Abstract
Abstract This chapter examines the discourses and debates on the options of war and peace during the Han and Song dynasties of Chinese history. During the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE), especially the early period, a unified China was disturbed by recurring and irritating raids and lootings from the pastoral nomads in the north. During the Song dynasty (960–1279 CE), China’s highly civilized nation was situated among somewhat equal or even considerably stronger neighbors. While these two periods are both important and representative of Chinese civilization, the international situations and the attitudes towards how to deal with invasive neighbors were remarkably different. A review of the political discourses and debates in these two periods can offer a more comprehensive and concrete understanding of the major concerns regarding war and peace in the Chinese tradition.
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