Tang China in multi-polar Asia [electronic resource] : a history of diplomacy and war / Wang Zhenping.
Wang, Zhenping, author.
2013
DS749.35 .W425 2013eb
Available Online

Linked e-resources

Linked Resource Online Access

Details

Title Tang China in multi-polar Asia [electronic resource] : a history of diplomacy and war / Wang Zhenping.
Author Wang, Zhenping, author.
ISBN 9780824837884 electronic book
0824837886 electronic book
9780824836443 hardcover
Publication Details Honolulu University of Hawaii Press 2013.
Language English
Description 1 online resource (xiv, 462 pages) : illustrations
Call Number DS749.35 .W425 2013eb
Dewey Decimal Classification 951/.017
Summary "Using a synthetic narrative approach, this ambitious work uses the lens of multipolarity to analyze Tang China's (618-907) relations with Turkestan; the Korean states of Koguryŏ, Silla, and Paekche; the state of Parhae in Manchuria; and the Nanzhao and Tibetan kingdoms. Without any one entity able to dominate Asia's geopolitical landscape, the author argues that relations among these countries were quite fluid and dynamic--an interpretation that departs markedly from the prevalent view of China fixed at the center of a widespread "tribute system." To cope with external affairs in a tumultuous world, Tang China employed a dual management system that allowed both central and local officials to conduct foreign affairs. The court authorized Tang local administrators to receive foreign visitors, forward their diplomatic letters to the capital, and manage contact with outsiders whose territories bordered on China. Not limited to handling routine matters, local officials used their knowledge of border situations to influence the court's foreign policy. Some even took the liberty of acting without the court's authorization when an emergency occurred, thus adding another layer to multipolarity in the region's geopolitics. The book also sheds new light on the ideological foundation of Tang China's foreign policy. Appropriateness, efficacy, expedience, and mutual self-interest guided the court's actions abroad. Although officials often used "virtue" and "righteousness" in policy discussions and announcements, these terms were not abstract universal principles but justifications for the pursuit of self-interest by those involved. Detailed philological studies reveal that in the realm of international politics, "virtue" and "righteousness" were in fact viewed as pragmatic and utilitarian in nature." -- Publisher's description.
Bibliography, etc. Note Includes bibliographical references and index.
Access Note Access limited to authorized users.
Source of Description Description based on print version record.
Linked Resources Online Access
Record Appears in Online Resources > Ebooks
All Resources
Dancing with the horse riders: The Tang, the Turks, and the Uighurs
Restoring lost glory in Korea: China, Koguryŏ, Silla, Paekche, and Parhae
Rearing a tiger in the backyard: China and the Nanzhao Kingdom
Contesting the western regions and the high grasslands: China and Tibet
Driving a wagon with two horses: dual management of external relations under the Tang
Seeking policy appropriate to a changing world: diplomatic and foreign policy.

Browse Subjects

Show more subjects...

Statistics

from
to
Export