A Study of the Era Names of Chinese Dynasties

Author: Li Chongzhi
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2001-01-01
Features: This book was first published in 1981, and the second printing in 1985 included twenty additional corrections. Due to the limited conditions at the time, the first edition was printed in simplified characters. For this revision, following the principle of "let the master speak," the era names were recorded as they appeared in historical records and artifacts. For some era names in unearthed documents belonging to ethnic minorities, the generally accepted Chinese translations were adopted. To maintain uniformity in the book's typography, annotations and other descriptive texts were also changed to traditional characters. The revised edition adds ten era names: Chengyang, Taiyuan, and Jianping of Northern Liang; Jianchu, Chengping, and Yixi of Gaochang; and Tianzun, Zhongxing, Tianxing, and Tianshou of Yuquan. Some annotations were newly added or rewritten, primarily to incorporate new research findings and to supplement or replace some of the original textual materials. Three entries with coin evidence but unknown era names were removed. Errors in the first edition were corrected, and the original supplementary notes and some additional records were incorporated into the main text. The explanations of dynastic titles were also revised and expanded. In total, over 160 additions and modifications were made. Later revisions have surpassed earlier ones. However, due to the author's limited knowledge and expertise, there may still be omissions or errors. Experts and readers are kindly invited to point them out. My profession is not history, yet I was fortunate to meet Professor Miao Yu through this book. Over more than two decades, I benefited greatly from his guidance, and two other manuscripts I wrote also received his wisdom. It was Professor Miao's encouragement that gave me the courage to publish this book. Regrettably, Professor Miao passed away, and I can no longer receive his teachings, nor can this revised manuscript be reviewed by him. I will never forget my teacher's kindness and hereby add a few words to express my gratitude. Li Jiemin, editor-in-chief of Zhonghua Book Company, and other teachers and friends have also provided significant assistance in the revision of this book. I extend my sincere thanks to them. Li Chongzhi March 25, 2000