History of the Later Han (Volumes 1, 2, and 3)

Author: Fan Ye
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features: The Zhonghua Book Company edition of the annotated Post-Han History, which has been revised and reprinted numerous times since its initial publication in May 1965, has become the most widely used authoritative version among scholars and general readers. Based on this edition, the Post-Han History (simplified character version) follows the original annotated edition's format, with necessary technical adjustments to convert it into horizontal simplified characters. For the convenience of readers, the original annotations in traditional characters for names, places, and titles are retained. The Post-Han History consists of ninety volumes, compiled by Fan Ye of the Southern Dynasties period. Fan Ye, styled Wei Zong, was from Shunyang. He came from a prominent aristocratic family. His grandfather, Fan Ning, served as the Governor of Yujiang during the Jin Dynasty and wrote the Annotations to the Guangling Commentary. The Annotations to the Guangling Commentary served as the foundation for the Annotations to the Guangling Commentary in the Comprehensive Annotations to the Thirteen Classics. His father, Fan Tai, held the title of Jinzi Guangludafu and was also appointed as a Gentleman of the Yellow Robe, serving as a trusted assistant to Emperor Wu of the Liu Song Dynasty. He was well-read and dedicated to writing, composing the Selections of Ancient and Modern Wisdom in twenty-four chapters. Therefore, Fan Ye had deep scholarly heritage and regarded himself as a descendant of a distinguished family. He was known for his aloofness, unconcern for trivial matters, and ambition to excel both in official career and literary pursuits. This fame also led to his downfall. In the ninth year of the Yuangeng era, Fan Ye offended Liu Yikang, the Minister of Justice, during the mourning rites for the Empress Dowager of Pengcheng, and was demoted to the position of Governor of Xuancheng. Feeling stifled and frustrated, he turned to writing the Post-Han History to express his aspirations. In the twenty-second year of the Yuangeng era, while he had completed the chronicles and biographies, and had also collaborated with Xie Yan on the Records of Rites and Music, Records of Attire, Records of Five Elements, Records of Astronomy, and Records of States and Regions, he was accused of participating in Liu Yikang's plot to usurp the throne and was arrested and executed. Fearing implication, Xie Yan destroyed the manuscript of the five records, leaving only the chronicles and biographies of the Post-Han History to survive. Before Fan Ye's Post-Han History was published, there were already no fewer than ten important works on the history of the Eastern Han Dynasty in existence. Fan Ye used the Records of the Eastern Han as his primary source material and drew heavily from Hua Qiao's work, incorporating the strengths of other existing texts, refining and supplementing the content, and ultimately surpassing all previous works. By the Tang Dynasty, Fan Ye's Post-Han History had replaced the Records of the Eastern Han and became one of the "Three Histories" alongside the Records of the Grand Historian and the Records of the Han Dynasty, gaining widespread popularity. All other editions of the Post-Han History, except for Yuan Hong's Annals of the Later Han, were eventually lost. As a result, Fan Ye's Post-Han History became the fundamental basis for our study of the Eastern Han Dynasty. The Post-Han History records events from Liu Xiu's uprising against Wang Mang to the abdication of Emperor Xian of Han to Cao Pi, providing a detailed account of the 195-year history of the Eastern Han Dynasty.