published_or_final_version / Chinese Historical Studies / Master / Master of Arts

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Chinese Historical Studies / Master / Master of Arts

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Chinese Historical Studies / Master / Master of Arts

This thesis provides an institutional study of three elements of the systems of military logistics in the Song dynasty (960--1278 A.D.): the procurement of horses, the military agricultural colonies, and the imperial ordnance industry. While one of the main objectives of this thesis is to throw light on the importance of the logistical efforts of the Song army, this thesis also attempts to reveal the connections between the military establishment and the political and socio-economic realities of the Song period. On the basis of an examination of the effects of commercialization on Songs logistical agencies as well as these agencies' political relations with civil officials, this thesis argues that the civil officials' attempts at maintaining political dominance over the military establishment as well as certain effects of commercialization of the Song economy were the two most prominent factors that undermined the operation of the Songs military logistical systems.

No description available.

published_or_final_version / Chinese / Master / Master of Philosophy

No description available.

Even though there has been no lack of scholarly attention to Chinese epistolary texts as a source of information, discussions of the functions and practices of letter writing in imperial China are very limited. This thesis deals with how elites in Song dynasty (960-1279) China exchanged personal and political information by writing and sending letters to each other, and how the genre of letters functioned in its various forms throughout the socially transformative and culturally active period. Through contextualizing epistolary material - such as letters in manuscript and print form, letter collections, and epistolary manuals, as well as sources in other genres that describe letter writing practices - I explore the multifaceted uses of letter writing for literati officials. The study provides a systematic view of the functions of Song letter writing in political, social, and cultural realms by investigating its complex practices. Using letters in several sub-genres by important literati figures such as Mi Fu, Li Gang, and Sun Di, it illustrates the main aspects of letter writing, including format, rhetoric, topical content, and handwriting. In view of the roles played by letters exchanged among Song scholars, this research on literati correspondence provides a window on how interpersonal relationships were conducted by written exchanges during that period. It also sheds light on how epistolary culture was transformed by the literati community during one of the key periods of Chinese civilization. These insights will contribute to the research of Chinese literati culture and related fields, such as the social history of middle period China, and will also be useful for comparing China's epistolary culture with the world's other letter writing traditions.

No description available.