Book of Han

Author: Dong Han
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2000-01-01
Features: The Book of Han records the history of the feudal regime of the Former Han (230 BC–25 AD), which went through emperors such as Emperor Gaozu, Emperor Huidi, Empress Lü, Emperor Wen, Emperor Jing, Emperor Wu, Emperor Zhao, Emperor Xuan, Emperor Yuan, Emperor Cheng, Emperor Ai, Emperor Ping, and the usurper Wang Mang and Emperor Gengshi. The entire work consists of twelve treatises, eight tables, ten annals, and seventy biographies, totaling one hundred chapters, which were later divided into one hundred and twenty volumes by later scholars. The Book of Han was completed during the reign of Emperor Jing of the Later Han, taking approximately three to four decades to finish. Ban Gu belonged to a distinguished scholarly family with a vast collection of books. His father, Ban Biao, was a renowned Confucian scholar of his time, who stated, "Only by pursuing the way of the sages can one be truly devoted." He gathered historical anecdotes and oddities from earlier works, compiling the Postscript to the Records of the Grand Historian in sixty-five chapters. Ban Gu carried forward his father's aspirations, "dedicating himself to extensive learning and writing as his profession," to complete this work. The eight tables and the Treatise on Astronomy in the Book of Han were jointly compiled by his sister Ban Zhao and Ma Xin. The Book of Han pioneered the annalistic-table-treatise biographical style of Chinese historical writing, establishing the precedent for the compilation of orthodox historical records. Historian Yi Xuecheng once wrote in Discourses on Literature and History that, "The Records of the Grand Historian cannot serve as a fixed model; Ban Gu inherited its style and created a definitive precedent, becoming the foundation for later generations." Historically, the best of Chinese historical works have been ranked as the Records of Sima Qian and Ban Gu, often called the "Ban Ma pair" (referring to Ban Gu and Sima Qian). The two works each have their strengths, both being renowned masterpieces of Chinese historical scholarship and essential reading for those studying literature and history. The Book of Han is particularly celebrated for its rich historical sources and extensive knowledge. "It systematically organized the records of its era, with its elegant prose and detailed accounts, surpassing the capabilities of later historians." This demonstrates that the Book of Han holds significant value and importance in the history of scholarship.