Power Structures and Cultural Identities in Imperial China

The interaction between civil and military officials in imperial China is a crucial factor distinguishing Chinese civilization from other cultural traditions, but one that has not received enough attention from modern historians. Through exploring the evolution of civil and military power in China from the Tang to the Song dynasty, this book explains the formation of distinctive identities between civil and military officials in imperial China. The competition of political power is the primary factor producing tension and even hostility between the civil and military officials. To strengthen their own authority and sense of cultural superiority, Song literati stigmatized military men as immoral and ignorant. With this cultural bias, civil officials confronted military officials as potential rivals rather than colleagues, and this distrust became an unsolved dilemma for the Song government. For Scholars interested in the history of Chinese literati, military officials and political culture, this book provides a new viewpoint.