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Ancient Sichuan and the Unification of China (S U N Y Series in Chinese Local Studies)

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Steven Sage describes in great detail the conquest of the Shu and Ba cultures by the Qin in 316 B.C. Ancient Sichuan and the Unification of China is a study of the ancient Sichuan province and its importance in the unification of the Chinese state under Emperor Qin. Contemporary historians of the Qin Dynasty regarded the Sichuan state as "barbarous" and uncivilized. However, Sage asserts that the Shu and Ba, sub regions of Sichuan, were already prosperous and thriving civilizations before the Qin conquest.
Sage discusses the creation and foundation myths, which offer tales of genealogies that serve propagandistic purposes. This is important when studying an ancient culture, to look at the myths they believed in and propagated; because they were the sources used to serve as explanations as to how and why their culture became what it was.
Sage begins his study with an examination of the Shu and Ba cultures which made up the Sichuan province. The Shu and Ba were relatives of the Sanxingdui culture which had a powerful military organization with links to the overthrow of the Shang dynasty and the establishment of the Zhou Dynasty. However, little archaeological evidence remains of this culture. Sage goes on to discuss the Ba ethnic group and details their military evolution during the Warring States Period. The Ba society was very much influenced by war which they found to be an annual event.
The second part of the book deals with the totalitarian government of the Qin, which used Legalist methods in order to suppress the barbarian population. The authoritarian state of the Qin practiced a form of feudalism which resembled the policy of the Shang dynasty, in which the Qin had native peoples live and work on the land in order for the Qin to reap the benefits. The Qin thought that the Shu were "primitive barbarians", shows Qin's ignorance as well as arrogance. In addition, the conquest of Sichuan was plotted and decided upon in order to unify China thus expanding the borders of the Chinese state:
Qin, this prototypical totalitarian state, now imposed itself upon an economically less developed country, over ethnically different people, in a climactically contrasting environment, Sichuan. Legalist doctrine, the Legalist social experiment, was exported there by force of arms...The conquest of Sichuan was to strengthen and position Qin for its drive to empire, the creation of imperial China in 221 B.C. For Sichuan, 316 B.C. signified a prelude, the outset of a century-long signification process (117).
This study examines a particular region over a period of time, the region inhabited by the ancient Shu people, called Sichuan. He relies heavily on archaeological evidence because there aren't enough written sources to provide evidence of the Shu culture. This reliance can be overwhelming at times to the reader because they find themselves inundated with descriptions of pottery shards and weaponry. However, there is no denying the benefit of Sages use of archaeological evidence to support his claim that the Shu and Ba cultures were thriving ancient cultures before the Qin conquered the region of Sichuan.

In his 'Ancient Sichuan and the Unification of China', Sage argues that Qin's early conquest of Sichuan was the linchpin to its ultimate dominance over the other warring states. Except for the first two chapters which describe the Shu and Ba cultures native to the Sichuan basin at the time, the book is mainly a history of Qin and its use of Sichuan as an economic engine for its war machine. By the final chapter, which describes the rise of Han, Sichuan has taken on virtual "home counties" status, content providing troops and provisions to Liu Bang's armies as he sets out to re-conquer the empire.

Sage's book is scholarly and thoroughly readable; its illustrations and maps are adequate. For me, the mix of some archeology in the first couple chapters to pure history in the rest was perfect. It is lamentable, although not unusual, that there are no Chinese characters in the text or notes (though Chinese characters are used in the bibliography), forcing the author to use various contrivances to distinguish homophones and, on several occasions, to describe in words what a particular character looks like. Originally published in 1992, Sage's book is now nearly 20 years old. If new archeological data has come to light, an updated, expanded edition would be great. Finally, I can only wish that each of the warring states had a history of similar quality written about it.

I must admit that I have just begun reading the book. However, one does not need to finish a book entirely before knowing some basic information. It is well written, organized and shows sufficient depth for the subject. I would recommend this for anyone in an Asian Studies program. However, it may be too dry for those who are looking for an impressive coffee table book. I am half way through it and I am enjoying it immensely.