Ancient Chinese History

Author: Wang Yuzhe
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-04-01
Features: The Prehistoric History of China is a "periodized history" covering the period from China's primitive society to the end of the Western Zhou Dynasty. A "periodized history" differs from a general "comprehensive history" that aims solely at imparting historical knowledge. Instead, it is written according to the new principles of "periodized history" demanded by people today. This book begins with the curtain raiser of Chinese history—the Peking Man—and extends to the end of the Western Zhou Dynasty, elaborating in detail the evolution and development of China's prehistoric history from prehistoric civilization through primitive society to slave society and then to the feudal society. It is a significant life's work of Professor Wang Yuzhe, a renowned expert on ancient Chinese history, now in his nineties. From the curtain raiser of Chinese history—the Peking Man—to the end of the Western Zhou Dynasty, it thoroughly discusses the evolution and development of China's prehistoric history from prehistoric civilization through primitive society to slave society and then to the feudal society, offering particularly insightful perspectives on issues such as the origins, territorial affiliations, genealogies, patriarchal systems, inheritance systems, forms of governance, socio-economics, and social characteristics of the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties.