Imperial Power and Institutions (Part Two)

Name: Imperial Power and Institutions (Part Two)
ISBN: 9787801357021

闻明 / 张林中国环境科学出版社，学苑音像出版社 · ChinaApr 2020

2.2

Word count: 58K words
Chapters: 10
ISBN: 9787801357021

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Summary

Built on the achievements of Chinese historical scholarship, this volume of the "Encyclopedia of Chinese History" series blends a wealth of text and images distilled from China's long civilization to offer a vivid introduction to the course of historical development. With more than 2,000 rare images and 3 million words of text, it presents a comprehensive overview of the fundamentals of Chinese history, covering politics, military affairs, the economy, culture, foreign relations, science and technology, law, religion, art, and folk customs.

Editor's review

This book is the second volume of the "Encyclopedia of Chinese History" series, focusing on imperial power and institutional systems, and it continues the series' approach of combining abundant illustrations with broad coverage. Its value lies in presenting knowledge about China's imperial systems across the dynasties—including political operations, statutes and ceremonies, and legal regulations—in an itemized, illustrated format supported by extensive visual material, lowering the barrier to institutional history. For non-specialist readers, it is more a browsable encyclopedia of institutions than a linearly narrated work of historical scholarship. It should be read as a reference tool and a way to build a knowledge framework: first use the table of contents to understand which aspects of institutional systems are covered, then jump to relevant entries on topics of interest. Because the content spans politics, military affairs, law, ritual, and other fields, reading it alongside histories of specific dynasties is recommended so that institutional provisions are not divorced from their historical context. Overall, it is suitable as a family or school history reference for forming an initial impression of China's imperial systems.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General history readers interested in ancient Chinese political systems and court institutions
History teachers and popular-science writers who need illustrated material to support lesson preparation
Parents who want to provide their children with history encyclopedia reading material
Knowledge-oriented readers who like to browse entries and read in fragments

Not a good fit for

Professional researchers of institutional history who need rigorous academic verification and source citations
Deep readers seeking a systematic, continuous narrative to read from beginning to end
Readers uninterested in an encyclopedia format dominated by images and brief textual overviews

Reading tips

First browse the table of contents and images to identify institutional themes of interest, then selectively jump to relevant entries.
Read alongside a general history of a particular dynasty to understand institutional entries within their specific historical context.
Keep the book at hand as a reference work to consult whenever institutional terms appear in films, television dramas, or history books.
When reading with children, first look at and discuss the pictures, then have parents explain the institutional background in the entries.

About the publisher

中国环境科学出版社，学苑音像出版社 China · Founded in 1980

Jointly credited to China Environmental Science Press and Xueyuan Audio-Visual Publishing House, the publications held in this catalog number 243 titles and cover common categories such as architecture, popular science, philosophy, world history, theory, and art. They include works on history and architecture, such as The World History of Architecture: Frozen Music and The Hometown of the Hanging Gardens: Babylon; popular science titles such as 100 Scientific Discoveries That Shook the World and 100 Technological Inventions That Refreshed the World; and works on intellectual and art history, such as The Most Beautiful Flower on Earth: A History of World Thought and The Sublimation of Life and Production: A History of Arts and Crafts. Works by authors including Wen Ming, Peng Pingping, Ge Dan, Qian Shu, and Li Munan form the main author resources. Because public information on the two institutions' complete catalogs and editorial plans is limited, this description presents their publishing direction only on the basis of the books in the catalog: mainly history, popular science, and art history, with some theoretical works, and under the joint imprint a emphasis on knowledge popularization and the humanities and social sciences.

版权信息
《中国历史百科》编纂委员会
《中国历史百科》编辑部
编写说明
制度改革（下）
敬德保民
礼崩乐坏
文化一统
隋唐治策
宋典更张

FAQ

This is the second volume. Can I read it directly without having read the first?

As an encyclopedia organized by entries, the second volume usually focuses on particular institutional themes, and browsing it on its own generally does not hinder understanding of individual entries. But for a complete framework, it is advisable to first learn what the first volume covers, or start with the table of contents to confirm the thematic scope of the second volume before deciding the reading order.

Are the images in the book photos of historical artifacts or illustrative diagrams?

According to the introduction, the series uses rare images alongside text to introduce historical knowledge, with images serving to present historical content visually. Whether a specific image is a photograph of an artifact or an illustrative diagram requires checking the original book; readers should rely on the captions in the book.

Is this book suitable for middle school students?

It can serve as supplementary history reading for middle school students. The entry-based organization and combination of text and images lower the reading barrier and help build an intuitive understanding of ancient institutions. However, some institutional concepts still require explanation by teachers or parents, and it is best used alongside relevant textbook chapters.

Can this book replace a systematic textbook on the history of ancient Chinese political institutions?

No. This book is an encyclopedia-style popular work that emphasizes presenting knowledge points and visual intuitiveness, lacking systematic argumentation and source criticism. For in-depth study of institutional history, specialized textbooks and academic works should remain the primary materials, with this book serving as supplementary reference and an entry point for interest.

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About the author

闻明 Author

Wen Ming is a prolific author about whom little is publicly available; details such as birth and death dates, nationality, and educational background are not clearly recorded. Judging from the 157 works held in the collection, Wen Ming's writing centers mainly on world history and the popularization of the arts, covering architecture, painting, drama, arts and crafts, intellectual history, and ancient civilizations. Representative works include systematic surveys of architectural history, accounts of the rise and fall of ancient civilizations such as Babylon, and introductions to the development of painting, drama, and craft arts. Overall, Wen Ming's writing tends toward informative, general-audience exposition, presenting artistic and historical themes along clear lines and helping ordinary readers understand the cultural background of these fields.

张林 Author

Zhang Lin is a Chinese author whose works span a notably wide range of subjects, with 107 titles held in the collection. Judging from the available bibliography, his writing covers several fields: social novels and essayistic works such as Galloping Horse, One Person, and Don't Forget Why You Started Because You've Gone Too Far; the compilation of the Fu-Selected Liu Duzhou Medical Case Commentaries series, showing an interest in documenting traditional Chinese medicine; I Confess: Recorded Confessions of Japanese War Criminals, a work of history; and Tang and Song Poetry Anecdotes, aimed at popularizing classical verse. His works are also often classified under foreign literature and social sciences. Public information about Zhang Lin is limited, and his biography, nationality, and dates of birth and death cannot be verified. The range of his output nonetheless suggests a versatile writer who moves between literary creation, historical documentation, and the organization of medical texts, balancing accessible writing with careful compilation of source materials.