Power hides by setting us against each other... Rural people are endlessly instructed that they're oppressed not by the lords of the land, but by vicious and ignorant townies.
What do a pagan war god and a serpent-tailed fairy have in common? Both were claimed as ancestors by England's medieval kings, who used myth and legend to elevate their status and reinforce their right to rule.
The upcoming hybrid talk at Rutgers Center for Chinese Studies will explore the historical concept of 'Zhengtong' in the context of political power in China.