A History of the Southern Ming (Complete 14 Volumes)

Author: Qian Haiyue
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-05-01
Features: The History of the Southern Ming is a 120-volume historical book in the annalistic style, divided into four parts: Annals, Chronicles, Tables, and Biographies. The narrative spans from May 1644 to May 1663, covering decades when the Southern Ming survived in isolation. However, the events were intricate, fragmented, and complex, making it a challenge for historians to trace the threads. Qian Haiyue, a man who dedicated over forty years to this endeavor, referenced over 3,400 books and documents, meticulously organizing and categorizing the details. Every aspect of politics, economy, personalities, and wars was included, making it a highly valuable historical source.
Qian Haiyue (1901–1968) was from Wuxi, Jiangsu. He began compiling Southern Ming materials in the 1920s and completed the first draft of the 100-volume Draft History of the Southern Ming in the 1940s. The Zhonghua Book Company Library holds a copy transcribed by Liu Yazi based on this draft. Later, Qian Haiyue revised and expanded it to 120 volumes. In 1968, during the Cultural Revolution, Qian Haiyue was persecuted to death, and the Draft History of the Southern Ming went missing. Whether Qian Haiyue completed the 120-volume Draft History of the Southern Ming before his death remains a mystery. In 1971, Gu Jiegang mentioned the book in The Plan for the Compilation of National History, speculating it might be in Wuxi or Nanjing. Qian Haiyue’s descendants searched tirelessly and miraculously discovered the first 96 volumes of the final draft and the last 24 volumes of the manuscript, totaling 120 volumes. Unfortunately, compared to the neat calligraphy of the first 96 volumes, the last 24 volumes were illegible, written in a script only Qian Haiyue could decipher, with numerous small notes interspersed, making it unclear how to continue.
Despite this, since Qian Haiyue’s lifetime collection of Southern Ming materials, filled an entire truck, was destroyed in the Cultural Revolution, the 3,400+ sources cited in this 3.5 million-word manuscript were preserved solely through the Draft History of the Southern Ming, giving it immense value. However, due to editorial reasons, the book has never been published.
The History of the Southern Ming is a 120-volume historical book in the annalistic style, divided into four parts: Annals, Chronicles, Tables, and Biographies. The narrative spans from May 1644 to May 1663, covering decades when the Southern Ming survived in isolation. However, the events were intricate, fragmented, and complex, making it a challenge for historians to trace the threads. Qian Haiyue, a man who dedicated over forty years to this endeavor, referenced over 3,400 books and documents, meticulously organizing and categorizing the details. Every aspect of politics, economy, personalities, and wars was included, making it a highly valuable historical source.
Qian Haiyue (1901–1968) was from Wuxi, Jiangsu. He began compiling Southern Ming materials in the 1920s and completed the first draft of the 100-volume Draft History of the Southern Ming in the 1940s. The Zhonghua Book Company Library holds a copy transcribed by Liu Yazi based on this draft. Later, Qian Haiyue revised and expanded it to 120 volumes. In 1968, during the Cultural Revolution, Qian Haiyue was persecuted to death, and the Draft History of the Southern Ming went missing. Whether Qian Haiyue completed the 120-volume Draft History of the Southern Ming before his death remains a mystery. In 1971, Gu Jiegang mentioned the book in The Plan for the Compilation of National History, speculating it might be in Wuxi or Nanjing. Qian Haiyue’s descendants searched tirelessly and miraculously discovered the first 96 volumes of the final draft and the last 24 volumes of the manuscript, totaling 120 volumes. Unfortunately, compared to the neat calligraphy of the first 96 volumes, the last 24 volumes were illegible, written in a script only Qian Haiyue could decipher, with numerous small notes interspersed, making it unclear how to continue.
Despite this, since Qian Haiyue’s lifetime collection of Southern Ming materials, filled an entire truck, was destroyed in the Cultural Revolution, the 3,400+ sources cited in this 3.5 million-word manuscript were preserved solely through the Draft History of the Southern Ming, giving it immense value. However, due to editorial reasons, the book has never been published.