The Geography of Song Literati Relations Revisited: Temporal Change, Tie Type, and Data Provenance in the China Biographical Database

This study reexamines the geography of Song literati relations using the 19 September 2026 release of the China Biographical Database (CBDB). It distinguishes event-dated non-kin associations from father-in-law ties dated by inferred birth cohort, compares the geographical reach of scholarly, political, and writing relations, and audits the effects of source provenance and chronology restrictions. The immediate contrast around 1127 is small and uncertain; changes in marriage proxies begin earlier, political ties remain comparatively transregional, and the later aggregate rise in local ties varies by source and date quality. The accompanying reproduction package contains scripts and aggregate results but no individual CBDB records. This version has not been peer reviewed.