TY - BOOK AB - This clear and engaging book provides a concise overview of the Ming-Qing epoch (1368-1912). China's last imperial age. Beginning with the end of the Mongol domination of China in 1368, this five-century period was remarkable for its continuity and stability until its downfall in the Revolution of 1911. Viewing the Ming and Qing dynasties as a coherent era characterized by the fruition of diverse developments from earliest times, Jonathan Porter traces the growth of imperial autocracy, the role of the educated Confucian elite as custodians of cultural authority, the significance of ritual as the grounding of political and social order, the tension between monarchy and bureaucracy in political discourse, the evolution of Chinese cultural identity, and the perception of the "barbarian" and other views of the world beyond China. -- Back cover. AU - Porter, Jonathan, CN - DS754 CN - DS754 ID - 858424 N2 - This clear and engaging book provides a concise overview of the Ming-Qing epoch (1368-1912). China's last imperial age. Beginning with the end of the Mongol domination of China in 1368, this five-century period was remarkable for its continuity and stability until its downfall in the Revolution of 1911. Viewing the Ming and Qing dynasties as a coherent era characterized by the fruition of diverse developments from earliest times, Jonathan Porter traces the growth of imperial autocracy, the role of the educated Confucian elite as custodians of cultural authority, the significance of ritual as the grounding of political and social order, the tension between monarchy and bureaucracy in political discourse, the evolution of Chinese cultural identity, and the perception of the "barbarian" and other views of the world beyond China. -- Back cover. SN - 9781442222922 SN - 1442222921 SN - 9781442222915 SN - 1442222913 T1 - Imperial China, 1350-1900 / TI - Imperial China, 1350-1900 / ER -