Historians of Chinese technology have tended to pay little attention to the Ming dynasty, characterizing it as a stagnantperiod unmarked by significant inventio

The Ming dynasty was the last great Chinese dynasty before the Manchu conquest in 1644. During that time, China, not Europe, was the center of the world: the Eu

What can the history of technology contribute to our understanding of late imperial China? Most stories about technology in pre-modern China follow a well-worn

A commoner's presentation to the emperor of a lucky omen from his garden, the repercussions for his family, and several retellings of the incident provide the b

According to imperial edict in pre-modern China, an elementary school was to be established in every village in the empire for any boy to attend. This book look