() Twenty-Four Histories (Complete 20 volumes)

Author: Editorial Department of Zhonghua Book Company
Publisher:
Publishing Time: 1997-10-01
Features: The clear and coherent thread of life and development of the Chinese nation over thousands of years has left behind a series of historical records imbued with the heart and wisdom of the ancients. Among them, the most outstanding and most representative are the "Twenty-Four Histories." The "Twenty-Four Histories" record the historical process of China from the ancient era to the Ming Dynasty for thousands of years, showcasing the rise and fall of dozens of dynasties. They are the most authoritative historical materials for studying Chinese history, as well as precious resources for exploring the history of countries around China. They can be regarded as an encyclopedia of Chinese civilization. Due to the breadth and depth of its content, the "Twenty-Four Histories" are not only a must-read for those who study history but also a treasure trove for political and military strategists, thinkers, scientists, and entrepreneurs, serving as a guide for governing the state, planning strategies, innovating, and achieving success. They are also seen as a clear mirror for cultivating oneself, managing one's family, finding one's place in the world, and navigating social interactions.
Records: The Records initially did not have a fixed title, sometimes referred to as "The Works of Sima Qian" or "The Records of Sima Qian," or simply "Sima Qian." "Records" was originally a general term for historical books. From the Three Kingdoms period onwards, "Records" gradually became a specific term for "The Works of Sima Qian." The author was Sima Qian, styled Zichang, from Xiaoyang in left Fengyi. He was born in the fifth year of the Zhongyuan period of Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty and died around the third year of the Zhenghe period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. Sima Qian's father, Sima Tan, served as the Historian-in-Chief in the central government of the Han Dynasty, responsible for managing imperial archives and collecting historical materials, as well as studying astronomy and calendar. Sima Tan intended to compile a comprehensive history, but his wish was unfulfilled as he passed away. On his deathbed, he instructed Sima Qian to complete his unfinished work. Sima Qian was diligent from a young age and began studying the ancient literature of his time at the age of ten. Later, he studied the "Gongyang Spring and Autumn" and the "Ancient Text Shangshu" under Dong Zhongshu and Kong Anguo. In the third year of the Yuanshu period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, at the age of twenty, driven by a desire for knowledge, Sima Qian traveled throughout the famous mountains and rivers of the motherland, examining historical sites and collecting legends. Through field investigations of historical relics and historical facts before and after the founding of the Western Han Dynasty, Sima Qian broadened his horizons and gained knowledge, laying a solid foundation for later compiling the Records. After Sima Tan's death, Sima Qian inherited his father's position as the Historian-in-Chief, which gave him access to a large number of books, documents, and national archives. This was an indispensable condition for Sima Qian in compiling the Records. In the first year of the Taichu period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Sima Qian began compiling the Records. In the second year of the Tianhan period, Li Ling led an army to fight against the Xiongnu alongside Li Guangli but was defeated and surrendered. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty asked Sima Qian for his opinion on Li Ling, and Sima Qian said that Li Ling's surrender was due to being outnumbered and lacking reinforcements, and that the blame did not solely lie with Li Ling. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty believed that Sima Qian was intentionally protecting and excusing Li Ling, criticizing Emperor Wu's favorite concubine Li Furen's brother, Li Guangli. As a result, Sima Qian was imprisoned and subjected to castration. Three years later, he was released from prison and redoubled his efforts to write the Records. Around the second year of the Zhenghe period, he basically completed the compilation work. Many years after Sima Qian's death, his grandson Yang Yan finally made this immortal masterpiece of over 520,000 characters public. The Records is a comprehensive history that spans from ancient times to the present, from the legendary Yellow Emperor to the first year of the Yongshou period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, narrating China's history of about three thousand years. According to Sima Qian, the entire book consists of twelve "Annals," ten "Tables," eight "Books," thirty "Hereditary Houses," and seventy "Biographies," totaling one hundred and thirty chapters. Ban Gu mentioned in the "Biography of Sima Qian" in the "Book of Han" that the Records lacks ten chapters. In the Wei Dynasty, Zhang Yan pointed out that these ten chapters are the "Annals of Emperor Jing," the "Annals of Emperor Wu," the "Book of Rites," the "Book of Music," the "Book of Laws," the "Table of Generals since the Rise of the Han Dynasty," the "Biography of the Astrologers," the "Hereditary Houses of the Three Kings," the "Biography of Tortoise and Diviner," and the "Biography of Fu and Jin." Most later scholars disagreed with Zhang Yan's statement, but the incompleteness of the Records is undeniable. The current edition of the Records also consists of one hundred and thirty chapters, with a few chapters obviously not written by Sima Qian. During the reigns of Emperor Yuan and Emperor Cheng of the Han Dynasty, Cai Shaojun revised parts of the Records. In the current edition of the Records, "The Sayings of Cai Shaojun" are his revisions. The Records drew materials from a wide range of sources. Works such as "Shiben," "Guoyu," "Guocuo," "Qin Records," "Chu Spring and Autumn," and the works of the hundred schools of thought, as well as national documents and archives, and materials obtained through field investigations, were all important sources for Sima Qian in writing the Records. What is particularly valuable is that Sima Qian conducted a serious analysis and selection of the collected materials, discarding some unfounded claims. For some unclear issues, he either adopted a stance of doubt or recorded various different accounts. Due to the extensive sources and the serious and rigorous attitude in compiling history, the Records is factual and rich in content.
Books: Following Sima Qian's compilation of the Records, Ban Gu wrote the Book of Han. Ban Gu, styled Mengjian, was from Anling in Fufeng. He was born in the eighth year of the Jianwu period of Emperor Guangwu of the Eastern Han Dynasty. His father, Ban Biao, was a historian who wrote sixty-five chapters of the "Post-Han Records" to supplement the Records of Sima Qian. The Book of Han was completed based on the "Post-Han Records." In the first year of the Yongyuan period of Emperor He, Ban Gu followed the General of the Carriage and Horse Guards Dou Xian in an expedition against the Xiongnu and participated in planning. Later, he was imprisoned for an offense and died in prison in the fourth year of the Yongyuan period. At that time, eight tables and the "Book of Astronomy" of the Book of Han were still unfinished. Emperor He of the Han Dynasty ordered Ban Gu's sister, Ban Zhao, to complete the eight tables and the "Book of Astronomy." Ban Zhao was the only female author among the "Twenty-Four Histories." The Book of Han includes twelve "Annals," eight "Tables," ten "Books," and seventy "Biographies," totaling one hundred chapters, later divided into one hundred and twenty volumes. Its narrative begins in the first year of Emperor Liu Bang of the Han Dynasty and ends in the fourth year of Emperor Wang Mang's Diyuang period. Compared to the Records of Sima Qian, the system of the Book of Han has changed. The Records of Sima Qian is a comprehensive history, while the Book of Han is a history of a specific dynasty. The "Annals" in the Book of Han are referred to as "Annals," the "Biographies" as "Biographies," and the "Books" as "Books." The "Hereditary Houses" were abolished, and all hereditary houses of the Han dynasty's meritorious ministers were included in the "Biographies." These changes were later adopted by some later histories. The Book of Han covers the same period as the Records of Sima Qian, with the history of Western Han before the mid-period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty recorded in both books. For this part, the Book of Han often borrows from the Records of Sima Qian. However, due to differences in the authors' ideological perspectives and standards for selecting materials, there were additions, deletions, and modifications when borrowing. The Book of Han added the "Book of Criminal Law," the "Book of Five Elements," the "Book of Geography," and the "Book of Literature." The "Book of Criminal Law" systematically describes the evolution of the legal system and some specific regulations and ordinances. The "Book of Geography" records the administrative divisions, historical changes, and population figures of the commanderies and counties at that time, with special attention to the records of local products, economic development, and folk customs. The "Book of Literature" appraises the origins of various academic schools and records the existing books, making it the earliest existing catalog of books in China. The "Book of Food and Wealth" evolved from the "Book of Equilibrium" but is richer in content. It has two volumes, the upper volume discussing "food" or agricultural economic conditions, and the lower volume discussing "wealth" or commercial and monetary situations, serving as an economic treatise of the time. One of the eight tables in the Book of Han is the "Table of People of Ancient and Modern Times," which lists from the Yellow Emperor to Wu Guang, with "ancient" but without "modern," which drew later criticism. However, the "Table of Officials and Ministers" in the Book of Han is highly praised by later scholars. This table first describes the establishment of official positions and ranks in the Qin and Han dynasties, including the authority and salary of various positions, and then uses a simple table with thirty-four official positions divided into fourteen levels to record the promotions and demotions of officials and ministers in the Han Dynasty. It is not long, yet it clearly presents the bureaucratic system and the changes in the bureaucracy of that time. In terms of ideological content, the Book of Han is inferior to the Records of Sima Qian. Ban Gu once criticized Sima Qian, saying that "his discussions of right and wrong often deviated from the sages." This reflects the ideological differences between the two. The "sages" refer to Confucius. Sima Qian did not completely use Confucian thought as the standard for judging right and wrong, which is commendable. However, Ban Gu's insights were inferior to Sima Qian's. This change from Sima Qian to Ban Gu reflects the fact that Confucian thought, as the orthodox ideology of feudalism, had already firmly established itself in the field of historiography during the Eastern Han Dynasty. The Book of Han often uses archaic characters and terms, making it relatively difficult to read.
Records of the Later Han Dynasty: The Records of the Later Han Dynasty, originally titled "The History of the Later Han Dynasty," is also known as "The Book of Liang, Tang, Jin, and Zhou." Later, to distinguish it from Ouyang Xiu's "New History of the Later Han Dynasty," it is commonly referred to as "The Records of the Later Han Dynasty." This is an official history compiled by order of Emperor Taizu of the Song Dynasty. Xue Juzheng supervised the compilation, and Lu Duoqun, Hu Meng, Zhang Dan, Li, Liu Jian, Li Mu, and Li Jiulin assisted in the compilation. The compilation began in April of the sixth year of the Kaibao period of Emperor Taizu (973 AD) and was completed the next year in the intercalary October. The compilation was completed in only a little over a year. The speed of compilation was due to Emperor Taizu's high and the high-ranking and strong team of compilers; at the same time, it was because it was not far from ancient times and there were quite comprehensive historical materials available for reference. The Later Han Dynasty had official records for each of the five dynasties, and Fan Zhi further organized these into a concise version of the official records—"The Comprehensive Records of the Five Dynasties"—which greatly facilitated the compilation of history. The period between the Tang and Song dynasties in Chinese history was the last large-scale period of division and separatism in feudal society. For fifty-three years (907 AD to 960 AD), the Central Plains appeared five dynasties—Later Liang, Later Tang, Later Jin, Later Han, and Later Zhou—and ten small states outside the Central Plains, such as Wu, Southern Tang, Wu Yue, Chu, Min, Southern Han, Former Shu, Later Shu, Southern Ping, and Northern Han. There were also ethnic minority regimes established by minorities such as the Khitan, Tibetan, Bohai, Daxiang, Nanqiang, Yuquan, and Dongdan, collectively known as the "Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms." The Records of the Later Han Dynasty records this period of history.
New Records of the Later Han Dynasty: The New Records of the Later Han Dynasty, originally titled "The New History of the Later Han Dynasty," is the only private corrected history compiled after the establishment of the Tang Dynasty for history. The compiler was Ouyang Xiu (1007-1072 AD), who compiled it between the third year of the Jingyou period (1036 AD) and the fifth year of the Huangyou period (1053 AD) over eighteen years. Ouyang Xiu, styled Yongshu, styled，，was the leader of the Northern Song Dynasty's ancient-style writing movement, one of the "Eight Great Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties," and a renowned historian who was ordered by Emperor Taizu and Song Qiqi to lead the compilation of the New History of the Tang Dynasty. His political was to uphold Confucianism and restore the ancient ways, which also guided his approach to compiling history. He intended to inherit the writing style and principles of Confucius's "Spring and Autumn" and "censure," and the Records of the Later Han Dynasty. In terms of arrangement, it overturned the basic structure of one history for one dynasty in the Records of the Later Han Dynasty and followed the method of the Records of the Southern and Northern Dynasties, breaking through the boundary lines of dynasties and comprehensively organizing the events of the five dynasties in chronological order. The New Records of the Later Han Dynasty, with a total of seventy-four volumes, includes twelve "Annals," forty-five "Biographies," three "Examinations," eleven "Hereditary Houses and Genealogies," and four "Annals of Ethnic Minorities." The "Biographies" have a unique feature. It uses the form of "category biographies," establishing categories such as "Biography of Family Members," "Biography of Officials," "Biography of Those Who Died for Loyalty," "Biography of Those Who Died for Duty," "Biography of a Single Individual," "Biography of the Six Officials of the Tang Dynasty," "Biography of Fù's Foster Child," "Biography of Courtiers," "Biography of Eunuchs," and "Miscellaneous Biography." Each category of biography conveys a specific meaning and is used to implement the author's principle of "censure." For example, ministers and officials who served in only one dynasty are listed in the "Biography of Officials," while those who served in several dynasties are listed in the "Miscellaneous Biography." For instance, based on the degree of loyalty of those who died, they are divided into two categories, with the highest level entering the "Biography of Those Who Died for Loyalty" and the second level entering the "Biography of Those Who Died for Duty." The "Examinations" in general histories are called "Examinations" in the New Records of the Later Han Dynasty, with only the "Examination of Astrology" and "Examination of Geography" existing, respectively corresponding to the "Book of Astronomy" and "Book of Geography" in the Records of the Later Han Dynasty. The author believed that the Five Dynasties was a period of chaotic reversal of the hierarchy, and that there was nothing worth taking from its rites and institutions, so he deleted the "Books" part of the Records of the Later Han Dynasty. This was also to embody the principle of compiling history according to "ritual." The "Hereditary Houses and Genealogies" are roughly equivalent to the "Hereditary Houses" and "Insurrectionary" in the Records of the Later Han Dynasty, clearly dividing the outside the Central Plains into ten states: Wu, Southern Tang, Former Shu, Later Shu, Southern Ping, Chu, Wu Yue, Min, Southern Han, and Northern Han. The division and arrangement of these small states are clear and complete, obviously superior to the old history. The "Annals of Ethnic Minorities" corresponds to the "Biographies of Foreign States" in the Records of the Later Han Dynasty. As a whole, the historical value of the New Records of the Later Han Dynasty is slightly inferior to that of the Records of the Later Han Dynasty, which is partly due to Ouyang Xiu's deletion of many specific materials while simplifying and streamlining the text. As for his major cuts in the "Books" section of the old "Books," artificially creating gaps in the historical records, this is even more unacceptable. However, the New Records of the Later Han Dynasty, being later compiled, used various materials other than official records, such as notes, novels, and the like, adding new materials while simplifying, especially in the part on the ten states. Since the Records of the Later Han Dynasty is no longer the original version and is incomplete, the unique value of the New Records of the Later Han Dynasty should not be underestimated. From other perspectives, Ouyang Xiu's approach to compiling history was harmonious and integrated, with a rigorous structure and careful selection of materials, and concise writing; ideologically, it did not excessively emphasize "heaven's mandate" and focused on human affairs; creating the "Examination of Geography" was unique and provided a clear outline, which was highly praised. These are the strengths of the New Records of the Later Han Dynasty. Fairly speaking, the two Records of the Later Han Dynasty each has its strengths and weaknesses and can complement each other, and should not be. The New Records of the Later Han Dynasty was soon followed by Xu Wutang's annotations. However, Xu's annotations aimed to explain the writing style of the "Spring and Autumn" and explain the subtle meanings, which provided little benefit to readers.
History of the Song Dynasty: The History of the Song Dynasty was compiled in the late Yuan Dynasty. The book has 47 volumes of "Annals," 162 volumes of "Books," 32 volumes of "Tables," and 255 volumes of "Biographies," totaling 496 volumes and about five million words, making it the most voluminous official history in the Twenty-Four Histories. As early as the early Yuan Dynasty, Emperor Huizong of the Yuan Dynasty once ordered the compilation of the History of the Song Dynasty, but it was not completed due to the undetermined system. In the late Yuan Dynasty, Prime Minister Tuotuo advocated compiling the histories of the Song,、 separately and independently, which was agreed upon by Emperor Xuanzong of the Yuan Dynasty. In March of the third year of the Zhengzuo period (1343 AD), the three histories were compiled simultaneously. After two and a half years, in October of the fifth year of the Zhengzuo period (1345 AD), the History of the Song Dynasty was hastily completed. The History of the Song Dynasty was revised from the original Song Dynasty "National History." The history officers' organizations were complete during the two Song dynasties, and movable-type printing was widely used, making book circulation and preservation relatively convenient, accumulating a large amount of historical materials. This provided a good foundation for the Yuan Dynasty to compile the History of the Song Dynasty. However, due to the hasty compilation of the History of the Song Dynasty, there were many shortcomings in the selection and cutting of historical materials, verification of historical facts, modification of text, and overall system, such as one person having two biographies, statements of biographies without biographies, one event appearing multiple times, and headings without content, contradictions between the "Annals" and "Biographies," "Biographies" and "Biographies," "Biographies" and "Biographies," and the text of the "Biographies" and the "Biographies" commentary. This made the History of the Song Dynasty known as the most chaotic and disorganized in the Twenty-Four Histories. Although the History of the Song Dynasty has many shortcomings, it is extremely voluminous, with the "Biographies" alone having over 2,000 people, more than double that of the "Biographies" in the Old Book of Tang. The narrative is detailed, and in terms of academic value of historical materials, it is more detailed than brief. At the same time, the main materials of the History of the Song Dynasty are the National History, veritable records, and calendars of the Song Dynasty. These historical books have almost all been lost, while the History of the Song Dynasty is the most systematic book preserving the official and private historical materials of the Song Dynasty.
History of the Liao Dynasty: The History of the Liao Dynasty was compiled in the Yuan Dynasty. The book has 116 volumes, including 30 volumes of "Annals," 32 volumes of "Books," 8 volumes of "Tables," 45 volumes of "Biographies," and 1 volume of "Explanation of the Liao Language." The book systematically records the history of more than 200 years of the Liao Dynasty established by the ancient Qidan people and also includes the conditions of the Qidan people before the establishment of the Liao Dynasty, as well as a general overview of the Western Liao established by Yelü Dashi after the fall of the Liao Dynasty. It is an important historical record for studying the Liao Dynasty, the Qidan people, and the Western Liao. The first Liao Emperor, Yelü Abaoji, established the dynasty by imitating the system of the Han people. He set up officials in charge of supervising the compilation of national history and imitating the Han people's method of compiling the "Records of the Court," "Diaries," and "Veritable Records." The Liao Dynasty compiled the veritable records four times. After the establishment of the Jin Dynasty, great attention was paid to summarizing the rise and fall and gains and losses of previous dynasties and energetically compiled the History of the Liao Dynasty. Two versions of the History of the Liao Dynasty were compiled, the first of which was compiled by Yelü Gu in the Xingzong period (1141–1149 AD) and later completed by Xiao Yongqi. This version of the History of the Liao Dynasty has 30 volumes of "Annals," 5 volumes of "Books," 40 volumes of "Biographies," but was never published. The second compilation of the History of the Liao Dynasty was compiled by Lian Huishai, Wang Yi, and Chen Yizheng, starting in April of the third year of the Zhiheng period (1343 AD) and completed in March of the fourth year (1344 AD) in just over eleven months. This was because the previous versions of the History of the Liao Dynasty and the veritable records provided a good foundation. Generally, it is believed that the Yuan Dynasty's compilation of the History of the Liao Dynasty was too brief, but it should not deny its unique strengths. The "Books" and "Tables" in the History of the Liao Dynasty have distinctive features, and some "Books" and "Tables" are not found in other standard histories. Jin History: The Jin History was compiled in the Yuan Dynasty. The book has 135 volumes, including 19 volumes of "Annals," 39 volumes of "Books," 4 volumes of "Tables," 73 volumes of "Biographies," is an important historical record reflecting the rise and fall of the Jin Dynasty established by the Jurchen people. The Jin History is one of the three histories compiled by the Yuan Dynasty, the earliest proposal for compilation was made in the second year of the Zhongtong period of Emperor Zhongzong (1261 AD), followed by discussions of compiling history in the first year of the Zhiyuan period of Emperor Zhongzong (1276 AD), the Renzong period of Emperor Renzong (1294 AD), and the Wenzong period of Emperor Wenzong (1314 AD), but none of them were put into practice because the standards for compiling history were difficult to determine. It was not until the third year of the Zhiheng period of Emperor Shunzong (1343 AD) that it was decided to compile the histories of the three dynasties separately and independently, with each history being compiled according to the principle of "each with its own orthodoxy." The compilation of the Jin History was completed in the following year in November, taking less than a year. The chief editor of the three histories was the Right Prime Minister Tuotuo, and those who participated in compiling the Jin History included Tieμου、Zhang Qiyan、Ouyang Xuan、Wang Yi、Yang Zongrui, among whom Ouyang Xuan's contribution was the most prominent, as he formulated the principles for compiling the Jin History, and the arguments, eulogies, tables, and memorials in the book were all written by him. The Yuan History: The Yuan History is a biographical history that systematically records the rise and fall of the Yuan Dynasty. It was completed in the early Ming Dynasty. In the first year of the Hongwu period of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang (1368 AD), the Yuan Dynasty fell, and Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang ordered the compilation of the Yuan History. In the second year of the Hongwu period, sixteen people, including Song Lian、Wang Ren、Wang Ke, and others, were appointed as compilers, and the history bureau was established in Nanjing Tianjie Temple in Nanjing for writing. From February of the second year of the Hongwu period to August of the same year, it took 188 days to compile the history of the dynasties before Emperor Xuanzong, a total of 159 volumes. Then, the Ming government sent 12 people, including Ouyang Youzhi and others, to collect materials for the reign of Emperor Xuanzong throughout the country. In the second month of the third year of the Hongwu period, the history bureau was reopened, still led by Song Lian and Wang Ren, but the compilers were adjusted greatly, with only Zhao Xun participating in the compilation for the first time. In August of the same year, the book was completed, a total of 53 volumes, taking 143 days. The two rounds of compilation took a total of 330 days. Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, immediately after founding the Ming Dynasty, organized the compilation of the Yuan History, and completed it in a short period, mainly due to political needs. His intention was to use this to explain that the fall of the Yuan Dynasty and the rise of the Ming Dynasty were both due to "heaven's mandate," and that he himself was the "true" who ruled under "heaven's mandate." Famous scholar Qian Daixin of the Qing Dynasty said: "The speed with which historical books were completed in ancient times was nothing like the Yuan History; and the crudeness of the writing in the Yuan History was nothing like the crudeness of the writing in the Yuan History." Many scholars expressed dissatisfaction with the Yuan History after its publication, and Qian Daixin was one of the most fiercely critical. The main criticism of the Yuan History was that its compilation was too hasty, lacking serious integration and comprehension, and it was basically compiled by slightly editing existing literature. However, despite all these problems, the Yuan History is still an extremely valuable document for understanding and studying the Yuan Dynasty. It is the earliest comprehensive and systematic record of the Yuan Dynasty's history.
History of the Ming Dynasty: The History of the Ming Dynasty has 332 volumes, including 24 volumes of "Annals," 75 volumes of "Books," 220 volumes of "Biographies," and 13 volumes of "Tables." It is a biographical history that records the history of more than 200 years of the Ming Dynasty from the first year of the Hongwu period of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang (1368 AD) to the seventeenth year of the Chongzhen period of Emperor Zhu Youjian (1644 AD). The Ming History Bureau was established in the second year of the Shunzhi period of Emperor Shunzhi (1645 AD), but due to the chaos of the newly established Ming Dynasty and the complexity of various affairs, it was not fully launched. In the fourth year of the Kangxi period (1665 AD), the Ming History Bureau was reopened, but it was stopped due to the compilation of the veritable records of the Qing Emperor Shizu. In the eighteenth year of the Kangxi period (1679 AD), Xu Yuanwen was appointed as the supervisor of the Ming History, and the compilation of the Ming History began. It was finalized and published in the fourth year of the Qianlong period (1739 AD) after more than 90 years, making it the longest-lasting official history. Among the Twenty-Four Histories, the Ming History is praised for its appropriate compilation, materials, stable narration, and concise writing, making it a high-quality history book. This reflects the compilers' high level of verification of historical materials, use of historical materials, understanding of historical events, and command of language. Although its volume is second only to the History of the Song Dynasty among the Twenty-Four Histories, readers do not find it lengthy and tedious.