About the Book
The World of Wu Zhao is an annotated translation of Zhang Zhuo's collection of miscellany, Court and Country, that offers a lively, folksy and novel perspective of the empire of Wu Zhao, China's first and only female emperor, that will amuse and shock readers, prompting them to recalibrate everything they think they know about medieval China.
The book covers a number different themes and topics: Buddhist and Daoist monks, the female emperor's male favourites, cruel officials, and includes sections on flora and fauna, the common folk, artisans and craftsmen, the military, spirits and the supernatural, the borderlands, and local officials.
The World of Wu Zhao is a carefully curated set of more than 120 translated stories - all annotated and contextualised - on a range of topics from Zhang Zhuo's eighth century collection of miscellany, Collected Records of Court and Country (Chaoye qianzai ). The book provides English readers with a sense and feel for the empire during the reign of Wu Zhao (624705, also known as Empress Wu and Wu Zetian), China's first and only female emperor.
The World of Wu Zhao moves outward from the female sovereign's personal and intimate domain of the inner palace. The text includes chapters on a number of different themes and topics: the female emperor's male favourites, the culture of the court , cruel officials, as well as sections on flora and fauna, the common folk, artisans and craftsmen, Buddhist and Daoist monks, the military, spirits and the supernatural, the borderlands, and local officials. Chapters are introduced through 'speaking artifacts' such as saddles, swords, bronze tallies, porcelain figurines of camels and grooms, official tallies, Buddhist cave paintings and funerary monuments-contemporary to the reign of the female emperor. This lively and fresh perspective on medieval China will amuse and shock readers, prompting them to recalibrate everything they think they know about medieval China.
Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments; Figures; Map; Tables; Weights and Measures; Introduction; Chapter 1 Wu Zhao: her inner palace, her inner circle; Chapter 2 The culture of the court; Chapter 3 “Cruel officials”: Wu Zhao’s “teeth and horns”; Chapter 4 Beyond court and capital: local officials; Chapter 5 The common people; Chapter 6 Relationships: men, women, and family in the time of Wu Zhao; Chapter 7 Generals and military men; Chapter 8 The frontier and beyond: foreigners and others during Wu Zhao’s reign; Chapter 9 Religion and the supernatural world; Chapter 10 Flora, fauna, and the natural world; Afternote; Appendix: People and Places; Notes; Bibliography; Index
About the Author :
Harry Rothschild is Professor of Chinese History at the University of North Florida, USA. He specialises in early Tang history and the study of women and gender in China and East Asia.
Review :
“With this latest publication, N. Harry Rothschild cements his reputation as the foremost authority on Wu Zhao. His commentary, interspersed with translations of excerpts from Zhang Zhuo’s eighth-century Collected Records of Court and Country provides unparalleled insight into Wu Zhao’s court and Tang society, religion, and international relations. The book is meticulously produced with helpful reference matter, making it suitable for students and learners at all levels. This book is a parting gift from Harry, and we will miss him terribly” — Michelle C. Wang, Department of Art and Art History, Georgetown University.
“With his usual panache, the late N. Harry Rothschild employs Zhang Zhuo’s eighth-century work to paint a vivid and all-encompassing picture of the times of China’s only female emperor, Wu Zetian. He helps us adroitly peer behind Confucian misogynism to envision Wu and her court in a balanced manner” — Keith N. Knapp, Professor of History, The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina
“This rich collection of anecdotes, biographical sketches, and curiosities taken from the writings of a Tang dynasty courtier and scholar offers a multifaceted tour of China during the reign of its sole female emperor, Wu Zhao (624–705 CE), that is variously hilarious, racy, poignant, and beguiling”— Jeffrey L. Richey, Professor of Asian Studies, Berea College.
“Harry Rothschild’s imaginative presentation of the material from an eighth-century anecdotal collection has provided us with a view of the Tang world that is both insightful and entertaining. It is a work of impressive scholarship that spans political history, cultural history, literary studies, and gender studies”— Anthony DeBlasi, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of East Asian Studies, University at Albany.
“A fresh, rich, and exceptional glimpse on the life and career of Zhang Zhuo, the author of Court and Country (Chaoye qianzai 朝野僉載), a bright guiding light for understanding the reign of Wu Zhao 武曌(624–705), China’s first and only female emperor. A truly labor of love and will!!!” — Robin R. Wang, Loyola Marymount University, Author of Yinyang: The Way of Heaven and Earth in Chinese Thought and Culture.
Rothschild’s prose has a breezy, conversational style, which echoes, in a way, the biji genre’s informality. His exposition, studded with exclamation marks and comparisons with contemporary Chinese and American cultures, will appeal to many. Rothschild had a gift for rhymed translations, and his renditions of medieval Chinese read smoothly. […] The World of Wu Zhao will soon become a staple in Tang dynasty historiography. Rothschild’s last work adds a fascinating perspective on what remains a vital yet understudied period, and scholars and teachers undoubtedly will make extensive, productive use of the book in the years to come— Journal of Chinese History
