A Tale of Two Melons: Emperor and Subject in Ming China

by Sarah Schneewind

A commoner's presentation to the emperor of a lucky omen from his garden, the repercussions for his family, and several retellings of the incident provide the background for an engaging introduction to Ming society, culture, and politics, including discussions of the founding of the Ming dynasty; the character of the first emperor; the role of omens in court politics; how the central and local governments were structured, including the civil service examination system; the power of local elite families; the roles of women; filial piety; and the concept of ling or efficacy in Chinese religion.

Genres: History, China, Nonfiction

176 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 2006

About the author

Schneewind teaches Chinese history at the University of California, San Diego. Her scholarly work explores how people dealt with imperial power, how state power negotiated with society, and how historical texts were constructed and read in political context. She is currently writing a study of the biographies of an early Ming scholar-official executed for corruption and honored as an incorrupt official, Fang Keqin; and is researching the institution of shrines to living men. Her period of specialization is the Ming (1368-1644), which juxtaposed autocracy to commercial prosperity and cultural creativity. She is also interested in Chinese-European intellectual, cultural, and technological exchange from Ming times through the nineteenth century. She is a graduate of Cornell University (1986, B. A.), Yale University (1988, M. A.), and Columbia University (1999, Ph.D.), and is Past-President of the Society for Ming Studies.



http://historyweb.ucsd.edu/pages/peop...

Reviews

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fellow sinologist, I understand all too well how one can get caught up in a minute detail one comes across in one's research that takes on a life, as they say, of its own. This apparently is the back story of this fascinating little book by scholar Sarah Schneewind of a minor incident in the life of the founder of the Ming Dynasty. But in its telling, she has revealed aspects of Ming life and culture that one doesn't ordinarily come across in reading Ming history: motivations, personalities, repercussions.

An emperor is confronted by his ministers carrying a tray holding two melons growing from a single stem. Is it an omen of the emperor's virtue and wisdom in ruling his people? Is it a devious plot by the ministers to prevent a planned action by the emperor of which they do not approve but dare not mention? Is it a dig or criticism of the emperor's humble origins? Or is it simply the sign of a productive farmer? If you enjoy Chinese history and intellectual 'detective' stories, you'll want to read A Tale of Two Melons.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice, very short introduction to some social history and state-society relations in the early Ming dynasty.

Read for class

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect little book of history, combining story, sources, and context.

[๖ۣۜSαᴙαh ๖ۣۜMᴄĄłłiƨʈeʀ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed it.