Kingship in Early Medieval China

292 Pages·2008·2.444 MB·English

by  Andrew Eisenberg

Kingship in Early Medieval China
Sinica Leidensia
Edited by
Barend J. ter Haar
In co-operation with
P.K. Bol, D.R. Knechtges, E.S. Rawski, W.L. Idema,
E. Zürcher, H.T. Zurndorfer
VOLUME 83
Kingship in Early
Medieval China
By
Andrew Eisenberg
LEIDEN • BOSTON
2008
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Eisenberg, Andrew.
Kingship in early medieval China / by Andrew Eisenberg.
p. cm. — (Sinica leidensia)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-90-04-16381-2 (hardback : alk. paper) 1. Monarchy—China—History.
2. China—Politics and government—221 B.C.–960 A.D. I. Title. II. Series.
JQ1511.E38 2008
320.95109'02—dc22
2007050999
ISSN 0169-9563
ISBN 978 90 04 16381 2
Copyright 2008 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Koninklijke Brill NV incorporates the imprints Brill, Hotei Publishing,
IDC Publishers, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers and VSP.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated,
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printed in the netherlands
This book is dedicated to the memory of Professor Jack L. Dull,
University of Washington, Seattle

CONTENTS
Diagrams and Tables .......................................................................... ix
Acknowledgements ............................................................................ xi
Chapter One Introduction: Interpretive Perspective ................. 1
Chapter Two Retired Emperorship: The Northern Wei
Innovation ....................................................................................... 23
Chapter Three The Northern Wei Case Concluded: The
Regency of the Empress Dowager Wenming, 476–490 ............ 61
Chapter Four The Collapse of the Northern Qi .......................... 93
Chapter Five The Northern Zhou Case ....................................... 127
Chapter Six The Xuanwu Men Incident of the Tang: Imperial
Retirement Enters the Mainstream ............................................. 167
Chapter Seven The Xuanwu Men Legacy: Taizong’s
Factionalization of the Position of Heir Apparent ..................... 195
Chapter Eight The Pervasive Factionalization of Taizong’s
Court ............................................................................................... 213
Chapter Nine Taizong—An Emperor on the Run ...................... 239
Chapter Ten Conclusion ................................................................ 253
Bibliography ........................................................................................ 261
Index .................................................................................................... 271

DIAGRAMS AND TABLES
Diagram I: Sketch of the Northern Wei Succession ............ 30
Diagram II: Ego’s Politically Relevant Descent Group From
the Chinese Perspective ...................................... 34
Table I: Agnates and Coup Efforts in the Northern
Wei ......................................................................... 37
Table II: Relative Share of Coup Attempts by Agnatic
Categories 386–516 .............................................. 38
Table III: Survival Rates of Selected Imperial Agnates .... 42
Table IV: Relative Share of Coup Attempts by Agnatic
Categories in the Liu Song Regime .................... 48–49
Diagram III: Comparative Succession Patterns of
Contemporary South Chinese Regimes ............ 56
Diagram IV: Sketch of the Northern Qi Succession ............... 108
Table V: Agnates and Coup Efforts in the
Northern Qi .......................................................... 111
Table VI: Agnates and Coup Efforts in the Northern
Zhou ....................................................................... 164
Diagram V: Northern Zhou Imperial Succession ................. 165
Table VII: Tang Administrative Personnel, 623–629 ......... 183
Table VIII: Tang Administrative Personnel, 627–649 ......... 215