The Confusions of Pleasure

The Ming dynasty was the last great Chinese dynasty before the Manchu conquest in 1644. During that time, China, not Europe, was the center of the world: the European voyages of exploration were searching not just for new lands but also for new trade routes to the Far East. In this book, Timothy Brook eloquently narrates the changing landscape of life over the three centuries of the Ming (1368-1644), when China was transformed from a closely administered agrarian realm into a place of commercial profits and intense competition for status.The Confusions of Pleasure marks a significant departure from the conventional ways in which Chinese history has been written. Rather than recounting the Ming dynasty in a series of political events and philosophical achievements, it narrates this longue durée in terms of the habits and strains of everyday life. Peppered with stories of real people and their negotiations of a rapidly changing world, this book provides a new way of seeing the Ming dynasty that not only contributes to the scholarly understanding of the period but also provides an entertaining and accessible introduction to Chinese history for anyone.

List of Illustrations Preface A Ming Chronology A Genealogy of Ming Emperors List of Abbreviations Introduction: Seasons of the Ming (I609) Dramatis Personae Winter: The First Century (1368-1450) A Brick in the Wall The Burden of Communication Ideas into Texts Economy and Exchange The Distance between Rich and Poor Spring: The Middle Century (1450-1550) The Center Recedes State and Market Commerce Commerce and Culture The Zhengde Decay Summer: The Last Century (I550-I644) The God of Copper Cash Travels and Letters Consumption and Production Trade Fashion Fall: The Lord of Silver (I642-I644) The Fall of the Ming Last Glimpses Notes Bibliography Glossary and Index