The Rise and Fall of Imperial China

“Winner of the Luebbert Best Book Award, Comparative Politics Section of the American Political Science Association”“A profound examination… . [and] a remarkable piece of scholarship.”—Peng Peng, The Developing Economies“Compelling… . [The Rise and Fall of Imperial China] is essential reading for scholars of the Chinese state.”—Guillaume Beaud, The International Spectator“Yuhua Wang’s The Rise and Fall of Imperial China is a rare example of longue durée history that manages to maintain theoretical clarity and logical rigor throughout its analysis. Paired with a serious quantitative dive into primary sources and the intellectual vision to tease out common sociopolitical patterns across enormously diverse historical terrain, the book is a magnificent accomplishment that produces an intellectually powerful macronarrative about mid- and late imperial Chinese history”—Taisu Zhang, American Historical Review“A very innovative study that injects a plethora of fresh data and new insights into the evolution of the imperial Chinese state.”—Justin M. Jacobs, H-Diplo“Engaging and illuminating.”—Nicolas Tackett, Journal of Chinese History

Yuhua Wang is the Frederick S. Danziger Associate Professor in the Department of Government at Harvard University. He is the author of Tying the Autocrat’s Hands: The Rise of the Rule of Law in China.