Structures of Governance in Song Dynasty China, 960–1279 CE

Charles Hartman presents a groundbreaking revisionist history of the political culture of Imperial China as dominated by a struggle between 'technocratic' and 'Confucian' views of governance. His analysis of the workings of Song governance both complements and extends his acclaimed previous work The Making of Song Dynasty History (2020).

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Charles Hartman presents an ambitious analysis of the workings of governance in Imperial China centered on the Song Dynasty (960–1279). Here he develops a new model for thinking about the deeper structures of governance in Song and pre-imperial China – the 'technocratic–Confucian continuum' – which challenges the prevailing perception of Confucian political dominance and offers a vehicle for expanding the definition and scope of Song political culture to embrace all its actors. Building on his acclaimed work The Making of Song Dynasty History: Sources and Narratives, 960–1279 CE (2021), this richly detailed exploration of the Song court is of significance beyond the immediate period of study both in rethinking the nature of monarchy in China and in examining the constructive possibility of political dissent.