The pragmatics of standardization
Document standards and their implementation in Qin administration (late third century bce)
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 2782252 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Thies Staack (0000-0001-7989-5836, Universität Hamburg, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 86 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 147-173 |
| Publication date | 2023-02-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0041-977X • E-ISSN: 1474-0699 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s0041977x23000228 |
| OpenAlex | W4382561594 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 11 |
With a view to the necessities as well as the possible problems of a document-based administration, this paper approaches the area of conflict between standardization and flexibility in the production of administrative documents in ancient China. Recently published sources from the imperial Qin period (221-207 bce) have provided the opportunity to compare administrative documents excavated at Liye with standards regulating their production. With the help of two case studies, the paper explores to what extent official document standards were implemented in everyday practice or purposefully neglected in ancient Qianling county. It also discusses which standards were followed more closely than others, and what might be the reasons behind this. Shedding light on the large grey zone between faithful adherence and complete neglect, the paper suggests that officials chose a pragmatic way influenced by both economic considerations informed by the local circumstances and the requirements imposed by the central government
Administration (probate law) · Consistency (knowledge bases) · Economics · Flexibility (engineering) · Government (linguistics) · Linguistics · Management · Neglect · Political science · Pragmatics · Production (economics) · Public relations · Standardization · Artificial Intelligence · Chinese history and philosophy · Computer Science · Law · Psychology · Public Administration
The state and empire of Ch'in
State-Induced Migration and the Creation of State Spaces in Early Chinese Empires
The Qin Slips and Boards From Well No. 1, Liye, Hunan
Single- And Multi-Piece Manuscripts in Early Imperial China
Categorizing Laborers
Legal Practice in the Formative Stages of the Chinese Empire
The Men Who Governed Han China
Remnants of Ch'in Law
Scribes, Assistants, and the Materiality of Administrative Documents in Qin-Early Han China
Discrepancy between Laws and their Implementation
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |