Survival in the Frontier Zone: Comparative Perspectives on Identity and Political Allegiance in China's Inner Asian Borderlands during the Sui-Tang Dynastic Transition (617-630)

This paper investigates the relationship between identities and political allegiances on premodern frontiers. The first half of the paper is a case study of interactions between Turks and Chinese elites and commoners during the Sui-Tang dynastic transition. The second half compares Roman, mid-imperi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of world history 2004-06, Vol.15 (2), p.117-153
Main Author: Skaff, Jonathan Karam
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alliances
Asia
Borderlands
Boundaries
Boundaries (Geography)
China
Chinese culture
Chinese history
Colonialism
Cultural identity
Cultural relations
Dynasty
Emperors
Ethnic identity
Ethnicity
History
Human territoriality
Identity
Islam
Political alliances
Political aspects
Political identity
Politics
Religion
Religious wars
Solidarity
Survival
Turks
World history
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Description
Summary:This paper investigates the relationship between identities and political allegiances on premodern frontiers. The first half of the paper is a case study of interactions between Turks and Chinese elites and commoners during the Sui-Tang dynastic transition. The second half compares Roman, mid-imperial Chinese, and early Islamic frontiers. The paper concludes that people in frontier zones tended to forge political ties based on self-interest and personal connections. Solidarities based on ethnic or religious allegiance were rare because premodern state power, transportation, and communications could not spread these ideals effectively.
ISSN:1045-6007
1527-8050
1527-8050
DOI:10.1353/jwh.2004.0028