The Origins of the Jurchen Rebellion The early 12th century marked a pivotal moment in East Asian history as the […]
The Scholar on the Throne: Emperor Huizong’s Contradictions Northern Song Emperor Huizong (r. 1100–1125) remains one of history’s most fascinating […]
A Divided Court: The Political Landscape of Huizong’s Ascension Emperor Huizong of the Northern Song Dynasty ascended the throne in […]
A Dynasty in Crisis: The Death of Emperor Zhezong In the winter of 1100 CE, the Northern Song Dynasty faced […]
The Rise of Wang Anshi and the Birth of the New Policies In the mid-11th century, the Song Dynasty faced […]
A Young Emperor’s Ambitious Inheritance When the 19-year-old Emperor Shenzong ascended the throne in 1067, he inherited a Song Dynasty […]
The Controversial Strategy of Buying Peace The Song Dynasty (960–1279 CE) adopted a pragmatic yet contentious approach to maintaining stability […]
The Weight of a Calendar: “Feng Zhengshuo” and Imperial Submission In traditional East Asian diplomacy, the phrase “feng zhengshuo” (奉正朔) […]
The Tangled Roots of Conflict The early 11th century witnessed a fragile equilibrium in East Asia, where three major powers—Song […]
The Fractured Legacy of the Five Dynasties The founding emperors of the Song dynasty, Taizu (r. 960–976) and Taizong (r. […]
The Origins of the Khitan and the Foundations of a Dynasty The Khitan people, a nomadic tribe of eastern Mongolia, […]
The Shattered Remnant of a Dynasty In the chaotic aftermath of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, the Northern […]
The Fragmented Landscape of the Ten Kingdoms The Song Dynasty’s rise to power under Emperor Taizu (Zhao Kuangyin) was marked […]
A Kingdom in the Shadow of Giants The year was 961 CE when Li Yu ascended the throne of Southern […]
From Military Commander to Dynasty Founder Zhao Kuangyin, posthumously known as Emperor Taizu of Song, rose to power in 960 […]
The Fragile Throne of Later Zhou In the winter of 960 CE, the Later Zhou capital of Kaifeng buzzed with […]
A Man of Many Masters: Feng Dao’s Unprecedented Career Few figures in Chinese history provoke as much debate as Feng […]
The Fragmented Landscape of Post-Tang China The collapse of the Tang Dynasty in 907 CE marked the beginning of a […]
The Fractured Empire: Late Tang Political Chaos The late Tang Dynasty (618–907) was a period of accelerating decline, marked by […]
The Tang Dynasty’s Precarious Decline By the late 9th century, the once-mighty Tang Dynasty was a shadow of its former […]
The Fracturing of Imperial Power The late Tang Dynasty (618–907) was a period of rapid decentralization, where regional military governors […]
The Tang Dynasty in Crisis By the late 9th century, the Tang Dynasty—once a golden age of Chinese civilization—was in […]
