Clear Mirror of History Complete 22 volumes

Author: Dai Yi
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2000-01-01
Features: The Qing Tongjian follows the tradition of Zizhi Tongjian, Continued Zizhi Tongjian, and Ming Tongjian, providing a detailed account of 300 years of Qing history! The academic significance of The Qing Tongjian may still be too early to assess; in the years to come, historians and scholars specializing in Qing history will surely offer fair and accurate evaluations after reading this massive work. However, discussing initial impressions and introducing it to the historical community is also necessary. My impression is that this is a rich fruit of scholarly labor, with the potential to become a classic.
The Qing Tongjian introduces innovations in its compilation style. While the Zizhi Tongjian in the Song Dynasty by Sima Guang had already successfully adopted the Zizhi annalistic style, contemporary Chinese historians in the 20th century used this style to compile Qing history, preserving its advantages (e.g., clear historical threads, explicit time awareness, and the ability to discuss multiple historical events and figures within the same period) while also innovating in historical perspective, source selection, reflection of the era's spirit, research achievements, and reader engagement—tasks requiring great effort. The Qing Tongjian exemplifies the creativity and relevance of the Zizhi annalistic style, demonstrating that historical heritage and contemporary creativity can be organically integrated.
Second, The Qing Tongjian is academically rigorous. Just flipping through a few volumes gives the impression that the authors' collection, organization, verification, collation, selection, and editing of sources were not hasty but the result of long-term accumulation and research. The completeness of the historical materials collected in this work is truly impressive. When I first read it, I noticed that it provides detailed discussions on politics, society, finance, economy, transportation, and warfare. As for whether its coverage of intellectual culture and academia is equally comprehensive, further review is needed. I posed a few questions and checked The Qing Tongjian.
Example 1: I recall that Huang Zongxi's Mingyi Daifanglu was first published in the second year of the Kangxi reign (1663), the only theoretical critique of the autocratic monarchy in feudal China. I wondered if The Qing Tongjian mentions it. I quickly found a concise introduction to Mingyi Daifanglu in Volume 4, page 1350, along with excerpts of its most famous propositions.
Example 2: I remembered that Qian Qianyi died in the third year of the Kangxi reign (1664). From reading Chen Yinke's Liu Shi Bi Zhuan, I was familiar with his relationship with Qian. I checked The Qing Tongjian and found an accurate introduction to Qian and Liu in Volume 4, page 1359.
Example 3: I recalled that Fang Yizhi died in the tenth year of the Kangxi reign (1671). I checked if The Qing Tongjian included an introduction, and even if it didn't, that wouldn't be a flaw. I found a precise explanation in Volume 4, the seventh month, seventh day, of the tenth year of the Kangxi reign, along with a footnote on Fang's cause of death, showing the breadth of the collected materials.
What makes The Qing Tongjian particularly distinctive is its "Investigation of Discrepancies," as the authors state: "Investigation of discrepancies is an essential and indispensable part of Zizhi annalistic history, and meticulous scrutiny is one of the key goals of this work." They also say, "The quality of the investigation of discrepancies reflects scholarly rigor, highlights the Zizhi style's uniqueness, and is academically significant." The authors are entirely correct. The book contains numerous investigations of discrepancies, citing sources not limited to Qing imperial records and common literature but extensively referencing The Manchu Annals and Old Manchu Archives.
Practically speaking, mastering The Old Manchu Archives requires diverse expertise, but The Qing Tongjian uses them effortlessly and persuasively.
Regarding the book's writing style, it employs colloquial classical Chinese to save space. For historians like us, it is highly engaging to read. However, for a broader audience, whether it poses difficulties is unknown without further investigation. I haven't had time to compare its text with primary Qing historical sources, so I cannot offer a judgment here—this is merely a point for reference.
The Qing Tongjian combines the strengths of specialized history, textbooks, and source studies. The editors and authors have the courage to blend the merits of various historical works, a spirit of academic innovation worth learning. It is a Zizhi annalistic Qing history written in the style of Zizhi Tongjian, and the first of its kind in Chinese history, completing the legacy of ancient Zizhi annalistic history.
Following China's historical tradition, succeeding dynasties often compiled histories of previous ones. Due to well-known reasons, the Republic of China, during its brief 38-year existence, could not complete the compilation of Qing history. Shortly after the founding of the People's Republic of China, leaders such as Mao Zedong and Dong Biwu proposed that the new nation fulfill the task of "compiling history for a previous dynasty."
The Qing Tongjian, written in accessible classical Chinese, strives for simplicity and conciseness. "Simplicity" means concise, clear, and unobtrusive language, avoiding obscurity or digression, with a clear structure and vividness where possible. "Conciseness" means prioritizing key points, avoiding tangents, and ensuring readers understand the essence. While the overall style is "accessible classical Chinese," differences in tone may arise due to varying eras, sources, and authors' subjective conditions, especially for dynasties after the Opium War.
The publication of The Qing Tongjian lays a solid foundation for completing the task of "compiling history for a previous dynasty." It is a continuation of works like Zizhi Tongjian, Continued Zizhi Tongjian, and Ming Tongjian, the best resource for readers seeking to understand 300 years of Qing history, and an essential book for libraries, research centers, and lovers of history.