Ancient China and its Enemies: The Rise of Nomadic Power in East Asian History

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Based on both archaeological and textual sources, this book also introduces a new methodological approach to Chinese frontier history, which combines extensive factual data with a careful scrutiny of the motives, methods, and general conception of history that informed the Chinese historian Ssu-ma Ch'ien.

Nicola Di Cosmo has a remarkable grasp of all aspects of the northern border world in the first millennium B. Written in a remarkably orderly and lucid way, Ancient China and Its Enemies is readily accessible not only to a specialist Chinese historian, but to any scholar interested in the relationships between the Chinese state and its northern neighbors in later times.

This is a fine book, from which I have learned a great deal, and which has made me question some of my own ideas. In Ancient China and Its Enemies, Nicola Di Cosmo provides a magisterial survey of the rise of the lesser known of these two powers, the nomadic Hsiung-nu. This book is invaluable not only for understanding the relations between ancient China and its major enemy, but also for understanding either of the powers individually.

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Di Cosmo's scholarship is firs-rate, and his mastery of a dizzying array of sources in Chinese and a number of European languages is impressive. Particularly valuable is the extensive use of Chinese-language archaeological reports, and the map on pp. Journal of Social Anthropology. Bronze, iron and gold: Those who draw the bow: From peace to war: China's shift from appeasement to military engagement Part IV: In search of grass and water: This title is available for institutional purchase via Cambridge Core Cambridge Core offers access to academic eBooks from our world-renowned publishing programme.

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Sep 02, Jessica Zu rated it it was amazing Shelves: In this monograph, Di Cosmo successfully incorporates archaeological sources into the historical studies of ancient China, a methodology that takes the historical studies out of the tradition of mere textual analysis by thoroughly examining available material sources to establish plausible contexts in which a set of historical texts can be meaningful read and vice versa.

The outcome of this innovative combination of material history with traditional historical endeavor is the deconstruction of o In this monograph, Di Cosmo successfully incorporates archaeological sources into the historical studies of ancient China, a methodology that takes the historical studies out of the tradition of mere textual analysis by thoroughly examining available material sources to establish plausible contexts in which a set of historical texts can be meaningful read and vice versa.

The outcome of this innovative combination of material history with traditional historical endeavor is the deconstruction of our concept of a stable Northern frontier in early China and a Chinese-centric concept of a clear boundary between the moral Chinese in the center and the nomadic barbarians in the periphery.

Another innovative feature of the book is its organization. Instead of giving a master narrative of one frontier, by organizing his writings into four different but interconnected themes, Di Cosmo tries to alert us that there were multiple frontiers whose formations and evolutions were sufficiently complex processes that merit independent study. Chapter 1 and 2 are purely historical studies of material cultures of Eurasian Steppe and the frontier of northern China. By close scrutiny of various archaeological excavations, Di Cosmo reveals to us picture of great diversity, unevenness, and complexity in the cultures emerged in these regions from 5th-4th millennium B.

In fact, the diversities among the northern barbarians themselves were probably more pronounced then the difference between the Chinese and the barbarians at that time. Neither was it possible to find a stable frontier until the formation of the Xiongnu empire in B. More importantly, the rise of nomadism was by no means a linear development and the concept of a pure nomadic culture before the Warring States era was not a useful one in describing northern peoples.

However, based on the abundance of weapons, ritual usages of horses, and animal style handicrafts found in burial grounds dated from 7th or 6th B.

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Archaeological findings in 5th — 4th century B. Chapter 3 and 4 are combinatory studies of textual and material evidence to grasp the Chinese perceptions of the northern frontiers. Here, we find the pronounced dichotomous rhetoric of a community bound by high moral values of and one without such moral concerns, a rhetoric in response to a new kind of relations with the northern peoples characterized by frequent warfare and shifting diplomatic strategies during Shang and Western Zhou era p.

Starting from the Eastern Zhou period, we find more regular and formalized political relations that aimed at incorporating non-Zhou people.

This process of expansion and cultural assimilation, while successfully absorbed farmers, shepherds, and mountaineers in the northern borders, also brought northern Chinese states like Qi, Jin, and Qin in direct contact with the nomads. Such contact with the steppe warriors spurred the northern Chinese states to employ a new form of military strategy—wall-building.

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In Chapter 7 and 8, Di Cosmo engages with the questions such as why and how did Sima Qian write a monograph on Xiongnu. Jul 20, JT rated it it was amazing. Cosmo's book is recommended to anybody interested in the subject, but it must be read in context. As the author himself admits frequently, a lot of information on what Cosmo refers to as "Inner Asia" takes the form of theories.

These theories, sometimes lacking large amounts of textual and archaeological backing, are not always perfect or fully developed.

As more archaeological work is done, many may become obsolete with time. Nonetheless, this is an interesting and insightful book to read. Cosm Cosmo's book is recommended to anybody interested in the subject, but it must be read in context. Cosmo's own theories challenge some of the more conventional ones. The book in this sense is somewhat enlightening, at least provided that the reader recognizes that new findings may further change the way we look at the frontier to the North of China.

Jun 23, Patricia rated it really liked it Recommends it for: An intense and in-depth look at the Xiongnu of ancient China focusing on the Ch'in and Han Dynasties. A bit long-winded but important reading for those seeking a stronger understanding of the steppe tribe that caused the first Emperor Ch'in Shih Huangdi's reaction to their rise the building of the Great Wall of China , the Emperor Wudi's desire to find allies that resulted in his sending of Zhang Qian to Ferghana , and Sima Qian's eloquent coverage of their appearance in Chinese history.

Sep 15, Lance Johnson rated it it was amazing. This book was both an enjoyable and informative read. The work is focused primarily on the interactions between China and the nomadic steppe peoples from the the Warring States Period through the Qin and Han dynasties. The author does a good job of utilizing primary source evidence both literary and archaeological.

The only thing I d This book was both an enjoyable and informative read. The only thing I did not like about the book which can hardly be held against the book is that it uses the Wade-Giles transliteration system rather than the Pinyin system.

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