Siku Quanshu Zongmu (Upper and Lower)

Author: (Qing) Yongrong and others
Publisher:
Publication Date: Not available
Features: The Qing government began compiling the massive "Siku Quanshu" (Complete Collection of the Four Treasuries) in the 37th year of the Qianlong reign (1772), using about ten years to gather significant human and material resources. During the compilation, content summaries were written for books included in the "Siku Quanshu" and those not included. Later, these summaries were categorized and compiled into a separate book, the "Siku Quanshu Zongmu" (General Catalogue of the Siku Quanshu), also known as the "Siku Quanshu Zongmu Tieshuo" (General Catalogue of the Siku Quanshu with Summaries).
To compile the "Siku Quanshu," a special institution called the "Siku Quanshu Guan" (Siku Quanshu Office) was established in Beijing. Whenever a book was completed, the officials in the office would draft a summary and place it at the beginning of the book. The content of the summaries included discussions on the main ideas of the books, the origins of their composition, the organization of chapters, and the evolution of their themes. Additionally, the summaries would list the authors' titles and lineage, examine the strengths and weaknesses of the books, and clarify textual additions, deletions, and the division of chapters.
When the summaries were compiled into the "General Catalogue," they underwent significant revisions and additions. Ultimately, they were synthesized, balanced, and polished in terms of language by the chief compiler Ji Yun and Lu Xizhong. Ji Yun, who spent the longest time in the Siku Quanshu Office, played a major role in the editing and processing of the summaries. Therefore, although the "General Catalogue" was officially headed by Yongrong, the sixth son of Emperor Qianlong, it was actually compiled by Ji Yun.
The "General Catalogue" consists of 200 volumes, organized into the four major categories of Confucian classics, history, philosophy, and literature, following the traditional Chinese classification system. Each major category is further divided into subcategories, with some complex subcategories divided into sub-subcategories. Each major and subcategory includes a preface, and each sub-subcategory has an explanatory note, summarizing the origins and reasons for the classification of the works. At the end of each category, there is a "Cunmu" (recorded but not included), which lists books that were reviewed by the compilers but deemed of low value or whose content was deemed unfavorable to feudal rule, thus not included in the "Siku Quanshu."
At the beginning of the "General Catalogue," there are sections listing the so-called "imperial edicts" of Emperor Qianlong, memorials submitted by the officials of the Siku Quanshu Office, as well as "official titles" and "general rules," which roughly record the compilation process and writing style of the "Siku Quanshu" and the "General Catalogue."
In July 1782 (the 47th year of the Qianlong reign), the first draft of the "General Catalogue" was completed. Over the following seven or eight years, the content of the "General Catalogue" was revised several times as the "Siku Quanshu" was continuously supplemented and updated. According to available records, the "General Catalogue" was finalized in 1789 (the 54th year of the Qianlong reign) and printed at the Wuying Hall in the same year (see the 1933-published "Catalogue of Palace Editions"). In 1795 (the 60th year of the Qianlong reign), local officials in Zhejiang reprinted the Wuying Hall edition based on the copy preserved at the Wenlan Pavilion in Hangzhou. Since then, the "General Catalogue" has been widely disseminated.
The evaluation of books in the "General Catalogue" is based on feudalist perspectives. On one hand, it promotes the highly esteemed "Hanxue" (Han Learning) of the time, with some summaries focusing excessively on minute textual. On the other hand, it advocates Confucianism, the theoretical foundation of the feudal upper class, though the summaries sometimes disagree with the views of Cheng Yi and Zhu Xi in specific matters, yet fundamentally adhere to their Neo-Confucianism while vigorously attacking works that deviate from feudal orthodoxy. Additionally, some summaries show disdain for ethnic minorities within China and reveal feudalistic, nationalistic sentiments in their descriptions of neighboring countries. These are the flaws of the book, which should be criticized.
However, we should also recognize the positive aspects of the "General Catalogue." According to our careful statistics during this, the books recorded in the "General Catalogue" include 3,460 species and 79,309 volumes included in the "Siku Quanshu," and 6,793 species and 93,505 volumes in the "Cunmu." These books encompass the important works of ancient China before the Qianlong reign (with particular completeness for works before the Yuan Dynasty). These over 10,000 books are accompanied by summaries of their general content and systematic classification, providing great convenience for understanding ancient literature.
Moreover, the compilers of the "Siku Quanshu" and the "General Catalogue," such as Dai Zhen, Shao Jinhan, Zhou Yongnian, and Yao Ding, possessed expertise in various fields. The "General Catalogue" incorporates some of their research findings, correcting certain errors and omissions of previous scholars (though the "General Catalogue" still contains many inaccuracies and gaps, which can be referenced in works like Yu Jiaxi's "Duiyi Bianzheng").
Therefore, as a systematic and relatively comprehensive bibliographic tool, the "General Catalogue" remains useful for reference today. Our purpose in publishing this photolithographic edition is precisely for this reason.