The Aristocratic Clan System of the Eastern Jin

The politics of great clans were an aberration of imperial rule during the hundred years of the Eastern Jin, a return to an earlier stage in the evolution of the political system. This system was temporary and transitional. It emerged from imperial rule and, under certain conditions, transformed back into it. This was a distinctive feature of the Eastern Jin. Taking Xie An's family as its starting point, this book traces the development and evolution of the great-clan system against the backdrop of the Eastern Jin. Readers will gain a clear understanding of the system through this book.