China

Description

John Keay presents a chronological, single-volume history of China that treats the country not as an isolated civilization but as a changing political and cultural world within Asia. Beginning with the early dynasties and continuing through Mao’s rule and modern economic transformation, the narrative follows the development of imperial government, bureaucracy, philosophy, and religious life. Keay ranges beyond the traditional centers of power to Yunnan, Tibet, Xinjiang, Mongolia, and Manchuria, tracing how trade, migration, invasion, and non-Chinese dynasties repeatedly reshaped borders and authority. Archaeological evidence accompanies written history, while Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, and indigenous traditions reveal competing sources of identity. The result is a broad account of continuity and upheaval across China’s long history.

Themes