going to take awhile. Pretty good considering it's written in English.
August 2, 2011
Mote is an engaging and passionate historian who has put together a readable and fascinating history of China from the 6 dynasties through the height of the Qing
June 22, 2022
The definitive single-volume work on the last millennium of Imperial Chinese history. Certainly a book to be read and reread many times over to appreciate its wealth of facts and interpretations.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews