Research Outline of the Tang–Song Social Transformation

This book examines social transformation during the Tang-Song period by focusing on the emergence and development of the "society of moneyed elite" in ancient China. Specifically, the author tries to shed light on three important theoretical questions. First, how to understand social change from the perspective economic history; second, how to construct scientifically-informed causal explanations of historical processes and events; and third, how to remedy the shortcomings of previous studies that emphasize the contrasts between the two dynasties while overlooking the continuity between them.

Lin Wenxun received his Ph.D. in history from Yunnan University. He is the author of many monographs, and has published more than 150 articles in academic journals. His research interests include the history of Tang and Song dynasties, the economic history of China, and the history of China’s rural society. Coining the concept of "the society of moneyed elite" is one of Lin’s major contributions to his field of research.