The Blue Frontier: Maritime Vision and Power in the Qing Empire (Cambridge Oceanic Histories)
Cambridge University Press
Edition: First Edition. Hardback. Dust Jacket., 8/23/2018
EAN 9781108424615, ISBN10: 1108424619
Hardcover, 308 pages, 22.9 x 15.2 x 1.9 cm
Language: English
In this revisionist history of the eighteenth-century Qing Empire from a maritime perspective, Ronald C. Po argues that it is reductive to view China over this period exclusively as a continental power with little interest in the sea. With a coastline of almost 14,500 kilometers, the Qing was not a landlocked state. Although it came to be known as an inward-looking empire, Po suggests that the Qing was integrated into the maritime world through its naval development and customs institutionalization. In contrast to our orthodox perception, the Manchu court, in fact, deliberately engaged with the ocean politically, militarily, and even conceptually. The Blue Frontier offers a much broader picture of the Qing as an Asian giant responding flexibly to challenges and extensive interaction on all frontiers - both land and sea - in the long eighteenth century.
Introduction
1. Setting the scene
2. Modeling the sea
3. The dragon navy
4. Guarded management
5. Writing the waves
Conclusion
Appendix 1. 'Inner sea' and 'outer sea' in imperial documents
Appendix 2. A chronicle of sea patrol regulations in the long eighteenth century
Appendix 3. Glossary of Chinese characters.