The Pingcheng Era of Northern Wei (Third Edition)

This study of the political history of early Northern Wei unfolds around its capital, Pingcheng. Across four chapters arranged chronologically, the author traces its development and clearly maps the course of its transformation. Throughout, the examination focuses on two key factors in the development of the Pingcheng regime: the social and cultural characteristics of the Tuoba tribes themselves, and the complex influence of Han culture on them. Thus, although the subject is the process by which the Pingcheng regime of Northern Wei became a feudal state, the significance of the study extends far beyond that topic. It serves as an important case study of how Han Chinese and nomadic peoples influenced and integrated with one another in the formation of the Chinese nation. In examining the evidence, the author neither avoids major contradictions nor overlooks fine details, investigating each with meticulous care. The resulting conclusions are fresh and convincing.