By the end of the Sung dynasty (960-1279), known descendants of the three Chao brothers who had founded the dynasty numbered over 20,000. Unlike the rulers of many other Chinese dynasties, however, the Sung emperors were not plagued by challenges to their rule from their relatives. How the Sung created a social and political asset in the imperial clan while neutralizing it as a potential threat is the story of this book. In this, the first full-length study of the imperial clan as an institution, John Chaffee analyzes its history, its political role, and the lifestyle of its members, focussing on their residence patterns, marriages, and occupations.

John W. Chaffee Pressor and Director of the Asian and Asian American Studies Program in the History Department at State University of New York, Binghamton.

Read More by John W. Chaffee:

• Emperor Huizong and Late Northern Song China: The Politics of Culture and the Culture of Politics