Book of Han (Complete Three Volumes)

Author: (Han) Ban Gu compiled (Tang) Yan Shi Gu annotated
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-03-01
Features: The Book of Han, also known as The Former Han Book, is a historical record in the annalistic and biographical style, a dynastic history of China. It follows the format of Records of the Grand Historian with slight modifications, changing "books" to "annals" and "households" to "biographies," comprising four sections: chronicles, tables, treatises, and biographies. Since The Book of Han, subsequent dynasties imitated its format to compile other dynastic histories in the annalistic and biographical style. The Book of Han was written by Ban Gu, a historian of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Ban Gu (32–92 AD), styled Meng Jian, was from Anling in Fufeng (now eastern Xianyang, Shaanxi). He came from a wealthy and imperial family. His father, Ban Biao, served as the magistrate of Wangdu during the reign of Emperor Guangwu of the Eastern Han. Ban Biao was a learned and versatile scholar, specializing in historical texts and a renowned Confucian master. Dissatisfied with many continuations of Records of the Grand Historian, he "collected the lost tales of former histories and integrated diverse anecdotes" (Biography of Ban Biao in The Book of the Later Han), composing 65 chapters titled The Later Transmission to continue Records of the Grand Historian. Ban Gu was born into this scholarly family and could compose poetry and prose by the age of nine, entering the Imperial Academy in Luoyang at 16. He, delved into the doctrines of the Hundred Schools of Thought, and became familiar with the historical records of the Han Dynasty. In the 30th year of the Jianwu era (54 AD), Ban Gu returned to his hometown due to his father's death and organized Ban Biao's The Later Transmission. In the first year of Emperor Mingdi's Yongping era (58 AD), Ban Gu began compiling The Book of Han. Five years later, someone accused him of altering the official history, leading to his arrest. His younger brother, Ban Chao, rushed to Luoyang to defend him. When Emperor Mingdi reviewed the manuscript submitted by local officials, he greatly admired Ban Gu's talent and appointed him as an official in the Imperial Library, responsible for managing archives and verifying documents. Later, he was promoted to a position overseeing secretarial affairs, where Emperor Mingdi allowed him to continue compiling The Book of Han. During this time, Ban Gu, along with Chen Zong, Yin Min, and Meng Yi, completed The Annals of the World View, and later wrote 28 chapters of biographies and records on prominent figures, the Pinglin faction, and Gongsun Shu. In the fourth year of the Jianchu era (79 AD), Emperor Zhang gathered scholars at White Tiger Grotto to discuss the differences in the Five Classics and establish orthodox Confucianism. Ban Gu was tasked with compiling the findings, resulting in The White Tiger Treatise on Virtue and Unity (also known as The White Tiger Treatise). In the early years of Emperor He's Yongyuan era (89 AD), Ban Gu served as a deputy military commander under General Dou Xian in campaigns against the Northern Xiongnu. In the fourth year of the Yongyuan era (92 AD), Dou Xian, accused of plotting rebellion, committed suicide, and Ban Gu was implicated, first dismissed from office, and later arrested on the pretext of an insult by the magistrate of Luoyang, Zhong Jing, who had been humiliated by Ban Gu's household slaves. Ban Gu died in prison shortly after. Ban Gu began compiling The Book of Han in the early Yongping era and completed it in the seventh year of the Jianchu era (82 AD), a process spanning 25 years. The book covers 230 years of Western Han history, from the rebellion of Emperor Gaozu of Han (Liu Bang) against the Qin Dynasty to the downfall of the Xin Dynasty under Wang Mang. It includes 12 chronicles, 8 tables, 10 treatises, and 70 biographies, totaling 100 chapters. Among them, 8 tables and the Treatise on Astronomy were left unfinished, later completed by his sister, Ban Zhao, and Ma Xun of Fufeng. Thus, The Book of Han was compiled by four individuals: Ban Biao, Ban Gu, Ban Zhao, and Ma Xun. The Book of Han follows the format of Records of the Grand Historian but with modifications and innovations. In the chronicles section, The Book of Han replaces "chronicles" with "annals" (e.g., Annals of Emperor Gaozu), adding the Annals of Emperor Hui to supplement the gaps in Records of the Grand Historian and continuing with 6 additional imperial annals after the Annals of Emperor Wu. The Annals of Emperor Wu is omitted, and Xiang Yu's are moved to the biographies section, forming the Biography of Chen Sheng and Xiang Yu. Wang Mang, despite ruling for over a decade, is not given an annal but is included in the biographies section as the Biography of Wang Mang. In the tables section, The Book of Han includes 8 tables, 6 of which are based on Records of the Grand Historian and primarily record the deeds of figures from the Han Dynasty. The Table of People from Antiquity to the Chu-Han Period and the Table of Officials and Ministers are new additions. The Table of People from Antiquity to the Chu-Han Period is named "Antiquity and Modernity" but only covers figures up to the Chu-Han period, divided into nine ranks, earning criticism for not adhering to the dynastic format. Among the eight tables, the Table of Officials and Ministers is highly regarded. It is divided into two parts: the first part provides textual descriptions of the establishment, scope of authority, salaries, and evolution of official positions during the Qin and Han dynasties; the second part lists tables of various official positions, recording promotions, demotions, and dismissals, offering a comprehensive overview of the Han Dynasty's bureaucratic system. In the treatises section, The Book of Han replaces Records of the Grand Historian's "books" with "treatises" and expands and refines the eight treatises, forming the Bibliographical Style in Chinese historiography. The treatises of The Book of Han include the Treatise on Law and Calendar, Treatise on Rites and Music, Treatise on Punishments, Treatise on Wealth and Taxes, Treatise on Sacrifices, Treatise on Astronomy, Treatise on Five Elements, Treatise on Geography, Treatise on Waterways and Irrigation, and Treatise on Literature. Six of these treatises were renamed or merged, such as the Treatise on Law and Calendar, Treatise on Rites and Music, Treatise on Wealth and Taxes, Treatise on Sacrifices, Treatise on Astronomy, and Treatise on Waterways and Irrigation, with their content either differing or being expanded. For example, the Treatise on Wealth and Taxes inherits material from the Treatise on Equalizing Prices while adding new content, divided into upper and lower volumes. The upper volume discusses "wealth," covering agricultural economics, while the lower volume covers "goods," detailing industrial, commercial, and monetary conditions. The Treatise on Sacrifices, Treatise on Astronomy, and Treatise on Waterways and Irrigation also expand on the Treatise on Sacrifices, Treatise on the Heavenly Officials, and Treatise on River and Canal Systems, respectively. Additionally, the Treatise on Punishments, Treatise on Five Elements, Treatise on Geography, and Treatise on Literature are new creations. The Treatise on Literature records the origins, developments, and achievements of various disciplines and schools of thought in ancient Chinese academia, as well as the imperial library collections of the Han Dynasty, making it a surviving work of bibliographical studies. In the biographies section, The Book of Han follows the tradition of Records of the Grand Historian but omits the "households" section, moving figures from the Records of the Grand Historian's "households" to the biographies section. Some appendices from Records of the Grand Historian were expanded into full biographies or combined biographies, such as Zhang Qian, Dong Zhongshu, and Li Ling. The Book of Han inherits from but differs from Records of the Grand Historian, exhibiting three key characteristics. First, The Book of Han is imbued with feudal orthodox thought. During Ban Gu's time, feudal theological thought had become the dominant ideology, and the Ban family, as historians who "sincerely devoted themselves to the way of the sages," naturally took up the task of upholding feudal theology, using "the way of the sages" as the guiding principle of their work. Thus, while inheriting the content of Records of the Grand Historian, the author also criticized its "discrepancies with the sages," altering its perspectives to align with feudal orthodox thought. The book deifies the authority of the Western Han emperors and legitimizes the Han Dynasty, serving to justify the legitimacy of the Eastern Han Dynasty and deify its imperial authority. Consequently, the feudal theological doctrine of the "Five" (the theory of the cyclical decline and rise of the five elements) and the feudal belief in the divine grant of sovereignty become the dominant ideology of The Book of Han. To promote the feudal theological concept of "heaven-earth interaction" and auspicious signs, the book pioneers the Treatise on Five Elements, which records the mystical doctrines of five elements and disasters, and creates the Biography of Wu Xi, Xia Hou Jing, Jing Yi, and Li, which details the deeds of five elements scholars. Second, The Book of Han pioneered the practice of writing history for specific dynasties and standardized the annalistic and biographical compilation style. Ban Gu's decision to write history for specific dynasties was not accidental but rather a response to the demands of the era. He summarized historical works from the reign of Emperor Wu to the early Eastern Han Dynasty, adding creative developments to serve the political needs of the ruling class. Ban Gu believed that the universal history format of Records of the Grand Historian placed the Western Han Dynasty "at the end of the hundred kings and among the Qin and Xiang," neither promoting "Han virtue" nor highlighting the historical significance of the Han Dynasty. This became the basis for writing history for specific dynasties in The Book of Han. Thus, The Book of Han "encompasses an entire dynasty," with its chronological limit starting from the establishment of the Western Han and ending with its downfall. To emphasize Liu Bang, the Annals of Emperor Gaozu are placed first. This dynastic history format was praised by later feudal historians and became the model for compiling "orthodox histories" in subsequent dynasties. In terms of compilation style, The Book of Han inherited and developed the format of Records of the Grand Historian, making the annalistic and biographical style more complete. For example, although Records of the Grand Historian included the Annals of Empress Lü, it used the era name of Emperor Hui, so The Book of Han added the Annals of Emperor Hui to resolve the inconsistency in Records of the Grand Historian's style. It also recorded years and months more clearly and explicitly than Records of the Grand Historian. Furthermore, the four new treatises created by The Book of Han provide more comprehensive records of the Western Han Dynasty's political, economic, social, and cultural systems, enhancing its historical value. In the arrangement of biographies, The Book of Han generally follows a chronological order, with a more uniform and standardized style than Records of the Grand Historian. Third, The Book of Han is rich in sources, preserving many important historical documents. The surviving The Book of Han is approximately 800,000 words, with a more extensive volume than Records of the Grand Historian. It includes many important edicts, primarily in the chronicles section. In many biographies, it also incorporates a large number of memorials, policy proposals, writings, and letters related to politics, economy, military, and culture. Among the 10 treatises, it also includes similar important historical documents, such as the Memorial on the Value of Grain by Chao Cuo in the Treatise on Wealth and Taxes. The Book of Han also supplements Records of the Grand Historian with materials on the histories of various ethnic groups within and outside China. For example, based on the Biography of the Xiongnu in Records of the Grand Historian, it extensively adds historical facts from Emperor Wu's reign onward, providing a more complete account of the Xiongnu people's history from ancient times to the end of the Western Han Dynasty. It also merges the biographies of the Nanyue, Dongye, Korea, and Southwest Yi in Records of the Grand Historian, writing a more detailed combined biography after supplementing substantial historical facts. Meanwhile, it changes the Biography of Dayuan in Records of the Grand Historian to the Biography of the Western Regions, recording the history of various ethnic groups in Xinjiang and the histories of Central and Southwest Asia. The Book of Han uses archaic characters and meanings, making its language difficult to understand, so contemporaries had to provide annotations on its pronunciation and meaning to comprehend it. According to the Sui Dynasty Records of the Classics, nearly 20 families of scholars annotated The Book of Han from the Eastern Han to the Southern and Northern Dynasties, with most focusing on annotations of pronunciation and meaning. Regarding the annotations of The Book of Han, those by scholars before the Tang Dynasty have been lost. The surviving annotations of The Book of Han are the comprehensive annotations compiled by Yan Shi of the Tang Dynasty, considered a relatively complete annotation.