First and foremost, this is the story of a family: its social and political obscurity in the Northern Sung (A.D. 960-1126), its rise to empire-wide renown in the Southern Sung (1127-1279), and its demise after the dynasty's collapse. By studying the changing political fortunes of one scholar-official house in Sung China, the author seeks to gain insights into the larger problem of social mobility during this vital period and its relationship to that of earlier and later times. The Ming-chou Shih lineage has been chosen chiefly due to its extraordinary record of political success. In addition to ensuring an abundance of source materials, this factor also lends historical appeal to their saga. The Sung dynasty was chosen because it stands as a link between early and late imperial China. A time of profound change, many characteristics of Chinese society under the Ming and Ch'ing governments actually have their roots in the Sung. Indeed, the experience of the Shihs proves rather conclusively that socio-political mobility in the Sung closely resembles that of the late empire, while having little in common with what preceded it.; The Introduction contains background information. In particular, there is some discussion of the "great families" of the early empire and their demise during the T'ang (A.D. 618-906) and Five Dynasties (907-959) period. Chapter one goes on to describe the Sung-dynasty setting. A brief review of recruitment practices for the civil service is followed by an examination of the economic, cultural, and political flowering of Ming-chou (modern Ning-po) in the twelfth century and its impact upon social mobility in the region.; Chapters two to five represent a narrative history of the Shih lineage. Beginning with a clerk at the local sheriff's office in the eleventh century, we carefully trace its development through three generations of chief councillors during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. For much of the Southern Sung, the Shihs dominated the court, producing one influential statesman after another. In light of this, considerable attention is given to contemporary politics, and especially as it relates to their success within the civil service. Toward the end of chapter five, we touch upon the lineage's disintegration and decline after the Sung and the fate of selected kinsmen under the Yuan (1279-1367). From sheriff's clerk in the second generation, to chief councillor extraordinaire in the sixth, to slave in the eleventh, we see how the Shih lineage and the Sung government interacted to produce a drama of unparalleled furor.; The Conclusion contains an analytical discussion of the various factors influencing the mobility of the Shih lineage: degree-holding, imperial favor, biological trends, socio-economic standing, and dynastic change. The central issue here is the extent to which the Sung civil service was or was not a meritocracy. This is followed by several appendices, including genealogical charts and bibliographical note on the sources.
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