ABSTRACT

This chapter identifies a notation on the back of the strips as "Killing Officers," are too fragmented to permit more than speculative analysis. However, additions and deletions made by the 1985 edition dramatically alter the contents, requiring a brief overview of the divergent interpretations as well as extensive annotation of the various contextual possibilities. As the infantry grew in importance and the status of the old nobility declined, talent and professional specialization became important to the state's survival, with the shih frequently becoming professional military men, serving as officers and eventually noncommissioned officers. In fact, the military writings generally stressed that in the administering of punishment, the great and noble should never be spared, thereby striking awe into the troops and causing them to obey commands and fight aggressively in battle. Apart from anger, the most prominent factors raised by the military writings encompass shame, rewards and punishments, family, and native place.