The Inheritance of Chinese Classics (Tiansheng Gaiji Xinling Dingli)

Author: Shi Jinbo et al. Translated and Annotated
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2000-01-01
Features: The Tiansheng Gaiji Xin Dingling is a code of laws promulgated during the reign of Emperor Renzong of Western Xia, commonly known as the Tiansheng Code. The original text is in Western Xia script. The Tiansheng Code is the first legal code in Chinese history to be printed in a minority ethnic script. It comprises twenty volumes, divided into one hundred and fifty sections, and contains one thousand, four hundred and sixty-one articles, making it the most detailed surviving medieval legal code. The code totals over two hundred thousand words, with no annotations or case studies, consisting entirely of legal provisions. Its content includes criminal law, procedural law, administrative law, civil law, economic law, and military law, comprehensively reflecting various aspects of Western Xia society. It provides a wealth of materials for studying Western Xia's legal, political, economic, military, and cultural history, holding significant importance for research on the history of Chinese legal systems. The earliest recorded mention of the Tiansheng Code appears in the fourth issue of the Journal of the National Beiping Library (1932), where the title was translated as Tiansheng Gailiang Xinding Falü, Tiansheng Nian Bianzheng Dingjiao Jiao, or Tiansheng Nian Bianzheng Xinmin Zhixue.