The Threshold: The Rhetoric of Historiography in Early Medieval China

The Threshold examines how historiography shapes historical events and how we read biography when it is life-writing. It explores the culture of historiography in early medieval China through the lens of the History of Liu-Song, showing how history was constructed through rhetorical elements such as narration of officialdom, anecdote, and historical documents.

Format: Hardback
Length: 282 pages
Publication date: 04 April 2023
Publisher: Harvard University Press

The Threshold delves into the intricate relationship between historiography and historical events, shedding light on how the process of writing history shapes the events themselves. It examines the concept of "life-writing" in biography, where the subjects are fully engaged with the historiographical rhetoric that records their words and deeds. This study, conducted by Zeb Raft, focuses on the History of Liu-Song, a dynastic history compiled in 488 and covering the first three-quarters of the fifth century.

Rhetoric plays a central role in early medieval historiography, permeating every aspect of historical writing. From the way historians frame their narratives to the political maneuverings embedded within them, from the active use of rhetorical techniques to the passive influence of embedded discourses on historians, historical actors, and readers, rhetoric courses through the fabric of historical argumentation.

Through meticulous tracing of these diverse strands of historical argumentation, Zeb Raft demonstrates how history was constructed through rhetorical elements such as the narration of officialdom, the anecdote, and, most importantly, the historical document. The portrait that emerges is of an epideictic historiography, where praise is intertwined with irony, achievement is diluted with ambivalence, and the most secure positions lie on the threshold of political power and historical interpretation.

The Threshold offers a profound exploration of the complex interplay between historiography and historical events, challenging our understanding of the past and illuminating the ways in which historical narratives shape our perception of the world. It is a valuable contribution to the field of historical studies and provides valuable insights into the ways in which history is written and interpreted.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780674291379