The Qing dynasty (1636-1912)-a crucial bridge between "traditional" and "modern" China-was remarkable for its expansiveness and cultural sophistication. This engaging and insightful history of Qing political, social, and cultural life traces the complex interaction between the Inner Asian traditions of the Manchus, who conquered China in 1644, and indigenous Chinese cultural traditions. Noted historian Richard J. Smith argues that the pragmatic Qing emperors presented a "Chinese" face to their subjects who lived south of the Great Wall and other ethnic faces (particularly Manchu, Mongolian, Central Asian, and Tibetan) to subjects in other parts of their vast multicultural empire. They were attracted by many aspects of Chinese culture, but far from being completely "sinicized" as many scholars argue, they were also proud of their own cultural traditions and interested in other cultures as well. Setting Qing dynasty culture in historical and global perspective, Smith shows how the Chinese of the era viewed the world; how their outlook was expressed in their institutions, material culture, and customs; and how China's preoccupation with order, unity, and harmony contributed to the civilization's remarkable cohesiveness and continuity. Nuanced and wide-ranging, his authoritative book provides an essential introduction to late imperial Chinese culture and society.
PREFACE INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1: THE MING DYNASTY LEGACY The Founding of the Ming The Evolution of Ming Institutions Ming Culture CHAPTER 2: CONQUEST AND CONSOLIDATION The Fall of the Ming and the Rise of the Qing The Qing Empire: A Brief Overview CHAPTER 3: THE QING POLITICAL ORDER Imperial Rule and Metropolitan Offices Administrative Integration and Its Limits CHAPTER 4: SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC INSTITUTIONS Social Classes and Conflicts Forms of Chinese Socioeconomic Organization CHAPTER 5: LANGUAGE AND SYMBOLIC REFERENCE Languages of the Qing The Relationship between Language and Culture CHAPTER 6: THOUGHT The World of Ideas The Confucian Moral Order Daoist Flight and Fancy CHAPTER 7: RELIGION State Sacrifices Buddhism and Religious Daoism Popular Religion CHAPTER 8: ARTS AND CRAFTS Attitudes Toward Art Craft Productions Painting and Calligraphy CHAPTER 9: LITERATURE Categories of Classical Literature Vernacular Literature CHAPTER 10: SOCIAL LIFE Early Life-Cycle Ritual Marriage and Beyond Amusements CHAPTER 11: THE LATE QING AND BEYOND, 1860-2014 Reform, Revolution, and China's Inherited Culture APPENDICES Appendix A: A Note on Chinese Names Appendix B: Weights and Measures, Exchange Rates and Costs Appendix C: Regional Differences and Provincial Stereotypes Appendix D: Glossary of Some Philosophical Concepts Appendix E: Tables of Contents of Selected Editions of the Wanbao quanshu (1612, 1636, 1758 and 1828) Appendix F: Some English-Language Writings on Honglou meng (Dream of the Red Chamber) Appendix G: The Three Character Classic NOTES BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX
