Bing: From Farmer's Son to Magistrate in Han China
eBook - ePub

Bing: From Farmer's Son to Magistrate in Han China

  1. 219 pages
  2. English
  3. ePUB (mobile friendly)
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub

Bing: From Farmer's Son to Magistrate in Han China

About this book

Much is known of life during the Han Empire, but the historical evidence remains fragmentary, and nowhere do we find a continuous account of the life of any one individual.

In this engaging volume, Michael Loewe mines the written and material records to depict the imagined life of an ordinary person, Bing Wu, from the hardships of his earliest years on a rural farm to his retirement from a respected position in government service. Underlying the tale of Bing is a richly detailed portrait of life during the Han--the arduous tasks of the conscript laborer; military service on the defense lines of the north; the travels of a merchant; the grueling conditions in an iron foundry; the construction of tombs; preparations for entering the civil service; the duties of a junior clerk and the governing of a commandery. Along the way, we are introduced to the operation of a crossbow; methods of telling time; the practice of writing; the rituals of divination; the ceremony of a state occasion, laws and the harsh consequences of breaking them; the workings of the central government and much more.

Included are a concise introduction, explanatory endnotes to each chapter, a selection of illustrations, a map of the Han Empire, notes for further reading and an essay by Loewe entitled, "A Brief History of the Han Empire."

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Yes, you can access Bing: From Farmer's Son to Magistrate in Han China by Michael Loewe in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in History & Chinese History. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Information

Table of contents

  1. Cover Page
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Dedication
  5. Contents
  6. Prefatory Note
  7. Map
  8. Introduction
  9. Chapter One: On the farm
  10. Chapter Two: Conscript laborer and soldier
  11. Chapter Three: At the pass
  12. Chapter Four: In a nobleman’s mansion
  13. Chapter Five: On the road
  14. Chapter Six: A state occasion
  15. Chapter Seven: In Chang’an and Luoyang
  16. Chapter Eight: Pupil and junior clerk
  17. Chapter Nine: Assistant to the Imperial Counselor
  18. Chapter Ten: At work in the central government
  19. Chapter Eleven: Appointed magistrate
  20. Chapter Twelve: The governor and his residence
  21. Chapter Thirteen: The magistrate at work
  22. Chapter Fourteen: Country tasks
  23. Chapter Fifteen: Enforcement of the laws
  24. Chapter Sixteen: Final years
  25. Appendix: A Brief History of the Han Empire
  26. Notes for Futher Reading
  27. Back Cover