Sublime
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On the eve of the close encounter with the West, China’s distinctive political trajectory (still dominated by its symbiotic relationship with Inner Asia) propelled it not towards an all-powerful oriental despotism (imagined by Europeans) – which might have permitted drastic change in the face of external challenge – but instead still further toward
... See moreJohn Darwin • After Tamerlane: The Rise and Fall of Global Empires, 1400-2000




An environmentalist such as Vandana Shiva directs her critique and ire less at national governments than at the idea of the global itself.
Prasenjit Duara • The Crisis of Global Modernity: Asian Traditions and a Sustainable Future (Asian Connections)
Ming rule represented a vehement reaction against what was seen by its original supporters as the corruption, oppression and overtaxation of the Mongol Yuan.
John Darwin • After Tamerlane: The Rise and Fall of Global Empires, 1400-2000
