Date: Thu, 8 Apr 1999 19:55:18 -0700
Sender: H-Net list for Asian History and Culture <H-ASIA@H-NET.MSU.EDU>
From: Marilyn Levine, Lewis-Clark State College
<mlevine@lcsc.edu>
Subject: H-Asia: Query on Geography and Qin History
To: H-ASIA@H-NET.MSU.EDU
Date: Thu, 8 Apr 1999 19:55:18 -0700
From: FALCONX02@aol.com
Ed. Note: The following is an interesting question asked by a young student, who is researching the ideas of Toynbee and others to understand patterns of Chinese history. In particular, if anyone wants to suggest some useful sources, he would be very appreciative. MAL
I have two questions about Qin Dynasty 221 BC:
How important a role did the forces of circumstance (e.g. geography) play in the formation and accomplishments of that society?
What was the greatest challenge faced by that society and how successfully did it meet this challenge?
Sincerely,
Michael Chu
Falconx02@aol.com
Fax: 718 886-7569
Date: Wed, 21 Apr 1999 16:24:29 -0400
From: Huang Jianli <hishjl@leonis.nus.edu.sg>
In response to the query on geography and Qin History, a good
starting point is the 80-odd page article by Derk Bodde on The State and
Empire of Ch'in
in The Cambridge History of China: Volume One (Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 1986). Page 46 in particular discusses the
influence of geography on the early conquests and triumph of Qin.
Huang Jianli
Department of History
National University of Singapore
Date: Tue, 11 May 1999 18:54:54 -0500
From: yifan@earthlink.net
To Whom It May Concern:
I am a research student at Bronx Science, engaged in a semester-long research project which examines, in part, the hypotheses of T. H. Von Laue and Arnold Toynbee with regard to the dynamics of history. More specifically, I am looking at the Qin Dynasty between 481 and 249 BC and asking the following general questions:
How important a role did the forces of circumstance (e.g. geography) play in the formation and accomplishments of that society?
What, in your opinion, was greatest challenge faced by that society and how successfully did it meet this challenge?
In the course of my research I have consulted World Book and The Emperors of China. I have also written to Professor Yue of Peking University and to Professor Zhu in Fudan University.
Your opinion on these and related questions would be greatly valued. In addition to your comments, the receipt of the titles of any written materials which you feel I should reference are welcomed as are the addresses of any on-line resources which you find particularly useful.
Finally, would you know of any other experts in your field with a particular interest in my research topic? Their names and affiliations would be of great assistance.
My research efforts culminate in mid-May. Any help or advice which you would be willing to share with me would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Respectfully,
Yifan Ding
334 10th Street
Brooklyn, New York 11215
yifan@earthlink.net
Date: Wed, 12 May 1999 12:55:03 -0700
From: Guobin Yang <gy202@is6.nyu.edu>
Regarding the second of these two extremely fascinating questions (I have no inkling of an answer to the first one), I would say that the greatest challenge faced by the individual states in the Warring States period was survival. The one that survived and thus emerged in the form of the first empire, Qin, met this challenge through the concentration and consolidation of state power in all the important realms of social, political and economic life.
An oldish but useful little book on that period is R. L. Walker's _The Multi-State System of Ancient China_ (1958). Cho-yun Hsu's _Ancient China in Transition_ (1965) contains summary statistics of the frequency of warfare during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. The statistics is based on _Zuo Zhuan_ and _Shi Ji_.
Sincerely,
Guobin Yang
Department of Sociology
New York University
269 Mercer Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10003
http://pages.nyu.edu/~gy202
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