Historical Dictionary Of Medieval China

Download or read book Historical Dictionary of Medieval China written by Victor Cunrui Xiong and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2009 with total page 850 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The crucial period of Chinese history, 220-960, falls naturally into contrasting phases. The first phase, also known as that of "early medieval China," is an age of political decentralization. Following the breakup of the Han empire, China was plunged into civil war and fragmentation and stayed divided for nearly four centuries. The second phase started in 589, during the Sui dynasty, when China was once again brought under a single government. Under the Sui, the bureaucracy was revitalized, the military strengthened, and the taxation system reformed. The fall of the Sui in 618 gave way to the even stronger Tang dynasty, which represents an apogee of traditional Chinese civilization. Inheriting all the great institutions developed under the Sui, the Tang made great achievements in poetry, painting, music, and architecture. The An Lushan rebellion, which also took place during Tang rule, brought about far-reaching changes in the socioeconomic, political, and military arenas. What transpired in the second half of the Tang and the ensuing Five Dynasties provided the foundation for the next age of late imperial China. The Historical Dictionary of Medieval China fills an urgent need for a standard reference tailored to the interest of Western academics and readers. The history of medieval China is related through the book's introductory essay, maps, a table of Dynastic Periods, a bibliography, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on key people, historical geography, arts, institutions, events, and other important terms.

Download or read book Historical Dictionary of Medieval China written by and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 850 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The crucial period of Chinese history, 220-960, falls naturally into contrasting phases. The first phase, also known as that of 'early medieval China, ' is an age of political decentralization. Following the breakup of the Han empire, China was plunged into civil war and fragmentation and stayed divided for nearly four centuries. The second phase started in 589, during the Sui dynasty, when China was once again brought under a single government. Under the Sui, the bureaucracy was revitalized, the military strengthened, and the taxation system reformed. The fall of the Sui in 618 gave way to the even stronger Tang dynasty, which represents an apogee of traditional Chinese civilization. Inheriting all the great institutions developed under the Sui, the Tang made great achievements in poetry, painting, music, and architecture. The An Lushan rebellion, which also took place during Tang rule, brought about far-reaching changes in the socioeconomic, political, and military arenas. What transpired in the second half of the Tang and the ensuing Five Dynasties provided the foundation for the next age of late imperial China. The Historical Dictionary of Medieval China fills an urgent need for a standard reference tailored to the interest of Western academics and readers. The history of medieval China is related through the book's introductory essay, maps, a table of Dynastic Periods, a bibliography, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on key people, historical geography, arts, institutions, events, and other important terms.

Download or read book A Student's Dictionary of Classical and Medieval Chinese written by Paul W. Kroll and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Student's Dictionary of Classical and Medieval Chinese is the long-desired Chinese - English reference work for all those reading texts dating from the Warring States period through the Tang dynasty, and beyond. Comprising 8,000+ characters, arranged alphabetically by Pinyin, with an index by "radical" and stroke- count, and various appendices, including one with reign-eras and exact accession dates of emperors according to both Chinese and Western calendars.

Download or read book Historical Dictionary of the Chinese Environment written by Lawrence R. Sullivan and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2019-10-08 with total page 387 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The largest emitter of green-house gases since 2007 and top polluter of the increasingly stressed Pacific Ocean, the People’s Republic of China is both a major contributor to environmental degradation and a leading contender to mitigate and stabilize global environmental conditions. Reviewing the history of the PRC from the periods of central economic planning (1953-1978) followed by the single-minded pursuit of economic growth and mass consumption beginning in 1978-1979 to the adoption of a more balanced approach stressing environmental protection and restoration beginning in the 1990s, Historical Dictionary of the Chinese Environment documents both the enormous damage to the country’s natural environment and the dramatic attempts by the Chinese government and environmental non-government organizations (ENGOs) at environmental amelioration and restoration. Historical Dictionary of the Chinese Environment contains a chronology, an introduction, appendixes and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 200 cross-referenced entries on environmental degradation including air and water pollution, deforestation, desertification, and resource depletion while efforts at amelioration and restoration include river and waterway clean-ups, reforestation and desert control, restoration of fisheries, creation of national nature reserves, along with energy conservation and development of renewables such as solar and wind power. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about the Chinese Environment.

Download or read book Historical Dictionary of Mesopotamia written by Gwendolyn Leick and published by Scarecrow Press. This book was released on 2009-11-16 with total page 301 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Greek name Mesopotamia means 'land between the rivers.' The Romans used this term for an area that they controlled only briefly (between 115 and 117 A.D.): the land between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, from the south Anatolian mountains ranges to the Persian Gulf. It comprises the civilizations of Sumer and Akkad (third millennium B.C.) as well as the later Babylonian and Assyrian empires of the second and first millennium. Although the 'history' of Mesopotamia in the strict sense of the term only begins with the inscriptions of Sumerian rulers around the 27th century B.C., the foundations for Mesopotamian civilization, especially the beginnings of irrigation and the emergence of large permanent settlements, were laid much earlier, in the fifth and fourth millennium. The second edition of the Historical Dictionary of Mesopotamia defines concepts, customs, and notions peculiar to the civilization of ancient Mesopotamia, from adult adoption to ziggurats. This is accomplished through a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, appendixes, and hundreds of cross-reference dictionary entries on religion, economy, society, geography, and important kings and rulers.

Download or read book Historical Dictionary of Buddhism written by Carl Olson and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2021-07-15 with total page 419 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Moving beyond the original bodhi tree where the historical Buddha attained enlightenment, Buddhism spread throughout Asia and in more recent history has become ubiquitous in America and other Western nations as it marches into the status of a major global religion. During its history westward, it has changed, adapted to new cultures, and offered spiritual help to those looking for answers to the problems of life. Buddhism is studied in institutions of higher education, practice by many people worldwide, and its literature is translated in numerous languages. Historical Dictionary of Buddhism, Second Edition contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has more than 900 cross-referenced entries on important personalities as well as complex theological concepts, significant practices, and basic writings and texts. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Buddhism.

Download or read book Historical Dictionary of Daoism written by Ronnie L. Littlejohn and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2019-11-29 with total page 311 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Daoism is the oldest indigenous philosophic-spiritual tradition of China and one of the most ancient of the world’s spiritual structures. The name Daoism comes from the term dao, which meansa “way” or a “road” through the field or woods to one’s village. It is also means the “way” to do something, such as how a master craftsman carves wood, makes a bell, or even butchers an ox. But dao is also a nominative in the history of Daoism, referring to the energizing process that permeates and animates all of reality and moves it along. However, both text and practice in this tradition insist that dao itself cannot be described in words; itis not God in the sense of Western philosophy or religion. Daoism has no supreme being, even if there is an extensive grammar about nominally self-conscious entities and powers for which the Chinese use the word “spirit” (shen). For example, the highest powers of Daoism are variously called Taishang Laojun (the deified Laozi), the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi tianzun), the Jade Emperor (Yuhuang Shangdi), or the Perfected Warrior (Zhenwu). But these are expressions of dao in specific shen; they are not identical to Dao, except in the most unique case—when Laozi, the putative founder of Daoism and author of its major work, Daodejing, is said to be one with the dao. Historical Dictionary of Daoism contains a chronology, an introduction, appendixes, an extensive bibliography, and more than 400 cross-referenced entries related to the Chinese belief and worldview known as Daoism, including dozens of Daoist terms, names, and practices. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Daoism.