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This book explores the rich and ancient tradition of Chinese astronomy, which developed as early as the third millennium BCE and was first documented on oracle bones over 4,000 years ago. Through a historical and cultural synthesis, the author investigates the evolution of Chinese cosmological views up until the arrival of Jesuit missionaries in the late 16th century an event that marked the beginning of the encounter between Chinese and Western science.
The book analyzes how Chinese cosmology and astronomy are deeply intertwined with the country's culture, society, and philosophy. It explores the fundamental role of astronomy in calendar planning, religious and civil rituals, and how the Chinese emphasis on predicting solar and lunar movements differed from the Western approach, which sought to understand the causes of celestial motions.
Through detailed chapters, the book examines the foundations of ancient mathematics, observational and astronomical calculation methods, and the instruments invented by Chinese astronomers, such as armillary spheres and gnomons. Finally, it compares Chinese and Western astronomy, highlighting similarities and differences in methods, theories, and principles.
The Mandate of Heaven: Astronomy in Ancient China offers a fascinating journey through millennia of Chinese astronomical history, enriching our understanding of this ancient tradition and its influence on world civilization.
List of contents
INTRODUCTION.- A 4000-YEAR EMPIRE: KINGDOMS AND DYNASTIES.- PHILOSOPHICAL AND RELIGIOUS THOUGHT.- MATHEMATICS.- ASTRONOMY.- ASTRONOMICAL INSTRUMENTS.- ASTRONOMY IN THE WEST AND IN CHINA.- CONCLUSIONS.- APPENDICES: A. ASTRONOMICAL PRINCIPLES AND TABLES.- B. LEXICAL NOTES AND TABLESC.- IMAGE CREDITS.- BIBLIOGRAPHY.- NAME INDEX.- GENERAL INDEX.
About the author
Daniele L.R. Marini earned his degree in Physics from the University of Milan. He contributed to the establishment of the "Giovanni degli Antoni" Department of Computer Science, where he taught and conducted research. He was a professor of Computer Science at the Polytechnic University of Milan, playing a key role in the creation of the Industrial Design degree program. In 1980, he founded a startup for the development of computer animation systems, Eidos S.p.A., which he directed until 1989. Since 2014, he has been on leave.
His primary research and teaching interests, often pioneering, have focused on the field of eidomatics (computer graphics and digital imaging). He has been consistently dedicated to the dissemination and application of computer science techniques.
Since 2016, he has also been engaged in the history of technology and astronomy. He has published over 200 scientific papers and presentations at national and international conferences, as well as several books, including:
- Marini D., Bertolo M., Rizzi A., Comunicazione visiva digitale: fondamenti di Eidomatica, Addison Wesley, Milan (2001)
- Rasheed S., Marini D., Rizzi A., Recognition of Colors in EEG: Planning Towards Brain-Computer Interface Applications, LAP Lambert Academic Publishing, Germany (2012)
- Marini D.L.R., La Prima Macchina Astronomica: Antikythera, La Voce di Hora (2022)
- Marini D.L.R., The Planetary Machine Designed by Johannes Kepler, Giornale di Fisica, Vol. LXV (2024)
- Marini D.L.R., Imago Cosmi: The Vision of the Cosmos and the History of Astronomical Machines, Springer (2023), also published in Italian in 2024.
- Marini D.L:R:, Il mandato del cielo. L’astronomia nell’antica Cina, Springer (2025)
The author is a permanent member of IEEE, a Fellow of IS&T, a former ACM member, and a member of the British Horological Society, the Antiquarian Horological Society, the Scientific Instruments Society, and the Scientific Instruments Commission.
Summary
This book explores the rich and ancient tradition of Chinese astronomy, which developed as early as the third millennium BCE and was first documented on oracle bones over 4,000 years ago. Through a historical and cultural synthesis, the author investigates the evolution of Chinese cosmological views up until the arrival of Jesuit missionaries in the late 16th century—an event that marked the beginning of the encounter between Chinese and Western science.
The book analyzes how Chinese cosmology and astronomy are deeply intertwined with the country's culture, society, and philosophy. It explores the fundamental role of astronomy in calendar planning, religious and civil rituals, and how the Chinese emphasis on predicting solar and lunar movements differed from the Western approach, which sought to understand the causes of celestial motions.
Through detailed chapters, the book examines the foundations of ancient mathematics, observational and astronomical calculation methods, and the instruments invented by Chinese astronomers, such as armillary spheres and gnomons. Finally, it compares Chinese and Western astronomy, highlighting similarities and differences in methods, theories, and principles.
The Mandate of Heaven: Astronomy in Ancient China offers a fascinating journey through millennia of Chinese astronomical history, enriching our understanding of this ancient tradition and its influence on world civilization.
