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Cambridge History of China #1
The Cambridge History of Ancient China: From the Origins of Civilization to 221 BC
The Cambridge History of Ancient China provides a survey of the cultural, intellectual, political, and institutional developments of the pre-imperial period. The four subperiods of Shang, Western Zhou, Spring and Autumn and Warring States, are described on the basis of literary and material sources and the evidence of recently found manuscripts. Chapters on the prehistoric background, the growth of language, and relations with the peoples of Central Asia provide the major context of China's achievements in the 1,500 years under review. The teachings of China's early masters are set alongside what is known of the methods of astonomers, physicians and diviners. A final chapter leads the reader forward to imperial times, as described in the volumes of The Cambridge History of China.
1182 pages, Hardcover
First published March 13, 1999
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About the author
Michael Loewe
34 books7 followersMichael Arthur Nathan Loewe was a British historian, Sinologist, and writer who authored dozens of books, articles, and other publications in the fields of Classical Chinese as well as the history of ancient and early Imperial China.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 18, 2010
Seeking to extend my knowledge of Chinese history, I found a solid foundation in The Cambridge History of Ancient China, which covers China from prehistory down to the First Empire. With fourteen chapters by specialists, it presents a diversity of viewpoints and approaches, but without changes so frequent as to be disorienting. And it is not just a collection of disparate essays: a consistent style and spelling are maintained throughout, there is an integrated bibliography, and what overlap there is has obviously been coordinated. The Cambridge History of Ancient China does a good job of capturing regional variation and temporal depth (keeping in mind that an equivalent period in Mediterranean history would stretch from the Egyptian New Kingdom down to the Roman Empire) and the following summary does little justice to it.
An introduction touches briefly on historiography, the physical environment of ancient China, and calendar systems. A chapter by William Boltz provides background on language and writing (this was quite technical, but I found it comprehensible without much background in Chinese linguistics). And Kwang-chih Chang covers the prehistory of China, concentrating on the archaeological evidence but looking also at the debates over the historicity of the Xia dynasty.
The core of The Cambridge History of Ancient China uses the traditional Shang / Western Zhou / Spring and Autumn / Warring States chronological framework, with paired chapters on each of the periods, one covering material culture (archaeology and art) and the other more historical in approach. This provides an important historiographical and methodological balance. A chapter by Robert Bagley on "Shang archaeology", for example, tries to avoid the biases of traditional history, presenting a fascinating twenty page introduction to the archaeology of bronze metallurgy and using that to highlight the breadth of Chinese culture outside the Shang areas, in the Yangzi valley, Sichuan, and the north. In contrast to this, David Keightley's chapter on the Shang focuses on written inscriptions (bronzes and oracle bones) and what they tell us about politics, religion, and society in the nascent dynastic state.
The historical chapters generally avoid becoming enmeshed in the details of particular wars, successions, and the like, addressing instead larger scale social and administrative changes. Edward Shaughnessy probes the origins of the Western Zhou and their conquest of the Shang, then describes their subsequent history. Though cautious about the use of historical detail from later texts, he highlights the significance of Western Zhou political theory for subsequent Chinese historiography. Cho-yun Hsu describes the multi-state system that evolved in the Spring and Autumn period (with recognition of a shifting Ba or "senior state") and sketches its social, administrative, and economic developments. And for the Warring States period Mark Lewis focuses on the institutional and military development of the various states and their consolidation into progressively larger units, laying the groundwork for the imperial unification.
The chapters on material culture are longer than their historical counterparts, largely due to the space taken up by illustrations. Jessica Rawson begins with a general introduction to Western Zhou archaeology, then proceeds from pre-Conquest Shaanxi (and the uncertainty about Zhou origins) down to the Ritual Revolution, providing details of key sites. Lothar von Falkenhausen covers late Bronze Age archaeology, describing finds from cemeteries and tombs in the different states and regional cultures. With more detailed information available, Wu Hung deals with Warring States art and architecture in a more systematic survey.
Four chapters supplement these eight. Nicola Di Cosmo surveys the northern frontier area from Manchuria across to Xinjiang, covering the archaeological and historical record down to the development of pastoral nomadism and the first contacts between the Chinese core and a nomadic kingdom (the Xiongu empire) towards the end of the Warring States period. David Nivison presents a historical account of the classical philosophical schools and texts, in an approach which makes the relationships between the great philosophers clearer than more abstract presentations. Donald Harper uses excavated manuscripts to present a balanced view of Warring States occult thought and natural philosophy (astrology, divination, magic, medicine, and so forth), too often veiled behind the much better-known philosophical tradition and the later orthodoxy of Han yin-yang and five phases correlative cosmology. And Michael Loewe describes the legacy left to the Qin and Former Han empires: views of the past, religious and philosophical traditions, institutional and administrative systems, and other unifying strands (he also provides a general sketch of law and legal history, something not covered in other chapters).
I have only two minor complaints about The Cambridge History of Ancient China. It is well provided with half-tones (an essential part of the chapters on archaeology and art), but it badly needs more and better quality maps: I often found myself floundering, especially with place names that don't appear in modern atlases. It is also too large and expensive a volume to be as widely read as it deserves. There are arguments for a single volume — I'm glad I had the chance to read it cover to cover — but if The Cambridge History of Ancient China were published as four or five separate paperback volumes it would be a better proposition for students interested in (say) Warring States occult thought but not Shang archaeology.
An introduction touches briefly on historiography, the physical environment of ancient China, and calendar systems. A chapter by William Boltz provides background on language and writing (this was quite technical, but I found it comprehensible without much background in Chinese linguistics). And Kwang-chih Chang covers the prehistory of China, concentrating on the archaeological evidence but looking also at the debates over the historicity of the Xia dynasty.
The core of The Cambridge History of Ancient China uses the traditional Shang / Western Zhou / Spring and Autumn / Warring States chronological framework, with paired chapters on each of the periods, one covering material culture (archaeology and art) and the other more historical in approach. This provides an important historiographical and methodological balance. A chapter by Robert Bagley on "Shang archaeology", for example, tries to avoid the biases of traditional history, presenting a fascinating twenty page introduction to the archaeology of bronze metallurgy and using that to highlight the breadth of Chinese culture outside the Shang areas, in the Yangzi valley, Sichuan, and the north. In contrast to this, David Keightley's chapter on the Shang focuses on written inscriptions (bronzes and oracle bones) and what they tell us about politics, religion, and society in the nascent dynastic state.
The historical chapters generally avoid becoming enmeshed in the details of particular wars, successions, and the like, addressing instead larger scale social and administrative changes. Edward Shaughnessy probes the origins of the Western Zhou and their conquest of the Shang, then describes their subsequent history. Though cautious about the use of historical detail from later texts, he highlights the significance of Western Zhou political theory for subsequent Chinese historiography. Cho-yun Hsu describes the multi-state system that evolved in the Spring and Autumn period (with recognition of a shifting Ba or "senior state") and sketches its social, administrative, and economic developments. And for the Warring States period Mark Lewis focuses on the institutional and military development of the various states and their consolidation into progressively larger units, laying the groundwork for the imperial unification.
The chapters on material culture are longer than their historical counterparts, largely due to the space taken up by illustrations. Jessica Rawson begins with a general introduction to Western Zhou archaeology, then proceeds from pre-Conquest Shaanxi (and the uncertainty about Zhou origins) down to the Ritual Revolution, providing details of key sites. Lothar von Falkenhausen covers late Bronze Age archaeology, describing finds from cemeteries and tombs in the different states and regional cultures. With more detailed information available, Wu Hung deals with Warring States art and architecture in a more systematic survey.
Four chapters supplement these eight. Nicola Di Cosmo surveys the northern frontier area from Manchuria across to Xinjiang, covering the archaeological and historical record down to the development of pastoral nomadism and the first contacts between the Chinese core and a nomadic kingdom (the Xiongu empire) towards the end of the Warring States period. David Nivison presents a historical account of the classical philosophical schools and texts, in an approach which makes the relationships between the great philosophers clearer than more abstract presentations. Donald Harper uses excavated manuscripts to present a balanced view of Warring States occult thought and natural philosophy (astrology, divination, magic, medicine, and so forth), too often veiled behind the much better-known philosophical tradition and the later orthodoxy of Han yin-yang and five phases correlative cosmology. And Michael Loewe describes the legacy left to the Qin and Former Han empires: views of the past, religious and philosophical traditions, institutional and administrative systems, and other unifying strands (he also provides a general sketch of law and legal history, something not covered in other chapters).
I have only two minor complaints about The Cambridge History of Ancient China. It is well provided with half-tones (an essential part of the chapters on archaeology and art), but it badly needs more and better quality maps: I often found myself floundering, especially with place names that don't appear in modern atlases. It is also too large and expensive a volume to be as widely read as it deserves. There are arguments for a single volume — I'm glad I had the chance to read it cover to cover — but if The Cambridge History of Ancient China were published as four or five separate paperback volumes it would be a better proposition for students interested in (say) Warring States occult thought but not Shang archaeology.
August 24, 2019
The Chinese are quite proud of their 5000 year history. Sadly up till recently there was an enormous gap in my knowledge of history. That being, the history of China. I am not sure why it had eluded me for so long, but, it had. So I decided to embark on a journey through the history of China. Where better to start but at the beginning, right? Well that is easier said than done. Some serious Googling, and other such internet searches led me to this mighty tome, weighing in at 1032 pages. There was little to choose from (well really nothing else) that would satisfy my desire for a broad overview of the period. Now it is more or less a textbookish/scholarly book. I tend to stay away from that type of book because the writing is generally dry. I have read some great series on historical subjects (such as Norwich's Byzantine Trilogy) that manage to weave the history of a period into an amazing yarn. This doesn't fit that category but it was a very interesting read, and quite informative. I do have trouble with focus while reading (despite reading being one of the things I truly love) and a scholarly book doesn't normally hold my attention. This one did.
The book starts at the earliest beginning of Chinese civilization. Sadly, there is little to go on, other than funerary items. Writing being limited or done on perishable items. Most early writing is that cast into the bronzes. That said the authors, there are different authors for each chapter, made the available information quite interesting. So much so I was nerding out at the local art museum while viewing the Shang and Zhou bronzes on display. The book weaves its way through prehistory, the Shang, the Zhou, the Spring and Autumn period (Chunqiu), and the Warring States. Ending with the beginning of the Qin Empire. The book covers all facets of Chinese civilization, and does it well. I did find the section on Occult and mysticism difficult to read. Mostly due to the terminology, not necessarily the writing style. I was a bit disappointed with the last chapter. I would have preferred a conclusion that tied things together some with a look to the future, which it tried to do to some degree. It just did not really capture things for me. Overall it is a very good introduction to ancient Chinese history, and I would highly recommend it.
The book starts at the earliest beginning of Chinese civilization. Sadly, there is little to go on, other than funerary items. Writing being limited or done on perishable items. Most early writing is that cast into the bronzes. That said the authors, there are different authors for each chapter, made the available information quite interesting. So much so I was nerding out at the local art museum while viewing the Shang and Zhou bronzes on display. The book weaves its way through prehistory, the Shang, the Zhou, the Spring and Autumn period (Chunqiu), and the Warring States. Ending with the beginning of the Qin Empire. The book covers all facets of Chinese civilization, and does it well. I did find the section on Occult and mysticism difficult to read. Mostly due to the terminology, not necessarily the writing style. I was a bit disappointed with the last chapter. I would have preferred a conclusion that tied things together some with a look to the future, which it tried to do to some degree. It just did not really capture things for me. Overall it is a very good introduction to ancient Chinese history, and I would highly recommend it.
September 10, 2021
This is a huge tome that details the history of China from prehistoric times to the establishment of the first empire in 221 BCE. It is undoubtedly not meant for casual reading, but more for checking a few chapters at a time when one needs background information for one's research. Still, I found it a pleasure to read and there were many things I took away from reading it.
After an introduction, we first get an interesting chapter on prehistoric China. This is followed by two chapters on the Shang dynasty, first its archeology, then its history. New for me was the large amount of human sacrifice practiced under the Shang, almost like the Aztecs - the royal graves at Anyang not only contain the bodies of the wives and concubines of the king, but also other people close to him, as well as a considerable number of prisoners of war, all buried with the hands tied behind their back and the head cut off.
The last eight Shang kings used divination with either turtle plastrons or ox scapula for about every step they set in life - the questions to the oracle and often also the outcome were then carved into the bone or shell, providing is with the earliest form of Chinese writing (jiaguwen). In all, about 160,000 pieces with about 4,000 different graphs have been found, from which important historical information can be reconstructed. As the oracle bones were later replaced by divination with the milfoil generated hexagrams of the Yi Jing, the oracle bone texts also help us find out the original (authentic) meanings in the Yi Jing. China is one of only two civilizations in the history of mankind to have invented ex nihilo a script that has endured to the present day.
The ensuing Zhou dynasty is split into three parts: the Western Zhou (1045-771 BCE), the Spring and Autumn Period (770-481 BCE) and the Warring States period (480-221 BCE). In the chapter about archeology of the Western Zhou we find an extensive overview of the gorgeous ritual bronzes of this period. They often carry extensive inscriptions (jinwen) about the circumstances under which the item was donated, which are again of great historical value. These inscriptions also make stylistic comparison with old documents possible, such as those of the Shu Jing, so that we can judge which chapters of the Book of Documents are authentic and which were probably written much later. Besides parts of the Shu Jing, from this same period we have two more texts, the Yi Jing and The Shi Jing (Book of Poetry).
The Warring States period is the Golden Age of classical Chinese literature, with many great works, among others the Mengzi and the Zuo zhuan. Most books were written on bamboo strips of uniform length; several interesting texts which were not transmitted, have been discovered in graves from the early Han period.
From the chapter on the Warring States I picked up that - although multistory buildings didn't exist yet - it was popular to build palaces and temples on terraces (sometimes between 15 to 20 m high), so that they soared above their surroundings. Despite the continuous warfare, the economy was booming. The art of this period was quite baroque, with exaggerated decorations and inlays.
The chapter on classical philosophers has been written with the necessary critical stance, as only one of the many works from this period can be exactly dated, and most texts were not written at all by the philosopher whose name they carry (the Analects, the Daodejing), while others perhaps have a few original parts (Zhuangzi), but in principle most texts were anonymous and were gradually added to.
Interesting is also the chapter on natural philosophy and occult thought, which demonstrates that Confucius c.s. were not like our Enlightenment philosophers at all, but rather were children of their time who believed in divination, demonology, charms, incantations, exorcism and various supernatural powers.
An indispensable book for Sinologists.
After an introduction, we first get an interesting chapter on prehistoric China. This is followed by two chapters on the Shang dynasty, first its archeology, then its history. New for me was the large amount of human sacrifice practiced under the Shang, almost like the Aztecs - the royal graves at Anyang not only contain the bodies of the wives and concubines of the king, but also other people close to him, as well as a considerable number of prisoners of war, all buried with the hands tied behind their back and the head cut off.
The last eight Shang kings used divination with either turtle plastrons or ox scapula for about every step they set in life - the questions to the oracle and often also the outcome were then carved into the bone or shell, providing is with the earliest form of Chinese writing (jiaguwen). In all, about 160,000 pieces with about 4,000 different graphs have been found, from which important historical information can be reconstructed. As the oracle bones were later replaced by divination with the milfoil generated hexagrams of the Yi Jing, the oracle bone texts also help us find out the original (authentic) meanings in the Yi Jing. China is one of only two civilizations in the history of mankind to have invented ex nihilo a script that has endured to the present day.
The ensuing Zhou dynasty is split into three parts: the Western Zhou (1045-771 BCE), the Spring and Autumn Period (770-481 BCE) and the Warring States period (480-221 BCE). In the chapter about archeology of the Western Zhou we find an extensive overview of the gorgeous ritual bronzes of this period. They often carry extensive inscriptions (jinwen) about the circumstances under which the item was donated, which are again of great historical value. These inscriptions also make stylistic comparison with old documents possible, such as those of the Shu Jing, so that we can judge which chapters of the Book of Documents are authentic and which were probably written much later. Besides parts of the Shu Jing, from this same period we have two more texts, the Yi Jing and The Shi Jing (Book of Poetry).
The Warring States period is the Golden Age of classical Chinese literature, with many great works, among others the Mengzi and the Zuo zhuan. Most books were written on bamboo strips of uniform length; several interesting texts which were not transmitted, have been discovered in graves from the early Han period.
From the chapter on the Warring States I picked up that - although multistory buildings didn't exist yet - it was popular to build palaces and temples on terraces (sometimes between 15 to 20 m high), so that they soared above their surroundings. Despite the continuous warfare, the economy was booming. The art of this period was quite baroque, with exaggerated decorations and inlays.
The chapter on classical philosophers has been written with the necessary critical stance, as only one of the many works from this period can be exactly dated, and most texts were not written at all by the philosopher whose name they carry (the Analects, the Daodejing), while others perhaps have a few original parts (Zhuangzi), but in principle most texts were anonymous and were gradually added to.
Interesting is also the chapter on natural philosophy and occult thought, which demonstrates that Confucius c.s. were not like our Enlightenment philosophers at all, but rather were children of their time who believed in divination, demonology, charms, incantations, exorcism and various supernatural powers.
An indispensable book for Sinologists.
May 27, 2021
The standard against which others are measured. Keightley for the Shang period, and Loewe for Zhou? Lewis creeping up as the expert on the Han? The new edition /update produced with Michael Nylan is a completely different book altogether and helpfully updates on a lot of the new archaeological studies. Still my go to reference on early China.
October 8, 2018
Essential
December 21, 2020
The Cambridge histories set a pretty high standard, and the volume on the Han Dynasty (also co-edited by Michael Loewe) has been one of my favourite books for many years. Aside from that, pre-Imperial China is an extremely interesting topic, so my expectations for this were high and I was extremely disappointed.
Many of the writers are competent. Some have an axe to grind or a personal pet theory to promote, which is poison to a book like this. The absolute low point is the chapter by David Nivison, and I have no idea why the editors didn't reject it. It's full of polemical claims about dating and composition for which he almost never provides evidence (aside from phrases like "most scholars consider", which doesn't even fly on Wikipedia). When he does hint at what evidence he's using, his reasoning is generally circular (we know text A was written in century B because it has idea C. We know idea C comes from century B because it is recorded in text A). He's also sassy and arrogant, which wouldn't have annoyed me if he had actually done the work.
The two best chapters are the are those on the Spring and Autumn period by Cho-yun Hsu and early imperial China's relationship to pre-imperial China by Michael Loewe. Aside from that, there are better ways of familiarizing yourself with most of these topics.
Many of the writers are competent. Some have an axe to grind or a personal pet theory to promote, which is poison to a book like this. The absolute low point is the chapter by David Nivison, and I have no idea why the editors didn't reject it. It's full of polemical claims about dating and composition for which he almost never provides evidence (aside from phrases like "most scholars consider", which doesn't even fly on Wikipedia). When he does hint at what evidence he's using, his reasoning is generally circular (we know text A was written in century B because it has idea C. We know idea C comes from century B because it is recorded in text A). He's also sassy and arrogant, which wouldn't have annoyed me if he had actually done the work.
The two best chapters are the are those on the Spring and Autumn period by Cho-yun Hsu and early imperial China's relationship to pre-imperial China by Michael Loewe. Aside from that, there are better ways of familiarizing yourself with most of these topics.
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