This is the first volume of a two-volume set on the names of China, focusing on the country's official titles throughout history.
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.
Introduction: Titles of the Reigning Dynasties since Ancient Times
1. Xia: Residing High and Drinking Dew
2. Shang: The Heavenly Commissioned Dark Bird Descends and Gives Birth to
Shang
3. Zhou: Emphasizing Agriculture
4. Qin: The Cattail (Forage Grass) for Raising Horses
5. Han: The Name Tianhan (Milky Way) is Magnificent
6. Xin: Complying with the Heavenly Mandate
7. Wei, Han and Wu: The Three Divisions of the Country
8. Jin: The Well-known Ambition of Sima Zhao
9. The Sixteen Kingdoms and the Southern and Northern Dynasties: Turmoil,
Rise and Fall
10. Sui: Auspicious or Ominous?
11. Tang: Emperor Shen Yao's Aspirations and Self-Assessment
12. Zhou: The Ancient Ancestor Ji Zhou of the Empress of the Holy Mother
13. Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms: Inheritance and Division
14. Song: Moments of Serendipity
15. The Great Yuan: How Grand is the Primal Beginning of Creativity
16. The Great Ming: "In the Radiant Light of the Buddhas"
17. The Great Qing: Turning the Tide
18. The Republic of China: A New Era of the National Titles
HU A-Xiang is Professor and Ph.D. supervisor at the School of History, Nanjing University, China. His primary research interests lie in Chinese history, Chinese historical geography, and Chinese toponomy.
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