Thesaurus For Early Medieval China Studies
One of the features of any field of study is a commonly accepted body of terminology for the expression of those special concepts which are the concern of the field. Many of such terms are established through the publication of seminal articles, some are the result of extended academic discussion and dispute. This initial thesaurus for Early Medieval China studies begins, simply, with various periodization terms and their interrelations.
Send suggestions for terminology to add to this thesaurus to Ken Klein.
Legend:
BT = broader term
NT = narrower term
RT = related term
UF = use for
USE = preferred term
Cao Wei dynasty (220-265)
BT: Three Kingdoms
Chen dynasty (557-589)
BT: Six Dynasties, Southern Dynasties
Cheng state [The emigre regime ruled by the Li family in Szechuan, 304-349]
USE: Cheng-Han state
Cheng-Han state (304-349)
BT: Sixteen Kingdoms
Eastern Jin dynasty (317-420)
BT: Jin dynasty
Eastern Wei dynasty (534-550)
BT: Northern Dynasties
Former Liang state (301-376)
BT: Sixteen Kingdoms
Former Qin state (351-394)
BT: Sixteen Kingdoms
Former Yan state (285-370)
BT: Sixteen Kingdoms
Former Zhao state (319-329)
BT: Sixteen Kingdoms
RT: Northern Han state
Han state [The emigre regime ruled by the Li family in Szechuan, 304-349]
USE: Cheng-Han state
hsuan-hsueh
USE: xuanxue
Jin dynasty (265-317)
BT: Six Dynasties
NT: Eastern Jin dynasty, Western Jin dynasty
Later Liang state (386-403)
BT: Sixteen Kingdoms
Later Qin state (384-417)
BT: Sixteen Kingdoms
Later Yan state (384-407)
BT: Sixteen Kingdoms
RT: Western Yan state
Later Zhao state (319-352)
BT: Sixteen Kingdoms
Liang dynasty (502-557)
BT: Six Dynasties, Southern Dynasties
Liu Song dynasty (420-479)
BT: Six Dynasties, Southern Dynasties
Menfa shizu
Translations vary
"great families" (Charles Holcombe)
"hereditary families" (Nanxiu Qian)
"elite families" (Stephen Bokenkamp)
Neo-Taoism
USE: xuanxue
North-South Dynasties (386-589)
NT: Northern Dynasties, Southern Dynasties
Northern Dynasties (386-589)
BT: North-South Dynasties
NT: Eastern Wei dynasty, Northern Qi dynasty, Northern Wei dynasty, Northern Zhou dynasty, Sui dynasty, Western Wei dynasty
Northern Han state (304-318)
BT: Sixteen Kingdoms
RT: Former Zhao state
Northern Liang state (397-439)
BT: Sixteen Kingdoms
Northern Qi dynasty (550-577)
BT: Northern Dynasties
Northern Wei dynasty (386-535)
BT: Northern Dynasties
Northern Yan state (407-433)
BT: Sixteen Kingdoms
Northern Zhou dynasty (557-581)
BT: Northern Dynasties
Shu Han dynasty (221-263)
BT: Three Kingdoms
Six Dynasties (265-589)
NT: Chen dynasty, Jin dynasty, Liang dynasty, Liu Song dynasty, Southern Qi dynasty, Wu dynasty
Sixteen Kingdoms (308-438)
NT: Cheng-Han state, Former Liang state, Former Qin state, Former Yan state, Former Zhao state, Later Liang state, Later Qin state, Later Yan state, Later Zhao state, Northern Liang state, Northern Yan state, Southern Liang state, Southern Yan state, Western Liang state, Western Qin state, Xia state
Southern Dynasties (420-589)
BT: North-South Dynasties
NT: Chen dynasty, Liang dynasty, Liu Song dynasty, Southern Qi dynasty
Southern Liang state (397-414)
BT: Sixteen Kingdoms
Southern Qi dynasty (479-502)
BT: Six DynastiesSouthern Dynasties
Southern Yan state (398-410)
BT: Sixteen Kingdoms
Sui dynasty (581-617)
BT: Northern Dynasties
Three Kingdoms (220-265)
NT: Cao Wei dynasty, Shu Han dynasty, Wu dynasty
Western Jin dynasty (265-317)
BT: Jin dynasty
Western Liang state (400-421)
BT: Sixteen Kingdoms
Western Qin state (385-400, 409-431)
BT: Sixteen Kingdoms
Western Wei dynasty (535-557)
BT: Northern Dynasties
Western Yan state (384-394)
BT: Sixteen Kingdoms [but NOT counted as one of the 16]RTLater Yan state
Wu dynasty (222-280)
BT: Six DynastiesThree Kingdoms
Xia state (407-432)
BT: Sixteen Kingdoms
xuanxue
UF: hsuan-hsueh, Neo-Taoism
Translations vary
"Scholarly investigation of that which is dark" (Rudolf Wagner)
"Learning of the Dark" (Joerg Plassen)
"Profound Studies" (James Sellman)
"Study of the Mysteries" (Paul Demieville)