Life of an Exile: Sun Di’s (1081–1169) Letters Pertaining to His Banishment to Xiangzhou

What kind of impact did social networks of Song literati have on their lives in exile? This paper focuses on Sun Di 孫覿 (1081-1169), a prominent literary figure in the Northern to Southern Song transition, and studies his epistolary writings in connection with his banishment to Xiangzhou 象州 in the ye...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Chu, Ming-kin (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Journals Online & Print:
Drawer...
Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Published: American Oriental Society 2021
In: Journal of the American Oriental Society
Year: 2021, Volume: 141, Issue: 3, Pages: 521-538
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Description
Summary:What kind of impact did social networks of Song literati have on their lives in exile? This paper focuses on Sun Di 孫覿 (1081-1169), a prominent literary figure in the Northern to Southern Song transition, and studies his epistolary writings in connection with his banishment to Xiangzhou 象州 in the years 1133 and 1134. Through an in-depth analysis of the contents of his letters, the paper shows how Sun Di established ties with officials in different localities and how he responded to the humiliation of banishment. I argue that Sun Di’s reputation as a literary stylist among his contemporaries helped him to develop a good rapport with local officials, particularly in the Guangnan West circuit, which was essential to creating a relatively comfortable exile journey and a pleasant life during his confinement. This study highlights the value of letters as historical sources pertaining to Song political and literati culture and sheds light on literati responses to life’s many challenges.
ISSN:2169-2289
Contains:Enthalten in: American Oriental Society, Journal of the American Oriental Society
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.7817/jameroriesoci.141.3.0521