This book looks into the reasons for the exceptional durability of the Chinese empire, which lasted for more than two millennia (221 BCE–1911 CE). It identifies the roots of the empire's longevity in the activities of thinkers of the Warring States period (453–221 BCE). The Chinese empire was envisioned long before it came into being: as a result, it was not only a military and administrative construct, but also an intellectual one. The book argues that it was its ideological appeal that allowed the survival and regeneration of the empire after repeated periods of turmoil. Analysis of the poli ... More

This book looks into the reasons for the exceptional durability of the Chinese empire, which lasted for more than two millennia (221 BCE–1911 CE). It identifies the roots of the empire's longevity in the activities of thinkers of the Warring States period (453–221 BCE). The Chinese empire was envisioned long before it came into being: as a result, it was not only a military and administrative construct, but also an intellectual one. The book argues that it was its ideological appeal that allowed the survival and regeneration of the empire after repeated periods of turmoil. Analysis of the political thought of the period focuses on the thinkers' perceptions of three main components of the preimperial and imperial polity: the ruler, the elite, and the commoners. Regarding each of them, it identifies both the common ground and unresolved intrinsic tensions of Warring States discourse. Thus, while thinkers staunchly supported the idea of the omnipotent universal monarch, they were also aware of the mediocrity and ineptitude of acting sovereigns. They were committed to a career in government yet feared to compromise their integrity in service of corrupt rulers. They declared their dedication to “the people” yet firmly opposed the lower strata's input in political processes. The book asserts that the persistence of these unresolved tensions eventually became one of the most important assets of China's political culture. The ensuing imperial political system was sufficiently flexible to adapt itself to a variety of domestic and foreign pressures. This adaptability contributed decisively to the empire's longevity.