"Man Proposes, Heaven Disposes": The Political Logic of Succession in Imperial China Speaker: Duancheng Yang楊端程, Lecturer, East China University of Politics and Law (dcyang@ecupl.edu.cn) Description: This study is based on a database encompassing all instances of political succession in imperial China, constructed by the speaker from a large collection of historical sources. The analysis reveals that only half of the designated successors in the two millennia of imperial Chinese history successfully ascended to power. These divergent outcomes are best explained by the age of the ruling monarch, the age gap between the ruling monarch and the designated successor, and the presence or absence of powerful officials at court. These findings the conventional wisdom that uses primogeniture to explain political succession and instead emphasizes the influence of non-institutional factors. (Co-authors: Haibing Yan and Jiawei Fu) Time: 7–8 p.m. (US Eastern Time), Wednesday, November 13, 2024 Venue: Academic West 112 (max attendees: 52) Pizza will be provided.