Book of Zhou (Volumes 1-3)

Author: Lingguo Defeng
Publisher:
Publishing Time: Not available
Features: Although titled "The Book of Zhou" (3 volumes), it actually records the history of Western Wei and Northern Zhou from the split of Eastern and Western Wei in 534 to the establishment of the Sui Dynasty by Yang Jian, covering a span of forty-eight years. Due to the scarcity of sources and the fact that many of the figures it depicts are ancestors of prominent officials of the ruling dynasty, "The Book of Zhou" appears thin and lacks complete factual accuracy. However, it fundamentally reflects the establishment of the Yuwen regime, the wars between the three feudal regimes after its establishment, and the internal struggles within the upper echelons of the Yuwen regime. It is today one of the most fundamental and original historical works for studying and understanding the history of Western Wei and Northern Zhou. "The Book of Zhou" consists of fifty-three volumes, including eight volumes of chronicles and forty-two volumes of biographies. It was edited by Tang Lingguo Defeng, with contributions from Cen Wenben and Cui Renshi.
In the late Northern Wei Dynasty, political turmoil and chaos broke out everywhere. Yuwen Tai, born in Wuchuan Town of the Northern Six Towns in Northern Wei, led a Xianbei army mainly composed of Wuchuan Town natives and allied with the armed forces of Han aristocratic families in the Guanzhong region to establish the Western Wei regime. Later, Yuwen Tai's third son, Yuwen Jue, succeeded Wei and founded Northern Zhou in 557, known as Northern Zhou in history. These two successive regimes—Western Wei and Northern Zhou—controlled an area roughly corresponding to most of today's Shaanxi, Ningxia, Gansu, and Sichuan, as well as the southwestern part of Shanxi, the western part of Hubei, and the western part of Henan. They stood in opposition to the Eastern Wei, Northern Qi in the east, and the Liang and Chen dynasties in the south. In 577, Northern Zhou conquered Northern Qi, unifying northern China. In 581, Yang Jian overthrew Northern Zhou and established the Sui Dynasty.
Although titled "The Book of Zhou," it actually records the history of Western Wei and Northern Zhou from the split of Eastern and Western Wei in 534 to the establishment of the Sui Dynasty by Yang Jian, covering a span of forty-eight years. Due to the scarcity of sources and the fact that many of the figures it depicts are ancestors of prominent officials of the ruling dynasty, "The Book of Zhou" appears thin and lacks complete factual accuracy. However, it fundamentally reflects the establishment of the Yuwen regime, the wars between the three feudal regimes after its establishment, and the internal struggles within the upper echelons of the Yuwen regime. It is today one of the most fundamental and original historical works for studying and understanding the history of Western Wei and Northern Zhou.