The celebrated Shaolin Monastery on Mount Song preserves a considerable number of ancient stone monuments with engraved inscriptions. This masterly epigraphical study by one of the leading Japanese historians of China focuses on the important political relations between the imperial court and the famous monastery in medieval China. It includes a summary history of research on inscriptions on the stele, and discusses the importance attached to the stele by the Shaolin monks. This volume is part of a series by the Italian School of East Asian Studies (ISEAS) research institute, which focuses on the history, culture, literature, and religion of East Asia. Unless otherwise noted, all books are primarily in English, with references in Chinese and Japanese for important terms, concepts and bibliographical sources throughout.