The Deadlock of the Jin Dynasty

Were the Two Jin dynasties an era of darkness, humiliation, and misfortune? How did the Jin dynasty overcome the historical trap of dynasties lasting only two generations? Was the emergence of a system of joint rule by the imperial family and the great clans a historical accident or an inevitability? This is a comprehensive account of the political history of the Two Jin dynasties, revealing the deep governance logic and historical causes behind their rise and fall while examining the Jin dynasty's predicament from multiple angles. Drawing on political institutions, social structures, and cultural conditions, and combining individual biographies with studies of prominent clans, the book analyzes the deadlocks that brought down the Jin dynasty. It also relates those problems to historical experience from the Eastern Han and Three Kingdoms periods, identifies the forces behind the rise of the Northern Dynasties, Sui, and Tang, and explains the Jin dynasty's two unparalleled contributions to Chinese history. In clear, accessible prose, the book traces the historical development of the Two Jin dynasties and offers general readers an introduction to this period.