Historical Documents (21st Century Archival Studies Series Textbooks)

Author: Pei Yansheng He Zhuang et al.
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-06-17
Features: This book follows the chronological development of history as its thread and is divided into three parts: Upper, Middle, and Lower. The Upper Part summarizes the origin and evolutionary process of historical documents in China, categorized into six chapters: the initial period of documents — Pre-Qin, the establishment period of documents — Qin and Han, the development period of documents — Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, the maturation period of document work — Sui and Tang, and the further development of document work — Song and Yuan. It provides a concise and focused overview, highlighting key points without unnecessary elaboration, thereby vertically showcasing the fundamental development of historical documents and document work systems across China's dynasties. The Middle Part introduces the administrative decision-making systems and document and archival systems of the Qing Dynasty's Grand Council, Military Affairs Office, central and local state agencies. It provides detailed descriptions of important tools for handling government affairs during the Qing Dynasty, including specific types and characteristics of documents such as imperial decrees, memorial reports, official correspondence, and contractual certificates. The Lower Part examines the basic characteristics of Republican-era documents and the evolution of the Republican document system, divided into topics such as fundamental systems and features, document types, formats and styles, drafting, document processing, and the improvement and advancement of the document system. It presents a comprehensive view of the transition from feudal document systems to modern document systems in China.