Empire at the Margins: Culture, Ethnicity, and Frontier in Early Modern China

Focusing on the Ming (1368—1644) and (especially) the Qing (1364—1912) eras, this book analyzes crucial moments in the formation of cultural, regional, and religious identities. The contributors examine the role of the state in a variety of environments on China's "peripheries," paying attention to shifts in law, trade, social stratification, and cultural dialogue. They find that local communities were critical participants in the shaping of their own identities and consciousness as well as...