Mandate of Heavenpassim,passim,See also Heaven, 4–5, 9, 84–85, 90, 94–97, 106–109, 110, 113–116, 134–155, 158, 163–179, 182, 231, 249–251, 256, 259

and the common people, 95, 136, 147–148, 154, 176, 179

as form of legitimacy, 7, 94, 114, 137, 139, 144, 150, 245, 252

as permanent, 95, 118, 136, 142, 149–151, 155, 160, 167–169, 176, 178–179, 182

Mandate of Heaven (continued )

as renewable, 146, 237

as transferable, 142, 145–148, 154, 169–171, 251–252

during Western Zhou, 96

ideal, restructuring of, 117, 136, 140–142, 144–145, 151, 166, 169, 178, 180, 217

losing, 87, 96, 107, 117, 137, 142–143, 145–147, 178, 252

meaning of, 145–146

perennial, 6, 9, 38, 63, 96, 137, 176

predestination of, 5, 142, 151, 153–155, 173

sanction of, 96, 116, 134–136, 141–143, 146–150, 168, 174

winning, 136, 171, 179

Mandate of Yao, 23–24, 127, 142, 148, 156–158, 162–165, 169, 178, 181–182, 254–255

Mao Jin, 58, 223–224

Mao Zedong, 8–9

Master of the Golden Tower (Jin louzi),, 36

Master Zhuang (Zhuangzi),, 83

Melville, Herman, 1

memorials, xvii, 7, 19, 39, 42, 51, 109–110, 112–115, 121, 123–124, 141, 151–153, 176, 184, 212, 259

Mencius, 6, 140, 148–150, 154, 167, 179, 199, 251, 261

Meng Ji, 125

Meng Tong, 114–115, 241

Mengjian. See Ban Gu

ming (destiny),See also Mandate of Heaven, 136, 140, 248

Ming dynasty, 8, 57–58, 237

Ming, Emperor, 20, 51, 54, 119–120, 124, 127–128

minister(s)

relationship with ruler, 4–9, 15, 87, 101–103, 141–142, 150–152, 166, 209–210

self-protection of, 4, 15, 74, 179

wise and loyal, 5, 7, 13, 67, 78, 87–88, 126, 141–143, 154, 166, 175, 187, 237

miraculous birth, 161–162, 174, 227, 253

Miscellanies of the Western Capital,, 34, 215, 260

morality. See emperor, actions/behavior of; judgments, moral

Mount Kungang, 180

Mr. Zuo’s Commentaries on the Spring and Autumn (Chun qiu Zuo zhuan),, 35

Mu Ye, battle of, 144–145, 250

Music Bureau (Yuefu),, 127, 232

myth, of family origins, 70, 247

Nanjian edition, 57, 59

Nanshi. See Southern Histories

narrative, skillsSee also text, 11–12

New Tang History (Xin Tang shu),, 47

Ng, On-cho, xv

Nian’er shi zhaji. See Notebook on the Twenty-two Histories

Nine Philosophical Schools, 119, 242

Ningzong, Emperor, 57

Northern and Southern dynasties, 34

Northern Song dynasty, 57–59

Notebook on the Twenty-two Histories (Nian’er shi zhaji),, 49

objective history, xiv

official. See minister