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Ability and Difference in Early Modern China: A Mongol Family at the Ming Court

By (author) David Robinson

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In 1405, a family left their home in the Mongolian steppe and moved to China. This daring decision, taken at a time of dramatic change in eastern Eurasia, paved the way for 250 years of unlikely success at the Ming court. Winning recognition for military skill and loyalty, the family later known as the Wu gained a coveted title of nobility and became members of the capital elite until the dynasty's collapse in 1644. By tracing the individual fortunes of a single family, David Robinson offers a fresh and accessible perspective on the inner workings of Ming bureaucracy. He explores how the early-modern world's most developed state sought to balance the often contradictory demands of securing ability and addressing difference, a challenge common to nearly all polities.

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Normally shipped | Available from overseas. Usually dispatched in 14 days
Publisher | Cambridge University Press
Published date | 11 Sep 2025
Language |
Format | Hardback
Pages | 298
Dimensions | 0 x 0 x 0mm (L x W x H)
Weight | 0g
ISBN | 978-1-0096-0201-3
Readership Age |
BISAC | history / asia / china

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