Author: Erica Fox Brindley File Type: pdf In this innovative study, Erica Brindley examines how, during the period 400 BCE50 CE, Chinese states and an embryonic Chinese empire interacted with peoples referred to as the YueViet along its southern frontier. Brindley provides an overview of current theories in archaeology and linguistics concerning the peoples of the ancient southern frontier of China, the closest relations on the mainland to certain later Southeast Asian and Polynesian peoples. Through analysis of warring states and early Han textual sources, she shows how representations of Chinese and Yue identity invariably fed upon, and often grew out of, a two-way process of centering the self while de-centering the other. Examining rebellions, pivotal ruling figures from various Yue states, and key moments of Yue agency, Brindley demonstrates the complexities involved in identity formation and cultural hybridization in the ancient world and highlights the ancestry of cultures now associated with southern China and Vietnam.**ReviewThrough in-depth investigation of textual and material sources, Erica Brindley provides a fascinating study of YueViet history, identity, and relations with China. Her book is not only a long-overdue addition to our knowledge of the southern frontier of ancient China, but a key contribution to debates about identity and ethnicity in the ancient world. Nicola Di Cosmo, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton Brindleys book is a path-breaking exploration of an understudied subject the Yue and its relationship to its northern Chinese neighbor. It is a must-read for anyone interested in Asian history, as well as empires, archaeology, and antiquity. Miranda Brown, University of Michigan Book Description A richly empirical discussion of ethnic identity formation in the period 400 BCE-50 CE. Erica Fox Brindley presents a meticulous new study of the ancient Chinese textual record in an attempt to understand the Yue peoples of Chinas southern frontier and how they were perceived by the Chinese elite.

Author: Lois G. Schwoerer File Type: pdf Guns had an enormous impact on the social, economic, cultural, and political lives of civilian men, women, and children of all social strata in early modern England. In this study, Lois Schwoerer identifies and analyzes Englands domestic gun culture from 1500 to 1740, uncovering how guns became available, what effects they had on society, and how different sectors of the population contributed to gun culture. The rise of guns made for recreational use followed the development of a robust gun industry intended by King Henry VIII to produce artillery and handguns for war. Located first in London, the gun industry brought the city new sounds, smells, street names, shops, sights, and communities of gun workers, many of whom were immigrants. Elite men used guns for hunting, target shooting, and protection. They collected beautifully decorated guns, gave them as gifts, and included them in portraits and coats-of-arms, regarding firearms as a mark of status, power, and sophistication. With statutes and proclamations, the government legally denied firearms to subjects with an annual income under 100about 98 percent of the populationwhose reactions ranged from grudging acceptance to willful disobedience. Schwoerer shows how this domestic gun culture influenced Englands Bill of Rights in 1689, a document often cited to support the claim that the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution conveys the right to have arms as an Anglo-American legacy. Schwoerer shows that the Bill of Rights did not grant a universal right to have arms, but rather a right restricted by religion, law, and economic standing, terms that reflected the nations gun culture. Examining everything from gunmakers records to wills, and from period portraits to toy guns, Gun Culture in Early Modern England offers new data and fresh insights on the place of the gun in English society.