Chinese History Research Methods

Author: Qian Mu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features: Listen to Liu Xinwu decode the mysteries of "Dream of the Red Chamber"; follow "The 100 Great Lectures" to solve the mysteries of the "Twelve Emperors of the Qing Dynasty"; all included in the authoritative CCTV 10 documentaries "Archaeology China," "Mysteries of China," and "Exploration and Discovery" – don’t miss it! This book is a compilation of eight lectures given by Mr. Qian Mu in Hong Kong in 1961. It concisely discusses the essence and methods of Chinese historical research under the general themes of general history and cultural history, as well as the subtopics of political history, social history, economic history, academic history, historical figures, and historical geography. It serves as the foundation of the author’s historical insights in the following 30 years and can also be considered a brief exposition of the key principles of Chinese historical studies. The book’s main significance is divided into eight topics. First, it explains how to study general history, then how to study cultural history. In fact, cultural history is inherently a form of general history, and a general history should ideally take culture as its primary content. It is further divided into six subtopics: politics, society, economy, academia, figures, and geography. Each subtopic has its own main content, but culture serves as the common object and backbone.