4. Demographic, Political, And Social Transformations Of China, 750–1550

Abstract

Between 750 and 1550, the Chinese demographic, political, and social landscape was dramatically altered. The objective of this essay is to test a few of the many propositions that can be deduced from this general hypothesis to provide a possible framework for further investigation. This effort focuses on an examination of the relationships between (1) intraregional development, (2) differential patterns of interregional settlement, (3) the formal organization of the government, and (4) the social and political behavior of elites during this extended period of transformations. The interrelationships between these variables can only be understood within a conceptual framework that accounts for the internal dynamics of the various regions of China during different periods. The dynamic processes of intraregional development were integral parts of significant alterations in interregional patterns of settlement, the organization of governmental control, and the behavior of political elites in China between the mid-T'ang and late Ming. Keywords: intraregional development; intraregional settlement; mid-T'ang; political landscape; social landscape; social transformation