Fan Shuzhi

Fan Shuzhi, born in 1937 in Huzhou, Zhejiang, with ancestral roots in Anshan, Liaoning, is a professor and doctoral supervisor in the Department of History at Fudan University. He has long specialized in Ming-Qing history, Chinese land relations, and the history of the Jiangnan region. His writings are known for solid textual scholarship and clear narrative, balancing academic research with accessibility for general readers. His major works include A History of the Late Ming, biographies of the Wanli and Chongzhen emperors, An Outline of Chinese History, and the "Rewriting Late Ming History" series, including The Great Transformation of the Late Ming, Internal Troubles and External Threats, and The End of the Dynasty. Focusing on late Ming political change, social upheaval, and dynastic decline, these works combine scholarly depth with readability and are categorized as history, culture, and biography, exerting influence in Ming-Qing studies and among general readers alike.