Includes bibliographical references and index.

Preliminary Material -- Introduction / Jeroen Duindam -- The Imperial Viceroy: Reflections on an Historical Type / Jürgen Osterhammel -- Devolution from the Centre to the Periphery: An Overview of Ottoman Provincial Administration / İ. Metin Kunt -- Broken Passage to the Summit: Nayancheng’s Botched Mission in the White Lotus War / Yingcong Dai -- Routine Promotions: Li Hu and the Dusty Byways of Empire / R. Kent Guy -- Ceremonial Demarcations. The Viceregal Court as Space of Political Communication in the Spanish Monarchy (Valencia, Naples, and Mexico 1621–1635) / Christian Büschges -- The Ambans of Tibet—Imperial Rule at the Inner Asian Periphery / Sabine Dabringhaus -- Remonstrating Against Royal Extravagance in Imperial China / Patricia Ebrey -- ‘True and Historical Descriptions’? European Festivals and the Printed Record / Helen Watanabe-O’Kelly -- Ceremonial Entries and the Confirmation of Urban Privileges in France, c. 1350–1550 / Neil Murphy -- ‘Willingly We Follow a Gentle Leader . . .’: Joyous Entries into Antwerp / Margit Thøfner -- Historical Narratives of the Kangxi Emperor’s Inaugural Visit to Suzhou, 1684 / Michael G. Chang -- Towards a Comparative Understanding of Rulership: Discourses, Practices, Patterns / Jeroen Duindam -- Index.

Available to subscribing member institutions only.

Maintaining the connections between the dynastic court and the provinces was a major challenge for pre-modern governments. The allegiance of governors shifted easily from the centre to the provinces. Ritual and festive occasions, equally important to generate cohesion, were rarely shaped wholly by either side. Agents andamp; Interactions examines these connections in late imperial China, early modern Europe, and the Ottoman empire. Contributions highlight the different and evolving notions of the governor, the choreography of rulers touring their realm, and the interpretations of sources describing such events. Important intercultural parallels appear, and it becomes clear that the domains of politics and culture cannot be separated. The chapters in this volume suggest important revisions and outline an agenda for comparison. This title is available online in its entirety in Open Access Contributors include: Patricia Buckley Ebrey, Jürgen Osterhammel, R. Kent Guy, Helen Watanabe-O’Kelly, I. Metin Kunt, Michael G. Chang, Margit Thøfner, Yingcong Dai, Neil Murphy, Christian Büschges