This volume seeks to study the connections between two well-studied epochs in Chinese history: the mid-imperial era of the Tang and Song era (ca.800-1270) and the late imperial era of the late Ming and Qing (1550-1900). Both eras are seen as periods of explosive change, particularly in economic activity, characterized by the emergence of new forms of social organization and a dramatic expansion in knowledge and culture. The task of establishing links between these two periods has been impeded by a lack of knowledge of the intervening Mongol Yuan dynasty (1271-1368). This historiographical black hole has artificially interrupted the narrative of Chinese history and bifurcated it into two distinct epochs.