Table of Contents

Introduction; Part I. The Wider Historical Context: 1. Eurasia in Empire's wake; 2. Daidu's fall; 3. Changing fortunes; 4. Black city; Part II. Chinggisid Narrative at Home: 5. Telling stories and selling rulership; 6. A precarious tale; Part III. A Hard Crowd: 7. Letters to the Great Khan; 8. South of the clouds; 9. Chinggisid fold; Part IV. East Asia: 10. Eastern neighbours; Conclusion.

Promotional Information

Memories of the Mongol Empire loomed large in fourteenth-century Eurasia. Robinson explores how Ming China exploited these memories for its own purposes.

About the Author

David M. Robinson is Robert H. N. Ho Professor in Asian Studies and Professor of History at Colgate University, New York. He is widely published, including Seeking Order in A Tumultuous Age: The Writings of Chŏng Tojŏn, a Korean Neo-Confucian (2016), Martial Spectacles of the Ming Court (2013), Empire's Twilight: Northeast Asia under the Mongols (2009), and Bandits, Eunuchs, and the Son of Heaven: Rebellion and the Economy of Violence in Mid-Ming China (2000).

Reviews

'By concentrating on the ambivalence and uncertainty with which the early Ming viewed their mighty Mongol predecessors, David M. Robinson provides a new and richly-nuanced history which moves well beyond centuries-old stereotypes. This is a major contribution to the history of Eurasia, the implications of which should change our view of imperial China's place in the world.' Craig Clunas, University of Oxford

'David M. Robinson has produced a superbly researched study that tells the story of the early Ming dynasty's reckoning with and refashioning of the memory and legacy of Mongol rule in China. The book vividly illustrates the continent-wide extent of Mongol ruling culture, and presents a fresh and insightful new portrait of the Ming dynastic founder.' Nicola Di Cosmo, Institute for Advanced Study, New Jersey

'By revealing for the first time Zhu Yuanzhang's monumental project of legitimating his rule in terms of the Mongol imperial legacy, David M. Robinson has completely rewritten our understanding of not only the Ming dynasty and Chinese history, but also the history of early modern Eurasia.' Johan Elverskog, Southern Methodist University, Texas

'… this learned book contributes to the study of global history, aided by Robinson's clear and jargon-free writing, though readers should be generally familiar with Asian history.' M. Rossabi, Choice

'… stimulating and thoughtful book …' Charles Melville, Journal of Interdisciplinary History

'… Robinson's thorough translations and meticulous analyses of a wide array of textual and material sources present a detailed and fascinating insight into the history of Ming diplomacy towards the Eurasian world in the second half of the fourteenth century that has been long overdue.' Julia C. Schneider, China and Asia