Wen Bai Contrast History of the Later Han Dynasty (Volumes 1 and 2): Time-Honored Collection

Author: Fan Ye
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-05-01
Features: The Book of the Later Han consists of 120 volumes, including 10 volumes of Biographies, 80 volumes of Biographies of the Minor Officials, and 30 volumes of Treatises. It primarily records the history of the Later Han Dynasty from Emperor Guangwu to Emperor Xie, covering nearly two hundred years. The Biographies and Biographies of the Minor Officials were written by Fan Ye of the Southern Dynasties of Liu Song, while the Treatises were authored by Sima Bi of the Jin Dynasty.
Fan Ye, styled Wei Zong, was a native of Shunyang (now Xichuan County, Henan Province) and was born in the second year of the Long'an era of Emperor An of the Jin Dynasty (398 AD). He once served under Prince Yi Kang, son of Emperor Wu of the Liu Song Dynasty, participating in military deliberations. Later, he offended Prince Yi Kang and was demoted to the position of Governor of Xuancheng. Feeling stifled and frustrated, he devoted himself to compiling the Book of the Later Han. Due to a power struggle between Prince Yi Kang and Emperor Wen of the Liu Song Dynasty, Fan Ye was implicated and executed in the twenty-second year of the Yuangai era (445 AD).
Sima Bi, styled Shao Tong, was the eldest son of Prince Gaoyang of the Jin Dynasty, Sima Mu. He died in the late years of Emperor Hui of the Jin Dynasty.
Before Fan Ye wrote the Book of the Later Han, several historical works had already been compiled to record the history of the Later Han Dynasty, including those by Liu Zhen, Wu Xiecheng, Xue Ying, Sima Bi, Hua Qiao, Xie Shen, Yuan Shansong, and Yuan Hong. Building upon these existing works, Fan Ye extensively researched and selectively incorporated materials to write the Book of the Later Han. However, due to his untimely death, the Treatises remained unfinished. Fan Ye was a highly talented historian, and his Book of the Later Han was concise yet comprehensive, focusing on key events without omitting important details. It later surpassed other historical accounts of the Later Han Dynasty.
In the Book of the Han, each emperor had a separate Biography. During the Later Han Dynasty, the emperors Shang, Chong, and Zhi reigned for short periods with limited achievements. The Book of the Later Han pragmatically attached their records to those of other emperors. The last Biography in the Book of the Later Han is the Biography of the Empresses, which corresponds to the Biography of the Consorts in the Book of the Han. After the death of Emperor Gaozu of Han, Empress Lü held power for many years, so Sima Qian and Ban Gu included her in the Biographies. However, Fan Ye indiscriminately included all empresses in the Biographies, reflecting his reverence for imperial authority.
The Book of the Later Han tends to group people and events thematically, regardless of chronological order. Wang Chong, author of the Discussions, was a figure from the early Later Han Dynasty, while Wang Fu, author of the Hidden Arguments, and Zhong Changtong, author of the Words of Changtong, were from the late Later Han Dynasty. All three were skilled writers who were indifferent to fame and fortune, so they were included in the same biography. Zhang Chun and Zheng Kangcheng also lived in different eras but were grouped together because they were both renowned for their expertise in Confucian classics. Beyond the thematic biographies already established in the Records of the Grand Historian and the Book of the Han, the Book of the Later Han introduced new thematic biographies such as the Biography of the Party Struggle, the Biography of the Eunuchs, the Biography of the Literary Figures, the Biography of the Solitary Figures, the Biography of the Practitioners of Arts and Divination, the Biography of the Recluses, and the Biography of the Women. These biographies compiled individuals of similar characteristics into one category. During the Later Han Dynasty, eunuchs and relatives of empresses were two distinct political factions within the ruling class, alternating in power and oppressing the people. Especially during the reigns of Emperor Huan (147–167 AD) and Emperor Ling (168–189 AD), eunuchs monopolized political power, exacerbating the suffering of the working class. At the time, intellectuals from the landlord class opposed the eunuchs,, and formed alliances to criticize the government, only to be persecuted and imprisoned by the eunuchs. This struggle was a significant aspect of the political conflicts of the era. The Biography of the Party Struggle and the Biography of the Eunuchs reflected this social reality. The Biography of the Literary Figures differs from the Biography of the Scholars, as the former emphasizes literary talent, while the latter focuses on Confucian studies. The Biography of the Solitary Figures is dedicated to those who gained fame for their "unconventional and outstanding conduct." The Biography of the Practitioners of Arts and Divination primarily records figures skilled in yin-yang and divination, including the famous physicians Guo Yu and Hua Tuo. The Biography of the Recluses chronicles intellectuals from the landlord class who claimed to be morally pure and chose to live in seclusion rather than seek official positions.
The Biography of the Women in the Book of the Later Han is particularly noteworthy. Fan Ye believed it was wrong for historical works not to include biographies of women, so he selected outstanding women of various types and wrote their biographies, pioneering the tradition of dedicating separate biographies to women in annalistic histories. Cai Wenji, a well-known figure, is included in the Biography of the Women. Later feudal historians, however, argued that Cai Wenji had remarried, violating the feudal code of "remaining loyal to one husband," and thus should not have been included. This reveals Fan Ye's unique insight. Later historians changed "Women" to "Heroic Women," transforming the biographies into hagiographies of virtuous and loyal women who strictly adhered to the feudal moral code. Their historical perspective was far inferior to that of the Book of the Later Han.
The Book of the Later Han includes the Treatise on Vehicles and Attire and the Treatise on Officials, which were absent in earlier histories. The Treatise on Vehicles and Attire records the evolution and styles of vehicles and attire, reflecting the feudal hierarchy. The Treatise on Officials documents the organization and roles of officials during the Later Han Dynasty. A notable drawback is that the Treatise on Food and Wealth was not included, leaving out a record of the economic system of the era. Later, the Treatise on Food and Wealth in the Book of the Jin traced the economic conditions of earlier dynasties, filling this gap. The author of the Treatises, Sima Bi, wrote the Continuation of the Book of the Han in 83 volumes. Liu Zhao of the Liang Dynasty added annotations to the Book of the Later Han and extracted the Treatises from the Continuation of the Book of the Han for commentary and inclusion. However, before the Song Dynasty, the two books remained separate. In the first year of the Qianxing era of Emperor Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty (1022 AD), Sun Shi merged the two books into one edition, forming the Book of the Later Han we see today. After the annotations by Li Xian and others on the Book of the Later Han appeared, Liu Zhao's annotations were no longer valued. In the current edition of the Book of the Later Han, the Biographies and Biographies of the Minor Officials are annotated by Li Xian, while the Treatises are annotated by Liu Zhao.