The Nirvana of the Great Empire: Fragments of Chinese Farmers' Uprisings and Dynastic Successions Throughout History

Author: Jiang Shangwei (Xu Xu)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-13
Features: A heavy rain ignited the beacon fires that marked the downfall of the Qin Dynasty; a failed reform echoed the dirge of the late Western Han Dynasty; a jade seal found in a field witnessed the court struggles, and the Rebellion of the Seven States. Throughout China's two thousand years of imperial history, every overture to a new dynasty was born from peasant uprisings. Those unforeseen accidents always sway the fate of the empire in unexpected ways. Thus, the bookish Wang Mang became emperor, the peasant Liu Xiu became emperor, and even the cowherd Liu Pan became emperor. In the unseen realm, what unpredictable force determines the course of history? In the distant past, how many stories of bitter sighs and hearty laughter have there been? China's two thousand years of imperial history is a history of wars, a history of heroes, but more so, it is a history of the intermingling and permeation of various ethnic groups and the renewal of civilizations across this vast land. The majesty of the great empire could not suppress the cry, "Are kings and ministers born of noble blood?" The "Son of Heaven" was merely a common occurrence for those who possessed military might. The heroes who rose up with raised arms fought for supremacy across the land; the dynasties that buried past empires rose in power with great vigor but fell swiftly. In the unseen realm, what unpredictable force determines the course of history? In the distant past, how many stories of bitter sighs and hearty laughter have there been?