"Godly Worm" and the "Literati Prism" of Chinese Sources.

This essay is a case study of the inherent gentry bias of traditional Chinese sources, which tends to condition modern readers to view ancient East Asia through a "literati prism. " Using medieval onomastic data, the essay demonstrates the distorting effects caused by this prism, as well as the enig...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:Journal of the American Oriental Society Vol. 139; no. 2; pp. 417 - 432
Autor principal: SANPING CHEN
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: American Society for Premodern Asia (ASPA) Apr-Jun2019
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Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
Descripción
Sumario:This essay is a case study of the inherent gentry bias of traditional Chinese sources, which tends to condition modern readers to view ancient East Asia through a "literati prism. " Using medieval onomastic data, the essay demonstrates the distorting effects caused by this prism, as well as the enigmas it engenders . In addition, the essay highlights a long-ignored legacy of early medieval nomadic conquests of northern China--the vulgarization of Chinese high culture .