Precis:
Hevia in “Introduction” examines the way in which perspectives on imperialism in Asia and change in Imperial China gave changed from a traditional to more modern view, and plans to apply these changes to the encounter between the British and Chinese during the MaCartney Embassy. First off, Hevia cites events throughout twentieth-century history that have identified motivations of imperialism as more than economic but instead as aims to create social hegemony throughout a state. He also claims that historiography on the event has changed due to a modern identification of representations as a main form of viewing history. Edward Said, who wrote Orientalism, is given credit as one of the first historians to adopt this perspective. Hevia next addresses how the sociocultural approach to history, that the West …show more content…
These misunderstanding, Hevia claims, have contributed to the traditional Western View that the Chinese placed more importance on ritual than other aspects of government, specifically maintaining imperial power.
Hevia then suggest how, according to historian Catherine Bell, rituals tie together political forces within a society and produce power relations. Hevia also suggests that rituals changed to serve more than one function or more important functions in society overtime. Even though the vocabulary may remain the same, the meaning behind the vocabulary may gain more context; this is demonstrated by John Hay’s macrocosm-microcosm relationship. Hay’s relationship is exemplified in the Comprehensive Rites of the Emperor.
Lastly, Hevia introduces the main frame for the rest of the novel; the idea of reexamining the encounter of the British and Chinese from the perspective of understanding their incompatibilities as imperial empires, not
Hevia in “Introduction” examines the way in which perspectives on imperialism in Asia and change in Imperial China gave changed from a traditional to more modern view, and plans to apply these changes to the encounter between the British and Chinese during the MaCartney Embassy. First off, Hevia cites events throughout twentieth-century history that have identified motivations of imperialism as more than economic but instead as aims to create social hegemony throughout a state. He also claims that historiography on the event has changed due to a modern identification of representations as a main form of viewing history. Edward Said, who wrote Orientalism, is given credit as one of the first historians to adopt this perspective. Hevia next addresses how the sociocultural approach to history, that the West …show more content…
These misunderstanding, Hevia claims, have contributed to the traditional Western View that the Chinese placed more importance on ritual than other aspects of government, specifically maintaining imperial power.
Hevia then suggest how, according to historian Catherine Bell, rituals tie together political forces within a society and produce power relations. Hevia also suggests that rituals changed to serve more than one function or more important functions in society overtime. Even though the vocabulary may remain the same, the meaning behind the vocabulary may gain more context; this is demonstrated by John Hay’s macrocosm-microcosm relationship. Hay’s relationship is exemplified in the Comprehensive Rites of the Emperor.
Lastly, Hevia introduces the main frame for the rest of the novel; the idea of reexamining the encounter of the British and Chinese from the perspective of understanding their incompatibilities as imperial empires, not