Agriculture and the Song Elite World of Literature

"Agriculture and the Song Elite World of Literature" analyzed how agricultural knowledge was learned, described, circulated, and ultimately claimed by the Song literati. This study focused on the dynamic evolution of the concept of "agriculture" (nong 農) within the textual practices by Song elites, highlighting the various descriptions of this topic across different types of texts, such as literary works, encyclopedias, jotted notes, agricultural treaties, and monographs. Using textual analysis and methods from book history, the research explored the interactions between these diverse texts and the broader literary tradition, an area often overlooked in earlier Western studies. This study also shed light on the publication, classification, and readership of agricultural texts, linking these factors to the writing strategies of agricultural promotion (quannong 勸農) literature and their evolution over time. By examining the shaping of textual practices among the Song literati, the research re-examined the tensions between the agricultural promotion policies portrayed in texts and their practical implementation. Ultimately, it demonstrated how the publication and circulation of agricultural monographs were cooperated into the Song elite’s social networks and textual world, addressing how textual traditions shaped practical knowledge and were, in turn, reshaped by it. This research laid a foundation for further studies on the intersection of technology, culture, and ideology in this period.