History of Song (Complete 40 volumes)

Author: [Yu] Tuo Tuo
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-04-01
Features: The History of Song was compiled in the late Yuan Dynasty. The entire work consists of 47 volumes of Biographies, 162 volumes of Treatises, 32 volumes of Tables, and 255 volumes of Biographies of Notables, totaling 496 volumes and approximately 5 million words, making it the most extensive official historical work among the Twenty-Five Histories. As early as the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty, Kublai Khan ordered the compilation of the History of Song, but it was not completed due to the unsettled format. In the late Yuan Dynasty, Prime Minister Tuo Tuo proposed compiling the histories of Song, Liao, and Jin separately and independently. This idea was approved by the Yuan Emperor Toghon Temür, and the project was launched in March of the third year of the Zhizheng era (1343 AD), with the three histories being compiled concurrently. After two and a half years, the History of Song was hastily completed in October of the fifth year of the Zhizheng era (1345 AD). The History of Song was compiled by editing and abridging the original National History of Song. During the two Song dynasties, the historical office was well-organized, and movable-type printing was widely used, making the dissemination and preservation of books relatively convenient, accumulating a vast amount of historical materials. This provided a solid foundation for the Yuan Dynasty's compilation of the History of Song. However, due to the rushed and hasty compilation of the History of Song, there are numerous shortcomings in the selection of historical materials, verification of facts, refinement of text, and overall format. For example, there are dual biographies of the same person, claims of biographies where none exist, multiple references to the same event, headings without content, contradictions between Biographies and Treatises, Treatises and Treatises, Tables and Biographies, and between the text of Biographies and their commentaries. These issues have led to the History of Song being described as chaotic and disorganized among the Twenty-Five Histories. Despite its shortcomings, the History of Song is vast in scope, with over 2,000 Biographies, more than double the number in the Old Book of Tang. It also provides detailed narratives, and in terms of academic value, its thoroughness outweighs its brevity. Additionally, the main sources of the History of Song are the National History, Veritable Records, and Daily Calendars of the Song Dynasty. These historical works are almost entirely lost today, while the History of Song remains the most systematically preserved collection of official and private historical materials from the Song Dynasty.