The jian bureaucracy and mid-Tang literature

Abstract

Jian bureaucrats as a group played an active role in the cultural and political life of China during the mid-Tang period (CE 766–835). Mid-Tang scholars engaged in literary pursuits formed strong attachments to jian positions and were eager to serve as jian bureaucrats. If experience had taught the mid-Tang jian bureaucrats anything, it was that they had to follow cautious strategies in making arguments or suggestions concerning government affairs. This paper aims to show that these jian bureaucrats tended to incorporate their political agenda for administrative supervision into literary writings. In this sense, the relevance between literary activities having political significance and the political agenda of the mid-Tang literati holding jian positions can be examined.

Keywords

jian bureaucrats, political agenda, administrative supervision, mid-Tang literary activities