The main theme of this book is the interaction between two “places,” China and Guanzhong, the capital area of several dynasties. It addresses such questions as What do we mean by “local”? Did the inhabitants of a locality believe that being “local” required them to assume a certain identity? If so, how did they talk and write about it? Were there spatial and temporal differences in the representation of locales? This work examines how Guanzhong literati conceptualized three sets of relations: central/regional, “official”/“unofficial,” and national/local. It further traces the formation over the last millennium of the imperial state of a critical communal self-consciousness, the role of this consciousness in constructing a local identity and promoting an “unofficial” space for nonofficial elite activism, and the effect of the presence (or absence) of this consciousness on literati views of central-­regional relationships. The issue here is not whether there can be a shared national culture, but whether this culture can be perceived as having regional variations and therefore contributing to the formation of a local identity.

Contents
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Maps xi
 Abbreviations xiii
 Introduction 1
1 The Five Dynasties-Northern Song
Period: "A New Beginning" 21
 Guanzhong and the Literati During the
Tang-Song Transition 23
 Changing Relationship Between the
Literati and the State 36
 The Vision of Zhang Zai's School 47
2 The Jin-Yuan Period: The "Dark Ages" 76
 Alien Rules and the Literati Culture 78
 The Zhongzhou ji Cohort, 1175-1215 90
 A Century of Diversity, 1200-1300 97
 The Rise and Decline of Daoxue,
1250-1368 114
3 The Ming-Qing Period: The "Renaissance"
132
 Crisis and Opportunities 135
 The Formation of an "Unofficial" Literati
Community, 1450-1500 150
 Multiple Uses of Zhang Zai's Legacy,
1500-1600 158
 Feng Congwu and the Construction of
Guanxue, 1596-1627 167
 The Unity of Essence (ti) and Application
(yong), 1644-1911 178
 Conclusion 203
 Reference Matter
 Character List 215
 Bibliography 227
 Index 251