Understanding the Song Dynasty

Name: Understanding the Song Dynasty
ISBN: 9787507563276

Sun JianSino-Culture Press · ChinaJun 2026

3.7

Word count: 163K words
Chapters: 56
ISBN: 9787507563276

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Summary

The Song Dynasty—some call it another era of tripartite division, others a replay of the Northern and Southern Dynasties. The glory of the "Heavenly Qaghan" was no more, and the Song, which claimed orthodoxy, twice fell to foreign peoples. Emperor Taizu, Emperor Taizong, Kou Zhun, Di Qing, Wang Anshi, Emperor Huizong, Emperor Gaozong, Emperor Xiaozong, Zhu Xi, Shi Miyuan, and Jia Sidao—vivid figures one and all—are woven into the institutional fabric, revealing, at the levels of the form of imperial power, scholar-official politics, the state policy of promoting civil arts and suppressing the military, and the interplay of domestic and foreign affairs, the factors that shaped the course of Song history over more than three hundred years.

Editor's review

This book uses figures as its threads to connect the institutions and trajectories of the Song dynasty over more than three centuries. It is not a simple collection of biographies of emperors, generals, and ministers; rather, it places figures such as Emperor Taizu, Emperor Taizong, Kou Zhun, Di Qing, Wang Anshi, Emperor Huizong, Emperor Gaozong, Emperor Xiaozong, Zhu Xi, Shi Miyuan, and Jia Sidao in mutual illumination with the institutional system, explaining the factors that shaped the course of Song history from the perspectives of the form of imperial power, literati-official politics, the state policy of promoting civil arts and suppressing military force, and the interaction between domestic and foreign affairs. The book confronts the heavy fact that the glory of the "Heavenly Qaghan" was no more and that the dynasty twice perished at the hands of foreign peoples, while also presenting the long-term tension between the Song's self-positioning as the orthodox dynasty and the limits on its actual power. For readers who want to understand the political structure of the Song dynasty rather than merely read stories, this book provides a clear framework for seeing institutions through people. When reading, one may place the figures back into state policy and institutional structures; many seemingly personal choices then acquire institutional explanations.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Historical readers interested in the Song dynasty's political system and the evolution of state policy
Beginning readers who wish to trace the thread of the two Song periods through figures
Readers concerned with the relationship between literati-official politics and imperial power
Teachers and students in need of teaching materials on Song figures and institutions

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting pure military history or detailed descriptions of warfare
Readers who prefer light stories and do not wish to engage with institutional analysis
Scholars who require in-depth specialized research and regard this book as an academic monograph

Reading tips

Read in the order of the figures in the book, and after finishing each figure, review their connection to state policy.
While reading, list keywords such as promoting civil arts and suppressing military force and literati-official politics, and add examples as you go.
It may be helpful to consult a basic Song dynasty timeline to clarify the periods in which the figures lived and the external situation.
After finishing, choose one figure and retell their story in the form of a short biography to test your grasp of the institutional threads.

About the publisher

Sino-Culture Press China · Founded in 1987

Sino-Culture Press is known for publishing in history, social sciences and traditional Chinese culture, with a further reach into literary appreciation, classic works and foreign literature. Its library of 489 titles includes such works as The Road to Dongpo: The Evolution of Su Shi's Poetic Style, The Poetry and Life of Du Fu, The History of Qin and Han, and Six Hundred Years of the Forbidden City (collector's edition), while A Preliminary Survey of Ancient Architecture in Shanxi and Fen: Hand-drawn Records of Architectural Remains reflects an interest in documenting architectural heritage. Van Loon's Collected Classics and guided-reading editions of works such as Call to Arms and Notre-Dame de Paris serve general readers and classroom use. Its authors include scholars and popular writers such as Fu Junmai, Chen Linlin, Van Loon, Wang Longlin and Guan Ranrong, and biography is another direction. As public information is limited, this note focuses on the publishing profile shown by the titles in the library.

版权信息
序一
序二
走出五代、底定帝国：宋太祖与宋太宗
一、皇位传递的“异常”与“正常”：陈桥兵变与烛影斧声
二、统一战争：由开疆辟土到守内虚外
三、政权的稳固
四、文治之风的确立
结语
宋代士大夫的先驱：时代转折中的寇准
一、十九中高第，弱冠司国章
二、左右天子为大忠：澶州建功
三、专制自矜，宦海浮沉
四、危身奉上，佐国遭忧
结语
兴文抑武体制的牺牲者：狄青
一、以文驭武统兵体制下的功业与界限
二、木秀于林，风必摧之：兴文抑武国策下的武将们
结语
扫俗学之凡陋、振弊法之因循：王安石及其时代
一、富国强兵：新法的实施及成效
二、“非常相权”：王安石的权力和去位
三、朋党之争的恶性发展：北宋中后期政治的主旋律
结语
独不能为君耳：宋徽宗与“靖康之难”
一、才智过人的少年天子
二、步入歧途的“绍述”政治
三、靖康之难
结语
从恢复到偏安：宋高宗的南宋气象
一、再造王室：“嗣我朝之大统”
二、“堂堂中国，一旦遂为敌人屈己”
三、重回以文治武的老路：宋朝第二次收兵权
结语
太上皇-今上的政治格局：宋孝宗及其时代
一、父尧子舜：太上皇-今上格局的形成
二、上皇与今上的权力划分：隆兴北伐与宋金和议
三、“有恢复之君，而无恢复之臣”——皇权受损的结果
四、皇权“非可共理之物”：太上皇-今上结构的悲剧结局
结语
走向学术中心：朱熹与道学在南宋的崛起
一、从论学师友到自居正统：向道学权威迈进
二、国家政治中的道学群体
三、走向正统：朱熹与道学地位的提升
结语
“天下之势，自安以趋于危”：史弥远及其时代
一、权力的交割：从韩侂胄到史弥远
二、嘉定和议及其反复
三、“舍昏立明”：皇权之争波澜再起
四、从联合到交恶：宋蒙战争的开始
结语
亡身危国：贾似道擅权与南宋的灭亡
一、“不事操行”的实务型官员
二、虚构的“鄂州大捷”与登上权力巅峰
三、襄樊之战：南宋存亡的关键
结语

FAQ

Is this book a general history of the Song dynasty or a commentary on figures?

It is closer to an institutional and political history organized around figures. Through figures such as Emperor Taizu, Kou Zhun, Wang Anshi, Zhu Xi, and Jia Sidao, and in combination with the form of imperial power, literati-official politics, promoting civil arts and suppressing military force, and domestic and foreign affairs, the book reveals the factors that shaped the course of the two Song periods over more than three centuries. The figures are the entry point; institutions and state policy are the focus of the discussion.

Why does it say the Song dynasty twice perished at the hands of foreign peoples?

The book points out that the Song dynasty, which regarded itself as the orthodox dynasty, successively perished at the hands of northern ethnic regimes, and this is an important background for the book's discussion. The author thereby inquires into the form of imperial power, the state policy of promoting civil arts and suppressing military force, and deeper issues in the interaction between domestic and foreign affairs; readers may follow this thread to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the Song institutional system.

What background should one have before reading this book?

A basic chronological framework of the Song dynasty is sufficient, such as the rough division between the Northern Song and Southern Song. The figures in the book span a wide range; if one has a rough impression of nodes such as Wang Anshi's reforms and the Jingkang Incident, reading will be smoother. Without such a foundation, one may also consult a timeline while reading; the key is to follow the author in viewing figures and institutions in connection with one another.

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About the author

Sun Jian Author · China · 1959

Sun Jian, born in 1959, is a professor and doctorate holder who served as dean of the School of Economics at Ocean University of China, with research interests in corporate management, capital operations, and financial markets. He is the author of more than ten monographs, including the Haier Research Series, has published over 150 papers, and has edited management books such as Managing People by Rules and Doing Things by Rules. His works span several fields: management guides on institutional practice, popular financial-history titles such as the Daily Readings in Financial History series, and cultural and medical writing, including the Liuyuan series of Western classic cultural readings, bilingual editions of Shakespeare's tragedies, and works on Fu's acupuncture medicine. Twenty-eight of his works are held in the collection, commonly classified under culture, medicine, inspirational growth, management, finance, and history. He is known for presenting specialized subjects in an accessible, clear style that balances knowledge with readability.