Mysticism and Kingship in China: The Heart of Chinese Wisdom

This book surveys over four-thousand years of Chinese civilisation through an examination of the relationship between kingship and mysticism. Julia Ching investigates the sage-king myth and ideal, and analyses the various skills that have been required as qualifications of leadership. She concludes that the sage-king ideal has promoted expectations of benevolent despotism rather than democratisation in Chinese society. Lucidly written, the book will be of interest to anyone seeking to understand how today's China continues to draw on its past.