Ancient Historical Texts (Comprehensive Volume)

Author: Compiled by the Institute of History, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-11-01
Features: Over ten years ago, our institute invited colleagues to select three papers each and compile them into a collection as an academic archive. However, due to the large volume and constraints of the time, it was not published. This year, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of our institute's establishment, we reduced the scale of selected papers and invited colleagues to compile this collection once again. On one hand, it serves to celebrate the anniversary; on the other hand, it allows us to glimpse the rigorous academic pursuit of several generations of scholars. The authors of this collection are all researchers and associate researchers of our institute. Among the working and retired colleagues, each selected one paper, while for the deceased teachers, relevant experts were asked to select one as well, totaling 180 papers. However, due to various constraints, except for a few teachers, the length of most papers is within 10,000 words. Therefore, some excellent papers with slightly larger volumes were not included, and they cannot fully represent the works of our colleagues. Additionally, some researchers were unable to submit their papers on time due to various reasons, and as the publication is imminent, we had to make some sacrifices. The papers included in this collection span from the pre-Qin period to the Ming and Qing dynasties, roughly categorized by historical periods, forming four volumes: the Pre-Qin Volume, the Qin, Han, Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties Volume, the Sui, Tang, Song, Liao, Jin, and Yuan Dynasties Volume, and the Ming and Qing Dynasties Volume. Some comprehensive topics that span multiple dynasties and cannot be confined by eras are grouped under a general category and placed at the beginning of the volumes.
Historical research is a demanding and creative endeavor, requiring every word to be supported by evidence and every sentence to have a source. The nature of the discipline dictates that historical research must start from historical materials, rely on solid academic foundations, and be grounded in practicality and truth, without any trace of falsification or exaggeration. Historical research is also an integral part of building socialism with Chinese characteristics. The mission of academia and the responsibility of society demand that historians (stand with the times), serve the people, and adhere to using the stance, perspective, and methods of Marxism to guide our academic practice. Our research must respect history and pursue truth.
The 50 years of the Institute of History have been a process of arduous struggle. Over the past 50 years, generations of historians have worked tirelessly here, silently dedicating themselves to the academic cause of the nation and its people. In the future, we will continue as always, using our creative labor to contribute to the theoretical innovation of Marxism in China, to the further development and prosperity of philosophy and social sciences in our country, and to the great cause of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects for the Chinese nation. We will keep learning, keep contributing, and keep dedicating ourselves.