This is the first volume of a two-volume set on the names of China, focusing on the country's official titles throughout history. Using interdisciplinary approaches from fields such as history, geography, ethnic studies, linguistics, psychology and toponymy, this two-volume set examines the origin and evolution of China's names over more than 4,000 years of history. The first volume examines the official names of the country given by the rulers or government, including the names of the imperial dynasties, from the earliest Xia to the last Qing, and the title of the Republic of China, which symbolises a new era in national naming. The author examines the common features as well as the cultural contexts and historical traditions that underlie these diverse titles. The origins and meanings of national titles, their secondary connotations, evolving understandings and related implications are explored. The book also analyses the lifespan and spatial references of these national titles. This book will appeal to both academic and general readers interested in Chinese history, Chinese historical geography and Chinese toponymy.

This is the second volume of a two-volume set on the names of China, focusing on the domestic and foreign names of the country in ancient and modern times. Using interdisciplinary approaches from fields such as history, geography, ethnic studies, linguistics, psychology and toponymy, this two-volume set examines the origin and evolution of China's names over more than 4,000 years of history. The second volume is divided into two parts. The first part explains the habitual self-names for China, which remain unaffected by political regime changes. The author explores the complex reasons for the emergence and evolution of indigenous names such as Zhongguo, Zhonghua, Jiuzhou and Sihai. The second part discusses the names of China in foreign languages. It looks at the origin, development, use and popularity of foreign names of China such as China, Serice, Taugas, Cathay and those associated with Han, Tang, the dragon and the lion. This book will appeal to both academic and general readers interested in Chinese history, Chinese historical geography and Chinese toponymy.

China's extraordinary rise as an economic powerhouse in the past two decades poses a challenge to many long-held assumptions about the relationship between political institutions and economic development. Economic prosperity also was vitally important to the longevity of the Chinese Empire throughout the preindustrial era. Before the eighteenth century, China's economy shared some of the features, such as highly productive agriculture and sophisticated markets, found in the most advanced regions of Europe. But in many respects, from the central importance of irrigated rice farming to family structure, property rights, the status of merchants, the monetary system, and the imperial state's fiscal and economic policies, China's preindustrial economy diverged from the Western path of development. In this comprehensive but accessible study, Richard von Glahn examines the institutional foundations, continuities and discontinuities in China's economic development over three millennia, from the Bronze Age to the early twentieth century.

This book is the first comprehensive treatment of all the major human and ape fossils found in China. The book contains original analyses of a number of the fossils, and first-time translations of Chinese-language materials. Metric information is presented, to be used to compare with fossil samples from other parts of the world.

A comprehensive survey of Chinese economic history from 1800 to the present from an international team of leading experts.

This comprehensive volume provides teachers and students with broad and stimulating perspectives on Asian history and its place in world and Western history. Essays by over forty leading scholars suggest many new ways of incorporating Asian history, from ancient to modern times, into core curriculum history courses. Now featuring "Suggested Resources for Maps to Be Used in Conjunction with Asia in Western and World History".

This book provides a detailed introduction to the study of the Tsinghua Bamboo Slips, explaining the preservation and analysis of the artifacts and their significance in historical research of the pre-Qin period. The Tsinghua Bamboo Slips are a collection of Chinese texts inscribed on approximately 2,500 bamboo slips. They were excavated from a Warring States Period tomb and are now preserved at Tsinghua University. The book delves into the traditions and discoveries of bamboo manuscripts in China and discusses the preservation and research of the slips, covering the procedures of artifact processing, authentication, digitization, editing, and interpretation. The manuscripts are remarkable for their quantity, period of creation, and distinctive content coverage. They contain important historical documents that differ from or are missing from the extant literature. The analysis of these texts helps to unravel some of the unresolved mysteries in pre-Qin historical studies and illuminates scientific achievements of ancient China previously unknown to the world. This book is essential reading for scholars and students of Chinese studies, pre-Qin history, and early literacy. It will also appeal to general readers interested in ancient Chinese history and culture.