Branches of Heaven: A History of the Imperial Clan of Sung China

By the end of the Sung dynasty (960-1279), known descendants of the three Chao brothers who had founded the dynasty numbered over 20,000. Unlike the rulers of many other Chinese dynasties, however, the Sung emperors were not plagued by challenges to their rule from their relatives. Indeed, so successful was Sung policy on the imperial clan that it would serve as a model for the subsequent Ming and Ch'ing dynasties. How the Sung created a social and political asset in the imperial clan while neutralizing it as a potential threat is the story of this book. In this, the first full-length study of the imperial clan as an institution, John W. Chaffee analyzes its history, its political role, and the lifestyle of its members, focussing on their residence patterns, marriages, and occupations.