The Wobbling Pivot, China since 1800
An Interpretive History
1. Edition January 2010
326 Pages, Softcover
Wiley & Sons Ltd
Short Description
This comprehensive but concise narrative of China since the eighteenth century builds its story around the delicate relationship between central government and local communities. With a nod to Ezra Pound's translation of the Chinese classic Zhongyong - The Unwobbling Pivot, the author argues that China's modern history has not wholly adhered to the ideal of the harmonious, 'unwobbling pivot,' but instead that developments can be explained through swings between centralization and decentralization. Students new to the subject will find a stimulating and original interpretation of modern Chinese history, while experienced scholars will find that underlying themes address long-standing interpretive issues.
This comprehensive but concise narrative of China since the eighteenth century builds its story around the delicate relationship between central government and local communities.
* Rejects the traditional view of China as a wholly harmonious society based on principles of stability - the Unwobbling Pivot of Ezra Pound's translation of the Chinese classic Zhongyong
* Provides an original interpretation, arguing that developments can be explained through an understanding of China's surprising swings between centralization and decentralization, between local initiative and central authoritarianism
* Serves as an introduction to the subject, while readers with a background in Chinese history will find the book offers a personal perspective and addresses long-standing interpretive issues
* Supported by a variety of timelines, maps, illustrations, and extensive notes for further reading
* Places China's history within the context of global change
List of Maps
Forward
Prelude
Timeline
Chapter 1: The Wobbling Pivot
Chapter 2: Sources of Order under the Qing Empire
Chapter 3: Sources of Disorder under the Qing Empire
Feature: Strategic Borders
Chapter 4: Qing and the World
Feature: Taiping Heroine
Chapter 5: Visionaries
Feature: Hunan Takes the Lead
Feature: Water
Chapter 6: Beiyang Ascendency
Chapter 7: Cultural Revolution
Feature: Minerals
Chapter 8: War
Feature: Manchus as Minorities
Chapter 9: The Transcendent Center
Feature: Health Risks
Chapter 10: Gravity
Bibliography
"As a textbook, The Wobbling Pivot is accessible, complete and readable, and as a synthesis of twentieth century Chinese history, it is both original and provocative, and a valuable introduction to the perennial issues that China poses in the undergraduate classroom." (The China Quarterly, 1 September 2012) "[A] lively survey ... .It sheds considerable light on contemporary Chinese dilemmas." (Shanghaiist, December 2010)