‘The emperor is far away’

Despite producing vast quantities of written records, the Ming Dynasty's texts veil the lives of ordinary people from historical view. According to Aeon, this paradox highlights a blind spot in how we understand the past: abundant documentation doesn't necessarily mean we understand the people who actually lived it. Essayist Craig Clunas examines this gap—how elite-focused texts can obscure rather than illuminate the experiences of the vast majority under Ming rule.

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