02476cam a22003013u 450000100060000000300070000600500170001300600020003000700050003200800410003704000110007804100170008905000070010610000510011324501670016426400510033130000470038233600260042933700260045533800360048150000310051750801880054852013230073653400450205965300100210485600430211499900170215757868UtSlPG20260610134332.0mcr n260607r2018||||utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d  aUtSlPG 7aen2iso639-1 4aDS1 aWilliams, S. Wellsq(Samuel Wells),d1812-188414aThe Middle Kingdom, Volume 1 (of 2) :bA Survey of the Geography, Government, Literature, Social Life, Arts, and History of the Chinese Empire and its Inhabitants 1aSalt Lake City, UT :bProject Gutenberg,c2018  a1 online resource :bmultiple file formats  atextbtxt2rdacontent  acomputerbc2rdamedia  aonline resourcebcr2rdacarrier  aRelease date is 2018-09-08  aE-text prepared by Henry Flower and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by Internet Archive (https://archive.org)  a"The Middle Kingdom, Volume 1 (of 2)" by S. Wells Williams is a comprehensive historical account written in the late 19th century. This detailed work explores the geography, government, literature, social life, arts, and history of the Chinese Empire and its inhabitants. It aims to provide an insightful overview of Chinese civilization, describing its remarkable attributes and addressing the transformations influenced by external interactions and internal reforms.  The opening of the text begins with a contextual preface that reflects on the significant advancements China made politically and intellectually over the preceding thirty-five years. Williams outlines his intent to present a reformed image of China, emphasizing changes in governance and society that have taken root, particularly in the context of foreign relations. He describes the structure of the Chinese Empire, reserving particular attention for its vast geography, rich historical narratives, and unique culture—a foundation upon which he builds the subsequent chapters discussing specific aspects of Chinese life. The opening establishes a foundational understanding of China’s historical context, setting the stage for a deeper exploration of its complexities in the chapters that follow. (This is an automatically generated summary.)  nOriginal publication data not identified  aChina40uhttps://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/57868  c98697d98697