Song Dynasty Tale
Hacker, Randi McMahon, Keith
Hacker, Randi
McMahon, Keith
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Abstract
Broadcast Transcript: It's been said that a cat may look at a king and, a story from 12th Century China shows that a cat may make or break a king also. Gaozong was the 10th emperor of the Song Dynasty. In 1129, his only son died unexpectedly and so a search was mounted to find a boy to succeed to the throne. After considering many boys, the emperor narrowed it down to two finalists: a thin one and a plump one. He favored the plump one. At the last minute, however, Gaozong had the boys stand side by side for a final look-see and as they did, a cat walked by and the plump one kicked it and so, the emperor chose the thin one to become his heir. Moral of the story: Dynastic leadership is like comedy: the most important thing is timing. #ceas #china #hacker #mcmahon
Description
This is one of hundreds of 60-second radio spots created by the Center for East Asian Studies (CEAS) for Kansas Public Radio (KPR). The purpose of this outreach program is to introduce the people of Kansas to the culture and current issues of East Asia.
Date
2012-08-01
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Publisher
Center for East Asian Studies, University of Kansas
Archive Status
This item contains archived web content.
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Keywords
China, Song Dynasty, Gaozong, Cat