Wang Guowei's Research on Documentary Studies

Author: Yao Ganming
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2001-12-01
Features:
Chapter 2: Wang Guowei's Pioneering Contributions in Philology
VIII. Pioneering Research on Han and Wei Stone Classics
While in Japan, Wang Guowei had access to many rubbings of stone classics and felt that neither the historical literature nor previous scholars had fully clarified many issues regarding the Han and Wei stone classics. Thus, he conducted systematic research and wrote A Study of the Wei Stone Classics in 1916, which included eight parts:
1. A Study of the Number of Han Stone Classics and the Number of Stones.
2. A Study of the Number of Wei Stone Classics and the Number of Stones.
3. A Study of the Text of the Wei Stone Classics.
4. A Study of the Rubbings of the Wei Stone Classics.
5. A Study of the Text of the Wei Stone Classics.
6. A Study of the Titles of the Chapters of the Wei Stone Classics.
7. A Study of the Ancient Characters of the Wei Stone Classics.
8. A Study of the Calligraphy of the Wei Stone Classics.
It also included illustrations of the steles. Later, when included in Collected Works of Guanchang, he omitted A Study of the Text of the Wei Stone Classics, A Study of the Titles of the Chapters of the Wei Stone Classics, and A Study of the Ancient Characters of the Wei Stone Classics, leaving only five parts: A Study of the Wei Stone Classics I to A Study of the Wei Stone Classics V.
In the 1920s, fragments of stone classics were gradually discovered, with new finds amounting to about 2,000 characters. Wang Guowei continued his research based on these new fragments. Later, he revised his work and continued to study the newly unearthed fragments, publishing A Study of the Fragments of the Wei Stone Classics of Zhengshi in 1923 and A Study of the Wei Stone Classics in 1925, which remained unfinished. This shows his long-term interest in the topic and his anticipation of further discoveries to perfect his research.
Wang Guowei made many pioneering breakthroughs in his meticulous research. First, he created a new method of textual criticism—a statistical method. He cross-examined the number of steles and the number of characters in the classics by estimating the number of characters per line based on the fragments of stone classics and Hong Shi's Lizhu, then estimating the number of lines per stele, and finally comparing it with the number of characters in the text. This method was ingenious and highly rational, making it scientific. Wang Guowei was also very proud of his creation, writing in a letter to Luo Zhenyu: “Few predecessors had used this method, so it has solved many problems.”①
Second, based on this method, he determined that the Han stone classics contained seven classics: the Book of Changes, the Book of Shang, the Book of Songs, the Book of Rites, the Spring and Autumn Annals, the Commentaries of Gongyang, and the Analects. The number of steles was 46. This resolved the discrepancies in historical records regarding the five, six, or seven classics, as well as the varying numbers of steles (40, 46, 48, or 52).
Third, the Wei stone classics included the Book of Documents, the Spring and Autumn Annals, and part of the Zuo Zhuan, with 35 steles. This resolved the differing accounts in historical records (48, 35, or 25 steles). Wang Guowei discovered and pointed out that the Zuo Zhuan was not fully inscribed. He stated, “Records from the Six Dynasties and early Tang dynasties did not mention this.” Additionally, Wang Guowei noted, “Both the Han and Wei stone classics were inscribed as classics established in imperial academies at the time, which is a significant fact.” This holds great value for understanding the historical and cultural context of the era.
Fourth, he that the ancient characters used in the Wei stone classics were either derived from wall inscriptions or from self-determined texts by scholars of characters, but the scholars' sources were not limited to ancient wall inscriptions. From a calligraphic perspective, the so-called “dot-and-dash script” that later circulated likely originated from the “three-character stone classics.”
Fifth, he collated and studied the text of the stone classics, as well as different scripts, making numerous discoveries. Wang Guowei held great pride in his research on the Han and Wei stone classics. After completing A Study of the Wei Stone Classics, he considered it equal in importance to his other major work, A Brief Study of the Music and Poetry of the Zhou Dynasty. In 1917, he also compared this work with A Study of the Ancestors and Kings Seen in the Oracle Bone Inscriptions. Indeed, Wang Guowei's research on the Han and Wei stone classics earned high acclaim in the field of philology.
With his deep expertise in philology, Wang Guowei applied the double-evidence method and skillfully employed statistical methods to solve many key issues in the study of Han and Wei stone classics, surpassing previous scholars. He critically examined historical records about stone classics, such as The Book of Han, The Book of Sui, The Record of Buddhist Monasteries in Luoyang, The Record of Luoyang, The Commentary on the Waterways of the Nations, The Book of Northern Qi, The Journey Westward, and Lizhu, identifying errors or confirming their accuracy.
It is worth noting that Wang Guowei remained devoted to the study of stone classics even in his later years. He not only collected newly unearthed materials but also frequently discussed the topic with scholars like Ma Heng at the Tsinghua Institute of Chinese Studies. He once displayed rubbings of stone classics to the scholars, answering questions with ease and demonstrating his mastery.
IX. Pioneering Research on Mongolian Historical Literature
As a distinguished academic master, Wang Guowei dedicated the final phase of his life to the translation and study of Mongolian historical literature. From 1925, when he joined the Tsinghua Research Institute, until his suicide in Kunming Lake in 1927, Wang Guowei shifted his focus to the study of Mongolian historical literature. In just a few years, he made significant contributions to the field through his diligent exploration and exceptional talent. His research on Mongolian historical literature can be summarized in the following aspects:
1. Collation and Copying of Seven Ancient Travelogues. In 1925, Wang Guowei completed the copying and collation of seven ancient travelogues in Mongolian and Yuan historical records. He copied Du Huan's Record of Journey from Comprehensive Treatises of the Tang Dynasty and collated it using Treatises of the Great World; from The History of the Five Dynasties, he copied Gao Jushi's Record of Envoys to Khotan; from The History of Song, he copied Wang Yande's Record of Envoys to Gaochang, collating it with Wang Mingqing's Preface to the Dust-Sweeping Records; from The Record of Boats on the River, he copied Jiye's Record of the Three Bods' Journey; from The Collected Works of Shu Zhai, he copied Ye Liu's Record of a Journey Westward; from Tao Zongyi's Continuation of the Records of Traveling, he copied Liu Qi's Record of a Northbound Mission; and from The Complete Collection of Qiu Jian, he copied Liu Yu's Record of a Westbound Mission, collating it with The Four Treasuries. Luo Fubao said: “He added annotations in the margins of the books, intending to write annotations for each, but the work was never completed.”① Later, following his father Luo Zhenwu's instructions, Luo Fubao selected four of the travelogues—Record of Journey, Record of Envoys to Gaochang, Record of a Northbound Mission, and Record of a Westbound Mission—and included them in The Remains of Wang Guowei. This was one of Wang Guowei's contributions to the of Mongolian historical literature.
2. Collation and Annotations of Four Mongolian Historical Works. In 1926, Tsinghua published Wang Guowei's Collation and Annotations of Four Mongolian Historical Works, including Annotations to the Imperial Expedition of Shengwu, Annotations to the Journey of the Master Changchun, Annotations and Explanations of the Record of the Mongols and Tatars, and Annotations and Explanations of the Brief Account of the Tatars. The Journey of the Master Changchun, written by Li Zhichang of the Yuan Dynasty, records Li Zhichang's journey westward to meet Genghis Khan in 1220–1229. It provides detailed accounts of mountains, rivers, distances, customs, and local products, making it an important source for studying Mongolian history. This book was not widely circulated after its completion until Qing Qian Qianxin found it in the Daozang and introduced it to the world. Wang Guowei began annotating it in 1925, adding imperial decrees and tables from Tao Zongyi's The Rustic Record of the South Village to the end of The Journey of the Master Changchun, and later revised and corrected errors. Zhao Lili said: “In the year Neiyin, the master was engaged in studying the history of the Jin, Yuan, and Ming dynasties. This book provided unique insights into Mongolian history, not only preserving a miracle of the Quanzhen sect but also leaving a legacy of annotations. His annotations on geography and figures were groundbreaking.”① The Imperial Expedition of Shengwu (also known as The Imperial Expedition of Shengwu of the Yuan Dynasty) records the history of Genghis Khan and continues with the reign of ?gedei Khan. Wang Guowei devoted more effort to annotating this book, seeking out many editions such as the Hongzhi manuscript, the Wanli manuscript, the Shuo Fu edition, and the old manuscript collection by Wang Yuting, cross-referencing with annotations by He Qiutao, comparing with the text before and after The Imperial Expedition, cross-referencing with The History of the Yuan Dynasty and The Secret History of the Mongols, and adding annotations based on a vast array of historical records, achieving remarkable results that surpassed previous annotations.② The Record of the Mongols and Tatars, originally attributed to Meng Jing, records the mission of a Southern Song envoy to Yanjing in 1221 to meet Mu Hualin (as recorded in The Yuan Dynasty). The book is divided into 14 sections: founding the state, state name and era, crown prince and princes, generals and meritorious ministers, appointment of ministers, horse policy, grain supply, campaigns, official system, customs, missions, sacrifices, women, and entertainment. It is the earliest surviving book dedicated to Mongolian affairs. Wang Guowei collated the Record of the Mongols and Tatars from the Shuo Fu edition with The Lost Records of the Han Dynasty and meticulously annotated it, producing Annotations to the Record of the Mongols and Tatars. The Brief Account of the Tatars, written by Peng Daya of the Song Dynasty, records Peng Daya's mission to Mongolia in 1233 with Zou Zhongzhi. The book covers the founding of the Mongol state, geography, climate, products, yurts, diet, language, customs, taxes, trade, merchants, officials, laws, archery, and military matters. Wang Guowei used a Ming Dynasty manuscript by Yao Zhi to collate and annotate various historical records, producing Annotations to the Brief Account of the Tatars. Scholars consider these annotations rich in content and sharp in analysis, making them the best annotations to date for The Record of the Mongols and Tatars and The Brief Account of the Tatars.