Handbook of the History of the Han Dynasty

Author: Cang Xiuliang
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1996-11-01
Features: ★16-inch hardcover edition, containing over 23,800 entries ★Edited by Professor Cang Xiuliang, Vice President of the Society for the Study of Chinese Historical Documents and Professor at Hangzhou University ★The Dictionary of the Book of Han is a specialized dictionary for the Book of Han. The scope of its entries is based on the annotated edition of the Book of Han published by Zhonghua Book Company ★Comprehensive entries, extensive content, accurate definitions, concise language ★Appendices include the Index of Entries, Character Index, and a full map of the Western Han Dynasty, providing readers with convenient tools for understanding the definitions of terms Ban Gu wrote the Book of Han, using many archaic characters, and many biographies also quote a large number of poems and allusions, making it extremely difficult to understand. As soon as the book was published in the Eastern Han Dynasty, no ordinary scholar could comprehend it, except for Ban Zhao, who alone could explain it. Therefore, everyone sought her advice. Ma Rong, a famous scholar of the Eastern Han Dynasty, once knelt at her feet to study under her. The difficulty of this can be imagined. However, because it aligned with the historical requirements of the feudal ruling class that underwent constant dynastic changes, it was highly promoted and utilized by rulers, leading to an increasing number of scholars studying the Book of Han. "From the late Han Dynasty to the Chen Dynasty, there were twenty-five commentaries on it, and it became as important as the Five Classics for specialized study" (Shitong·Gujin Zhengshi). In the Tang Dynasty, Yan Shigu, building on previous research, made a comprehensive annotation of the Book of Han, which became the most widely used annotation for centuries. In the Qing Dynasty, Wang Xianqian wrote the Supplementary Annotations to the Book of Han, and before him, Shen Qinkan had written the Annotations and Explanations of the Book of Han. While all these works have provided some benefits for reading the Book of Han, they were ultimately the studies of experts and could not solve the problem for the general reader. Therefore, the Dictionary of the Book of Han was compiled. As part of the national key publishing project "Dictionary Series for the Twenty-Five Histories," this book is not only a reference tool for understanding this classic of ancient Chinese historical literature but also a large-scale encyclopedic dictionary for studying the cultural history of China from ancient times to the Han Dynasty. It holds original and pioneering significance. The Dictionary of the Book of Han is a specialized dictionary for the Book of Han, containing over 23,800 entries from the original text of the Book of Han, including terms, names of people, places, ethnic groups, official positions, works, astronomy, mathematics, music, science and technology, names of plants and animals, as well as historical events and institutional conventions. It strives for comprehensive coverage, accurate definitions, and concise language, and is accompanied by an Index of Entries and a Character Index. It is suitable for literary and historical researchers and readers with intermediate or higher education levels who wish to consult and study the Book of Han. It can also serve as a reference tool for those studying the history of the Han Dynasty and earlier periods.