The Kongs of Qufu

"As Agnew recounts the compelling stories of how the Kong family negotiated with the state and regional powers to maintain social hierarchies, he presents the ducal institution (1055–1935) as a remarkable case for the study of institutional history at both regional and state levels. This is perfect supplemental reading to Michael Szonyi's Practicing Kinship for readers interested in Chinese lineages. . . . Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty."—Choice

"Agnew's book is impressive in its chronological and thematic scope, and he makes persuasive arguments about economic, political, and social factors thatshaped the history of the Kong ducal establishment."—Journal of Chinese Studies

"This groundbreaking study of the Yansheng Dukes brings together the scattered primary and secondary literature on a unique descent group that was a part of the elite stratum of Chinese society over a period encompassing multiple dynasties. Agnew does a good job of placing the vacillating fortunes of the Kongs within a broader backdrop of events occurring on the empire-wide, regional, and local levels."—Evelyn S. Rawski, Distinguished University Professor Emerita of History, University of Pittsburgh

"Christopher Agnew delivers a cast of extraordinary characters and a litany of compelling stories in this study of China's most notable lineage. The Kong family's millennium-long quest to establish or "invent" a noble ancestry, and to use that construct to exert territorial control is by no means typical of Chinese kinship organizations. Yet Agnew merges that family experience with the institutional history of late-imperial China to provide us with remarkable new insights into the vagaries and processes of both regional and state power."—James Flath, Department of History, Western University

"This is a meticulously documented social history. Professor Agnew shows how the Kongs deployed their considerable social, economic, political and cultural capital to sustain their estates in western Shandong for over 700 years. The book will appeal to anyone in early modern or modern history concerned about the Kong family or the state."—R. Kent Guy, Department of History, University of Washington