New Tang History (Complete 20 Volumes)

Author: Ouyang Xiu [Song Dynasty]
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-07-07
Features: A New History of the Tang Dynasty, a historical chronicle in the biographical style that records the history of the Tang Dynasty in China. It consists of 225 volumes, including 10 volumes of imperial chronicles, 50 volumes of treatises, 15 volumes of tables, and 150 volumes of biographies. Compiled by Song Dynasty scholars such as Song Qi (998–1061) and Ouyang Xiu, the book was completed in the fifth year of Emperor Renzong's Jiayou era (1060) and presented to the court by Zeng Gongliang. The biographies added in A New History of the Tang Dynasty primarily draw from the author's own memorials or posthumous accounts, as well as inscriptions on steles, various historical records, notes, and fiction. Most of the new treatises are more detailed than the old ones. A New History of the Tang Dynasty added the Treatise on Military Affairs, the Treatise on Imperial Selection, and the Treatise on Ceremonial Attire, which became a model for subsequent dynastic histories, including the History of the Song Dynasty and later works. The Treatise on Military Affairs briefly records the Tang Dynasty's military systems and their evolution. The Treatise on Imperial Selection primarily covers the origins of Tang officials, schools, imperial examinations, and the selection, assessment, and evaluation of officials. A New History of the Tang Dynasty revived the tradition of using tables established in Records of the Grand Historian and Records of the Han Dynasty, creating four tables: the Table of Prime Ministers, the Table of Military Commanders, the Table of Imperial Clan Lineages, and the Table of Prime Minister Lineages. Among these, the Table of Prime Minister Lineages is particularly distinctive and convenient for tracing historical figures. However, since the Song Dynasty, many scholars have pointed out that it relies on various genealogies, containing numerous errors and omissions. A New History of the Tang Dynasty was first printed during Emperor Renzong's reign in the Northern Song Dynasty, with only 8 volumes surviving today. There is also a 16-line edition from the Northern Song Dynasty, with 124 volumes remaining. Additionally, a 10-line edition from the Southern Song Dynasty has 2 volumes left. The A New History of the Tang Dynasty in the Huanfen Pavilion's Hundred Suture Edition is based on these surviving prints. The widely circulated edition from the Wuying Hall during the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty. The edition published by the Zhonghua Book Company in 1975 is based on the Hundred Suture Edition of A New History of the Tang Dynasty and incorporates references from other printed versions, making it the best available edition.