The Mythistorical Chinese Scholar-Rebel-Advisor Li Yan

Download or read book The Mythistorical Chinese Scholar-Rebel-Advisor Li Yan written by Roger V. Des Forges and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2020-03-09 with total page 586 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Roger Des Forges here examines the puzzle of Li Yan, a Chinese scholar who advised the rebel Li Zicheng (1605-1645), and helped him to overthrow the Ming, only to die at his hands. For more than three centuries, Li Yan’s identity and even existence were seriously questioned. Then, in 2004, there was discovered a genealogical manuscript which includes a Li Yan (1606-1644). He now appears to be the principal historical reality behind the Li Yan story, which became a powerful metaphor for the rise and fall of Li Zicheng’s rebellion. Offering a fresh theory of Chinese and world history, the author elucidates Li Yan’s historical significance by comparing and contrasting him with similar figures in other times and places around the globe.