Daily Life in China on the Eve of the Mongol Invasion, 1250-1276 (Daily Life) |
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Daily Life in China on the Eve of the Mongol Invasion, 1250-1276 (Daily Life)
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by Jacques Gernet
Sales Rank: 275880
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List Price: $20.95
$18.02
At Amazon
on 6-17-2008.
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Features
Cover Type: Paperback with 256 pages
Published by: Stanford University PressEdition: 1st Edition June 1, 1962
Written in: English
ISBN 10 Number: 0804707200
ISBN 13 Number: 978-0804707206
Book Dimensions:
8.5 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
Weighs: 11.8 ounces
Product Review
“A fascinating picture of a lively and brilliant society. . . . Every major aspect of life during this period is treated with meticulous exactitude. . . . an unrivalled glimpse of Chinese society as it was seven hundred years ago.”—Journal of Southeast Asian History
“A pioneering high popularization of Sung social history. . . . An elegant work.”The Journal of Asian Studies
Language Notes
Text: English, French (translation)
Reader Reviews
Translated from the French by H.M. Wright. The overall theme of the book is to dispel the notion of a China that was immobile, and that this lack of change is what aided in the success of the Mongol invasion. From a plethora of sources, Gernet reconstructs a snapshot of how society functioned during the end of the Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279), only a few years before the invasion. To accomplish this task the book looks at a twenty-six year period (1250-1276), focusing on the Southern Song capital, Hangzhou, and its immediate surrounding areas. Areas of exploration include Hangzhou's social makeup (the upper classes, the merchants [which had increasingly gained importance], and the lower classes) to even details on clothing, cooking, festivals, and leisure hours. The book overall is facinating in its detail and in the subject matter the author chose to explore. Many of the subjects have not been written about since, so there are still many avenues for further research. It has to be pointed out here that in light of the recent scholarly debates questioning the validity over Marco Polo's writings (see: Frances Woods, 1998 ; US News and World Report, 7/24/00), the quotes used in the book must be looked upon with this in mind. Gernet even points out that a few of the quotes he used in the book did not correspond with Chinese sources of the time (pp. 36, 47). Although Gernet shows us a glimpse of Southern Song daily life, one with any knowledge of daily life in today's China will notice certain similarities between the two. The growth in mercantilism, rural to urban mass migration, the great disparity between the rich and poor, the popularity of prostitution and other promiscuous behavior all can be found in both societies. One cannot help but walk away from a reading of this book and contemplate how China would have been today if it were not for the Mongol invasion, which halted the birth of a "modern China", centuries before the West. However, this Chinese modernization would have been far different from the West's given the way Chinese society is constructed, which has lent value to a person only within his/her social relations and has lacked any emancipation of the individual, (the cornerstone of modern Europe).
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Daily Life in China on the Eve of the Mongol Invasion, 1250-1276 (Daily Life)
Available from Amazon
Price: $18.02
Updated on 6-17-2008.
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