Factional Strife and Northern Song Politics

How did factional strife affect the Northern Song? What were the New and Old Factions fighting over? Why could factionalism never be stamped out in the Northern Song? And amid the escalating political battles, who suffered most, at court and across the realm?

This is a classic study of factional conflict in the Northern Song. Taking Wang Anshi's reforms as its pivotal moment, the book examines the struggle between the New and Old Factions from the Xining era under Emperor Shenzong onward. It focuses on nearly sixty years of factional history, from the Qingli era to the Jingkang era, exploring the factions' political priorities, personnel changes, and immediate responses to shifting circumstances. It offers a detailed analysis of the actions of political figures and ruling groups in the middle and late Northern Song, and of how political developments affected the foundations of dynastic rule. The book explains the failure of Wang Anshi's reforms and the distortion of literati politics, revealing why the political deadlock among the literati was, in some sense, inevitable. Drawing on solid historical sources and rigorous research, the author writes with considerable force and flair, making this a highly readable, narrative-driven work and an important resource for understanding factional conflict in the Northern Song.