A Historical Pattern: The Imperial Mode

George Hong Jiang ()
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George Hong Jiang: Heidelberg University

Chapter Chapter 6 in The Imperial Mode of China, 2023, pp 177-201 from Palgrave Macmillan

Abstract: Abstract Although there were many imperial dynasties in Chinese history, a historical pattern and two variants predominated, namely the Imperial Mode and the Han and Song variants. The Imperial Mode was based on sophisticated economic, social and political institutions interacting with each other, and simultaneously they sustained a nuanced equilibrium. While there were some myths in Chinese history which were seemingly beyond the explanatory efficacy of standard economics, economic theories still could produce fruitful consequences when applied to Chinese economic history (Rosenthal, Jean-Laurent and R. Bin Wong. (2011). Before and Beyond Divergence: The Politics of Economic Change in China and Europe. Harvard University Press: 1–11). Economists’ toolbag can bring theoretical benefits. As presented in Chapter 1 , Marxian, Weberian and Institutionalist approaches have offered theories to cope with fundamental structural changes in Chinese economic history. Specifically, the Marxian approach is used to analyse the Imperial Mode as a whole, while the Weberian approach identifies the characteristics of the Imperial Mode and the two variants by the theory of ideal typesideal types, and the institutionalist approach is used to analyse internal mechanisms.

Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:pal:palscp:978-3-031-27015-4_6

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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-27015-4_6

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