Authors:Kwok-leong Tang First page: 1 Abstract: Source: Volume 7, Issue 1, pp 1 - 36This article presents a study of a unique kind of commemorative stele erected by Qing emperors in the Imperial Academy—the symbol of Confucian culture and civilian education—and also replicated in schools across China. Before the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), Chinese rulers did not install military monuments at the academy. In this article, I argue that the Qing emperors erected war monuments in the Imperial Academy to justify and commemorate their wars of conquest. As the emperors required the stelae to be replicated at some of the local schools across China, they became widely accessible to the public. However, the Qing emperors, particularly the Qianlong emperor, were concerned that the stelae could become symbols of abusive warfare, thereby undermining their claims to rule in accordance with Confucian ideals. For this reason, they carefully selected the campaigns to commemorate and ensured that inscriptions on the stelae explained that they had no choice but to embark on war in these instances. PubDate: 2018-05-04T00:00:00Z
Authors:Stephen Pow; Jingjing Liao First page: 37 Abstract: Source: Volume 7, Issue 1, pp 37 - 76Subutai [Sübe’etei], often referred to as the greatest of the Mongol Empire’s generals, has increasingly become a topic of popular interest. However, the literature about him continues to rely on secondary sources so that popular and scholarly work alike often contains and perpetuates ahistorical statements regarding his origins and his military career. Based on the assumption that many errors have been perpetuated because Chinese source material has not been sufficiently integrated into available Western literature, this paper aims to offer a two-part corrective to the problem. First, an introductory essay will analyze several aspects of Subutai’s life and career that are often misrepresented. Secondly, complete English translations of the two biographies of Subutai found in the 121st and 122nd chapters of the Yuan Shi are provided. PubDate: 2018-05-04T00:00:00Z
Authors:Z. George Wang First page: 77 Abstract: Source: Volume 7, Issue 1, pp 77 - 108Chinese and British troops fought shoulder to shoulder against the Japanese at Yenangyaung, Burma, in mid-April 1942. The official military histories of the two nations, however, record the Yenangyaung battle and appraise the Chinese contribution in striking disagreement. To find the truth through reconciling the significant discrepancies in existence for seven decades, materials of various countries have been comparatively studied. This article will present the following conclusions from this forensic inquiry: i) the narrative of the Yenangyaung battle by William Slim, the commanding officer of the British-Chinese joint forces in the battle, is fraught with misrepresentations; and ii) the official British military history errs in denying the Chinese rescue of the British troops. PubDate: 2018-05-04T00:00:00Z
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