"The matter of saṃgha-state relations is of central importance to both the political and the religious history of China. The volume 'The Middle Kingdom and the Dharma Wheel' brings together, for the first time, articles relating to this field covering a time span from the early Tang until the Qing dynasty. In order to portray also the remarkable thematic diversity of the field, each of the articles not only refers to a different time but also discusses a different aspect of the subject."--Back cover.