Outline of the History of Chinese Historiography

Author: Wang Shumin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1997-09-30
Features: History is the objective facts of past human activities,. Although historical facts are objectively existing, they are closely related to time. Time does not stop; it passes in an instant. Therefore, the greatest characteristic of history is that it is one-way and cannot be repeated. Thus, historical facts must be preserved through certain means, which is called historical materials. To study history, one must examine historical facts, and to examine historical facts, one must rely on historical materials. Historical materials generally only reflect certain parts or phenomena of historical facts, not the entire situation, especially the essential parts. Therefore, historical materials and historical facts cannot be equated. Historical materials come in various forms, primarily written records, as well as ancient relics left by humans, paintings, sculptures, and oral traditions. Organizing these materials can be considered the preliminary work of historical research. Through reliable historical materials, one can conduct scientific examination and analysis of historical facts, elucidating their developmental patterns, which constitutes the main work of historical research.
The character "" has a long history in China, and the term "" was introduced from Japan in modern times. Therefore, we use the term "" instead of "," not only because it is concise but also because it aligns with the original meaning in China. This book is one of the volumes in the series "Chinese History," primarily exploring the characteristics and periods of the history of ancient Chinese historiography. It also provides detailed discussions on the revisions of historiography in different periods of China and the contents of major historical works, offering a helpful overview of the general development of Chinese historiography.