剑桥中国明代史（上卷）

Cambridge History of China #9

by Denis C. Twitchett (Editor), Frederick W. Mote (Editor), 牟复礼 (Editor)

《剑桥中国明代史(1368-1644年)》(上卷)是《剑桥中国史》第7卷的中译本。由国外研究明代历史的专家执笔，吸取了中国、日本和西方的研究成果，也对一些问题进行了创造性的探索。主要论述明代的政治史，结合社会、经济和文化背景进行分析。《剑桥中国史》的第8卷则对明代的制度、国际关系，以及社会和经济史、思想史、思想和宗教史进行详细的论述。 20多年前最初规划《剑桥中国史》时，当然计划从中国历史最早的时期开始。但是，出版这套丛书是在多年以前提出的，在此期间，由于在20世纪20年代开始并从70年代早期以来不断增强势头的大量考古发现，我们关于中国史前史和公元前一千年间的大部分年代的知识都已发生变化。这种源源不断的新资料一再改变了我们对早期历史的看法，而且还没有对这种新证据和传统书面记载得出任何普遍认可的综合。尽管一再试图筹划并出版概括叙述我们对早期中国的认识现状的一卷或几卷，但到目前为止已经证明不可能这样做。对所有这些新发现从事有希望具有持久价值的综合，很可能还要10年才能证明是切实可行的。因此，我们勉强从最早的两个帝国政权，即秦和汉的政权的建立开始《剑桥中国史》的叙述。我们知道，这留下至少一千年有记载的历史要在别处、别的时间予以处理。我们同样知道这样的事实，公元前第一个千年的事件和发展为我们将要叙述的中国社会及其思想和制度奠定了基础。秦和汉的制度、文学和艺术的发展状况、社会形态以及思想和信仰的体系牢牢扎根于过去，对更早的历史没有相当认识，是不能通晓的。既然现代的世界越来越相互地联系在一起，历史地认识它已经变得更加必要，历史学家的工作也已变得更加复杂。在原始资料激增和知识增加时，论据和理论也相互影响。尽管单单总结已知的东西也成了令人望而生畏的工作，但认识的事实基础对于历史的思考却越来越重要。 近来，西方学者更加充分地利用了中国和日本丰富的有关历史的传统学术，不但大大地促进了我们对过去事件和制度的明细的了解，而且还大大地促进了我们对传统历史编纂学的批判性的认识。此外，当前一代西方的中国史学者在继续依靠正在迅速发展的欧洲、日本和中国的研究的扎实基础的同时，还能利用近代西方有关历史的学术的新观点、新方法以及社会科学新近的研究成果。新近的有关历史的事件，在使许多较旧的看法成为疑问的同时，又突出了一些新问题。在这众多方面的影响下，西方在中国研究方面的剧烈变革正在不断增强势头。 1966年最初规划《剑桥中国史》时，目的是为西方的历史读者提供一部规范的有价值的著作：由于当时的知识状况，定为6卷。从那时起，公认的研究成果的涌现、新方法的应用以及学术向新领域的扩展，已经进一步推动了中国史的研究。这一发展为以下的事实所表明：《剑桥中国史》现在已经变为计划出15卷，但还必须舍弃诸如艺术史和文学史等题目、经济和工艺的许多方面以及地方史的所有丰富材料。 近10年来我们对中国过去的认识的显著进展将会继续和加快。西方历史学家对这一重要而复杂的学科所作的努力证明是得当的，因为他们自己的人民需要更多更深地了解中国。中国的历史属于全人类，不但由于正当而且必要，还由于它是一门使人发生兴趣的学科。

Genres: History, China, Nonfiction

751 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 26, 1988

About the author

Denis Crispin Twitchett was a British Sinologist and scholar who specialized in Chinese history and greatly expanded the role of Chinese studies in Western intellectual circles.

Reviews

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this authoritative book on the Ming, it's fantastic. It's a narrative history focused on events but does give interesting pieces of info on governance, demographics, foreign relations etc., although these factors for the Ming are expanded upon drastically in Volume 8 of the series. It is very well researched and contemplated, written in easy plain-English so only tough Chinese words need to be adjusted to (outdated spelling system for Mandarin unfortunately though), experts in each period contribute greatly, etc. I feel the core "lessons" you can gleam from the successes and failures of the Ming can easily be grafted onto other Empires and states in history, and some points you learn are just interesting tales in of themselves.

It's a fascinating story to read, including key beats such as:
The terrible conditions which lead to the overthrowing of the Yuan dynasty, thanks to the Red Turban Rebellions.
The Hongwu Emperor's rise as part of the rebellion, and later brutal, centralising yet effective rule.
The coup of the Yongle Emperor and his extravagant campaigns and maritime explorations.
The economic and demographic and cultural growth of the 1500s.
The brutal centralisation of Emperor Hongwu later leading to the domination of Grand Secretaries and Eunuchs as opposed to a clear prime minister.
Ming Emperors becoming more and more detached or incompetent
Emperors later becoming unable to fight developing factionalism, for example stemming from the Tung-lin academy (which was moralistic in a time that needed institutional reform) (which the governmental system Hongwu set up as an agrarian centralised society couldn't enact).
The later collapse to the Qing that the Ming should have been able to stop but couldn't due to incompetency and a tightly organised Manchu force.
The incompetence of numerous Southern Ming courts after, and a competent pirate/general who fought along the coast trying to take Nanking, only to flee to Taiwan, ending the story.

The last chapter on Ming historiography (as in histories written during the period) is quite interesting, they had a very sophisticated and even effectively critical, historical tradition by this point in Chinese history (owing largely to the Tang and Song periods).

[Zeitgeist · Rating 4 out of 5]

两千年中国封建史上最后一个汉人王朝，太祖朱元璋对于明朝顶层设计的漏洞所导致的恶果在有明一代始终无法克服，恶果演变最终不仅吞噬了大明朝，也隐形潜藏传承至今。果然，欲知今日中国，且看宋明两朝。