With this column, we’re turning back the clock a few thousand years to look at ancient China. Our three selections for today rely on the two major avenues for information about civilizations of long, long ago: archaeological discoveries and written records.
History is anything but static. While we obviously can’t go back and change what’s happened, our understanding of past events constantly evolves as new information comes to light. Evidence acquired from either archaeological discoveries or written records is, of course, open to various interpretations and can be frustratingly incomplete. Written records are especially prone to being subjective, based on the scribe’s perspectives and personal beliefs and experiences. There can also be intentional manipulation of the records – what was included, what was left out initially or what was later censored can heavily influence what trickles down to us centuries or millennia later. The first book below is an excellent example of how a straightforward telling of history is not always available; sometimes it has to be pieced together bit by bit from what little is left.
“Life is short, but fame is everlasting!”
The Secret History of the Mongol Queens: How the Daughters of Genghis Khan Rescued His Empire
By Jack Weatherford
The Mongols, under Genghis Khan and his descendants, were a significant factor in Chinese history over more than three centuries during the Southern Song, Yuan, and Ming Dynasties. In the early years of the 13th century, Genghis Khan ruled an impressive and extensive empire that stretched at its height from Japan to Poland and Hungary. Crucially, he controlled the famed Silk Route, which connected China, India, and the Mediterranean and served as a conduit for luxurious commodities, information and skilled workers. His policy of “benign treatment” toward those who did not resist his conquering armies coupled with vicious brutality toward those who fought against them motivated many neighboring tribes to enter the fold of the Mongol Empire voluntarily. Genghis Khan displayed a generous tolerance of other cultures and religions and forbade the common tribal practices of selling or bartering women. He carefully balanced the areas under his control by giving four of his wives, four sons, and four daughters each an ordo, or territory, to rule under his ultimate authority.
After Genghis Khan’s death in 1227, his empire began to tear apart under the weight of so many competing interests. Some of his successors, ignoring Genghis Khan’s strict code of laws, committed horrible acts of atrocity against their own people and even family members in an attempt to gain power or advantage. Eventually deteriorating into political chaos, the Mongol Empire was rejuvenated in the mid-1400s by a remarkable woman later given the title of Queen Manduhai the Wise.
Manduhai married Manduul, the Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, in 1464 after the Mongols had been expelled from China. When Manduul died without an heir, Manduhai saw her opportunity to gain control of the empire and her own destiny. She located the final surviving direct descendant of Genghis Khan, nursed the neglected boy back to health and installed him as the new Great Khan. Together they led the Empire for almost 40 years, consolidating power, strengthening their centralized rule, putting down rebellions, and raiding into China. Manduhai refused to live a life of comfort and ease. She personally led her armies into battle over and over again, demonstrating courage, a keen mind for strategy and a dedication to her country and people.
The Secret History of the Mongol Queens sheds light on an influential but lesser-known aspect of Asian history and introduces the reader to some amazing characters, worth getting to know.
* Note: In retelling the history of the Mongol Empire, Mr. Weatherford mentions several brutal acts committed by various khans. While his descriptions are not gratuitous, some readers may still find them upsetting.
“One of the true wonders of the ancient world”
The Emperor’s Silent Army: Terracotta Warriors of Ancient China
By Jane O’Connor
More than 2,200 years ago, the king of Qin conquered a huge area comprised of seven separate kingdoms, “eat[ing] up his neighbors like a silkworm devouring a leaf.” Never one for humble self-effacement, he changed his name after unifying this vast swath of Asia to Qin Shihuang, which means “first emperor, God in Heaven, and Almighty of the Universe.” The first emperor built four thousand miles of roads to connect his empire, he standardized the written language, currency, and weights and measures, and he started building part of the Great Wall. Qin (pronounced “Chin”) even left a mark that lives on today in the modern name of the country.
Qin Shihuang may have been the most powerful monarch on earth at the time, but he was terrified of one thing: death. He sent expeditions to far away islands chasing after mythical elixirs that would grant eternal life. They came back empty-handed. He ate powdered jade and drank mercury in the hope that they would stave off death and old age. That backfired. At age 13, he started construction on a magnificent tomb that would contain every possible comfort for him in the afterlife, should the unthinkable happen. It was so large and opulent that when he died more than thirty years later, it was still not complete.
Ms. O’Connor’s book provides this historical background on Qin, but focuses on the most awe-inspiring discovery in Qin’s tomb: the terracotta warriors. More than seven thousand life-size solders (and almost 500 horses!) made out of clay stand in formation facing east, ready to defend their emperor against all enemies. Each one was created by hand with unique facial features and hairstyles, and uniforms that indicate their rank and job duties. Some hold crossbows; some have spears. Wide-angle photographs hint at the enormous scope of the army and extreme close-ups show the minute details. The Emperor’s Silent Army is engaging for both children and adults as a window on one of the “most incredible archaeological discoveries of modern times.”
“An unfinished story still in the process of being revealed”
Chronicle of the Chinese Emperors
By Ann Paludan
I picked up Chronicle of the Chinese Emperors to fill in the gaping holes in my understanding of ancient China. I expected a somewhat dry succession of biographical sketches, but found myself staying up late to read about just one more emperor, one more political intrigue, one more military campaign. Ms. Paludan’s volume covers 2100 years in just over 200 pages – a truly remarkable feat! All the more remarkable is the enthusiasm that exudes from every page and the clarity with which so much information is disseminated. The text is well-written and frequently flows more like a story than a reference book. The illustrations are numerous, colorful and varied. Sidebars provide additional detail on every possible topic from porcelain to paper, and The Forbidden City to footbinding. Timelines and chronological lists of the emperors in each dynasty help the reader keep track of where in history each ruler falls and the concurrent events which defined or limited his (or, in one case, her) reign.
I especially enjoyed learning how the threads of various foreign cultures, religions and philosophies were woven into Chinese culture and how that culture in turn spread widely, sinicizing almost all of the surrounding kingdoms.
For example, Buddhism from India was frequently mingled with Daoist and Confucian philosophies indigenous to China in political application and Muslim, Jewish, and Christian influences were felt as well. The Silk Route allowed beliefs, information, and innovations to be shared among dozens of civilizations that were thousands of miles apart.
Covering so much in so few pages inevitably leads to some truncation. There are tantalizing snippets of information that hint at larger stories, like the offhand mention that the Yellow River changed course twice in six years in during Wang Mang’s rule (AD 9-23) or that the Mongol emperor Khubilai Khan (1279-1294) employed Venetians (including Marco Polo), Persians and Muslims in his court. Fascinating characters like Wu Zetian, the only female emperor of China, and Xuanzong, the “Brilliant Emperor” whose love for the concubine Yang Guifei inspired hundreds of poems and ballads, receive all-too-brief profiles. More recent events like the Opium War and the Boxer Rebellion are given more space in the lead-up to the collapse of the imperial system. Chronicle of the Chinese Emperors provides a captivating overview of China’s “Sons of Heaven.”
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On My Bedside Table…
Just finished: Homeschooling Methods:Seasoned Advice on Learning Styles edited by Paul & Gena Suarez
Still working on: American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us by Robert D. Putnam and David E. Campbell
Next up: The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee
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Next column we’re on to a new topic: modern medicine and the human body. Come find me on goodreads.com or email suggestions, comments, and feedback to egeddesbooks (at) gmail (dot) com.