To Build or Not to Build? Frontier Walls, Trenches, and Forts in Mid-Jin Politics, 1161–1208
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 16502011 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Johannes S Lotze (Hebrew University of Jerusalem Martin Buber Society of Fellows Jerusalem Israel, corresponding author), Lili Xia (0000-0003-3924-7513, Barnard College Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Cultures New York, NY USA), Zhidong Zhang (0000-0002-1461-9037, Hebrew University of Jerusalem Department of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies Jerusalem Israel), Gideon Shelach-Lavi (0000-0002-1576-1844, Hebrew University of Jerusalem Department of Asian Studies Jerusalem Israel) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 112 |
| Issue | 1-2 |
| Pages | 163-214 |
| Publication date | 2026-04-08 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | T oung Pao (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0082-5433 • E-ISSN: 1568-5322 |
| Publisher | Walter de Gruyter GmbH (PUBLISHER • DE) |
| DOI | 10.1163/15685322-11201006 |
| OpenAlex | W7152448642 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
In this article, we offer an in-depth contextualization of the construction of frontier walls, trenches, and forts under the Shizong and Zhangzong emperors of the Jurchen Jin dynasty, supplementing historical sources with up-to-date archaeological findings. We argue that, rather than through a narrow military history approach, the agendas behind these construction projects can only be understood in a wider framework of frontier-related Jin institutions and practices that include the Jurchen relationship with steppe nomads, border market trade, garrison farming, and seasonal hunting. Not just fortification-building but all of these practices were subject to Jin court debates around purpose and effectiveness. We also argue that the concrete interests behind projects changed with shifting historical scenarios, suggesting a chronological framework that unifies both our historical and archaeological investigations
China · Contextualization · Frontier · German · Steppe · Subject (documents · China's Ethnic Minorities and Relations · Chinese history and philosophy · Eurasian Exchange Networks
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |