CONTENTS

Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. PREFACE vii
3. CONTENTS xi
4. ABBREVIATIONS FREQUENTLY CITED xiii
5. I. THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC BACKGROUND 1
6. II. THE POLITICAL BACKGROUND 57
7. III. THE FIRST DECADE, 1343-1353 105
8. IV. PRECARIOUS EQUIUBRIUM, 1354-1365 148
9. V. DOMESTIC FERMENT AND FOREIGN PERILS, 1366-1370 194
10. VI. THE BURGEONING CRISIS, 1371-1375 244
11. VII. THE WAR OF THE "EIGHT SAINTS" 1375-1378 297
12. VIII. THE DEMISE OF THE REGIME, 1378 336
13. BIBLIOGRAPHY 397
14. INDEX 413