This book is a two-volume set that discusses the names of China, including the country's official titles throughout history, domestic self-names, and foreign names in ancient and modern times.
Using interdisciplinary approaches from fields such as history, geography, ethnic studies, linguistics, psychology and toponymy, this two-volume set examines the origin and evolution of China's names throughout its more than 4,000-year history. The first volume examines the official names of the country given by the rulers or the government, including the names of the imperial dynasties, from the earliest Xia to the last Qing, and the title of the Republic of China, which symbolises a new era in national naming. The second volume explores the complex reasons for the emergence and evolution of self-names that were used domestically regardless of political regime change, such as Zhongguo, Zhonghua, Jiuzhou and Sihai. It also discusses the origin, development, use and popularity of foreign names for China, such as China, Serice, Taugas, Cathay and those associated with Han, Tang, the dragon and the lion.
This book will appeal to both academic and general readers interested in Chinese history, Chinese historical geography and Chinese toponymy.
Volume I 1. Introduction: Titles of the Reigning Dynasties since Ancient Times 2. Xia: “Residing High and Drinking Dew” 3. Shang: “The Heavenly Commissioned Dark Bird Descends and Gives Birth to Shang” 4. Zhou: Emphasizing Agriculture 5. Qin: The Cattail (Forage Grass) for Raising Horses 6. Han: “The Name ‘Tianhan’ (Milky Way) is Magnificent” 7. Xin: “Complying with the Heavenly Mandate” 8. Wei, Han and Wu: The Three Divisions of the Country 9. Jin: The “Well-known Ambition” of Sima Zhao 10. The Sixteen Kingdoms and the Southern and Northern Dynasties: Turmoil, Rise and Fall 11. Sui: Auspicious or Ominous? 12. Tang: Emperor Shen Yao's Aspirations and Self-Assessment 13. Zhou: The “Ancient Ancestor Ji Zhou” of the “Empress of the Holy Mother” 14. Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms: Inheritance and Division 15. Song: Moments of Serendipity 16. The Great Yuan: How Grand is the Primal Beginning of Creativity 17. The Great Ming: "In the Radiant Light of the Buddhas" 18. The Great Qing: Turning the Tide 19. The Republic of China: A New Era of the National Titles Volume II Part I The Names of China since Ancient Times 1. China: A Country between Heaven and Earth 2. Zhuxia and Huaxia: Cultural Inheritance and Manifestation of the Xia Dynasty 3. Zhonghua: The Harmony of Heaven, Earth and Humans 4. Yuji and Jiuzhou: “the ‘Genesis’ of China” 5. Sihai, Hainei and Tianxia: How Vast is the Earth? Part II The Names of China in Foreign Languages 6. China: Some Misinterpretations in Translations 7. Serice: The Mysterious Land of Silk 8. Taugas: Proof of the Multi-ethnic Country 9. Cathay: Reaffirmation of the Multi-ethnic Country 10. The Characteristics of Han and Tang and Other Names 11. The Dragon and the Lion: Traditional Culture and Modern History 12. Conclusion: Interpreting the Names of China for My Country
Biography
HU A-Xiang is Professor and Ph.D. supervisor at the School of History, Nanjing University, China. His primary research interests lie in Chinese history, Chinese historical geography, and Chinese toponymy.
