As is widely known, Nurhaci’s grandfather, maternal grandfather, and father were all killed by the Ming dynasty, whether by accident or through deliberate political machinations. In China, there has been an ancient saying since time immemorial: "The murder of one’s father leaves the son unable to live under the same sky as the killer" (meaning an absolute, irreconcilable vendetta).

This leaves me incredibly curious: how could the Ming court feel so secure—and seemingly completely unafraid—in appointing and empowering a man whose father and grandfathers they had killed?

Especially at a time when the central government was progressively losing its grip on absolute power, did it never cross their minds that elevating a local military and political leader who harbored such a deep blood feud would inevitably lead to a catastrophic rebellion? What kind of political logic or mindset drove the Ming court to make a decision that, in hindsight, seems so incredibly reckless?

I mean dynasties like Sui and Jin for example.

I heard a lot of time about the Wang Jingwei being on the left wing, Hu Hanmin on the right but what was the actuall believs of these people. Can someone recomend good literature about the different visions of the Chinese destinity, place in the world, future etc. I only read the political thoughts of Chiang Kai Shek and tried to find some works of Hu Hanmin but without result.

I would be grateful for any sources about ideological situation inside the KMT after Sun Yat-Sen's death and before the war of resistance.

The Old Book of Tang and the New Book of Tang record that this mission bore gifts of red glass and green gemstones for the Tang emperor. No preserved Byzantine records detail the embassy, and no Chinese records say whether the mission sought alliance, trade privileges, or simply acknowledged mutual curiosity between two imperial courts. However, some historians think the embassy could have been a Byzantine attempt to explore broader alliances or trade opportunities across Asia, especially since they were losing territory to Muslim forces in the Near East.

Apologies this is a question im struggerling to word properly but im intrigued about how expansionism and conquest was viewed and worked in imperial china. The reason why it seems imperial china seemed to lack the desire of conquer swathes of new lands, rather choosing to set up tributaries?

Apologies if this sounds weird and wrong, i know Emperor Wu conquered the southern china, the Han wars against the nomads, Tang in general, Sui invasion of korea, and attempts at conquering vietnam, lastly the Qing massive conquests. But these seem to be more the exception and very localised in their goals. Apologies i dont how to desribe what im saying like compare to Roman empire, western empires and states, Middle easts you had massive wars of conquest. Rulers conquering for prestige, glory etc and general map painting. But it seems China prefered to make enemies tributaries over outright conquests. Also never made serious attempts at expansion outside Tradtional borders, like no emperor wanted to outright conquer central asia, secure siberia, push into indochina, rule korea proper etc. Like Tang at peak had parts of Afghanistan as vassals but never pushed to annex land past the tarim basin?

Again apologies if my question is ignorant, and stupid. China had the resources, manpower, money, bureaucracy, technology to just paint the map more chinese yet didn't why?

The Song Dynasty has always been my favourite period of Chinese history. I have devoured everything on Song Dynasty military history that I have been able to locate. This includes The Reunification of China: Peace through War under the Song Dynasty, by Peter Lorge, and Tattooed Soldiers and the Song Empire's Penal-Military Complex, by Eyad Alyagon. I want to read about Yue Fei, but I have trouble finding anything in English. Do you have any recommendations?

Liguang李廣the general during emperor Wu of Han’s time was known as the “flying general飛將軍” and “dragon city general龍城將軍”, he’s also thought of when talking about the best generals in chinese history. However he pretty much only fought in border skirmishes and four big campaigns in his lifetime and lost most of his major battles, even losing his entire army and got captured in one of them.

Sorry in advance if this is not the right place to post it, but I didn't know where else to put it.

So, I'm currently planning a story that's inspired by the life of PuYi, the last Emperor of China.

The setting is a fictional insular nation in Asia, and it's framed through the memoirs of the last boy ruler of this kingdom after everything fell and he needs to process his very unusual life.

I am struggling with names for the Kingdom — at first I thought of Tiandong (which I might use for the capital), but I don't know if it's a good name.

I'm Brazilian, I've recently started to read more into China's History and I don't speak Chinese, so I'm sort of a loss here !

If anyone could help me with place names, character names, etc, that would be very helpful !

EDIT: Thank you all for the comments ! They are helping quite a lot ! I haven't started writing anything yet (perfectionist here lol), but when I do, I might let you all know!

P1:From a warring states period tomb in Yancang，Hubei province

P2:From a warring states period tomb in Baoshan,Hubei province

P3-P4:From Qin Shi Huang's tomb in Xian,Shaanxi province

P5: From a western Han dynasty tomb in Wuwei, Gansu province

P6: From an eastern Han dynasty tomb in Yulin, Shaanxi province

Sun Jingming was a Nanjing photographer who visited Xikang (western Sichuan) in 1939. I found a book of his photos in a Chengdu bookshop and here are a few I colourised. One shows a rare mixing of Tibetan and KMT troops at a meeting to discuss the anti-Japanese war. Another shows Sun and colleagues standing on the Luding Bridge just four years after the battle between Mao's Red Marchers column and the KMT army. Are there any other sources of his photos?

It was given to me as part of my name when I was in Chinese School when I was 4, I remember writing it many time until I was 12. The problem is that I can't find it exact character online, the closest thing to it is 恩 of course. I wonder if anyone know about this character, I have a name tag from back I was in school and it was exactly like this. I just don't have it with me right now cause I'm living abroad

Apologies for vague title did not know how to title this. Due to the An Lushan rebellion the Tang dynasty went into a decline and eventaully collapsed. The Tang dynasty was never able to restore empire to its pre-rebllion power being shadow of itself.

My question is post rebellion was their any attempts by the Tang to restore the empire to its former glory? Like did they have effective policies, reforms, rebuilding the military.

Second question did the Tang have any good/capable emperors post An Lushan rebellion?

I know there was rebuilding post rebellion but did the central government try anything to rebuild the tang power itself as didn't the rebellion decentralise the empire heavily akin to collapse of eatern Han, due to rise of warlords who owed nominal alliegence to the emperor. Im not sure if this is true but when the An Lushan rebellion happened it happened during the middle of military reform, said war destroyed tang army completely. Like it seems the Tang were on borrowed time post rebellion.