Annals of the Eunuch Administrator

Author: Luoyang Municipal Bureau of Cultural Relics, Luoyang Municipal Team of Cultural Relics
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-10-01
Features: The "Records of the Magistrate's Deeds" is based on epitaphs and steles. In recent years, while compiling the "Catalog of Epitaphs Unearthed in Luoyang" (published by Chaohua Press in 2001) and the "Compendium of Information on the Burial Sites of Epitaphs from Various Dynasties Unearthed in Luoyang" (published by Beijing Library Press in 2003), we came into contact with epitaphs and steles of officials from various dynasties and types. Among these officials, the magistrates (cìshǐ) particularly caught our attention. Magistrates were not merely the chief officials of a single prefecture, but often held titles such as "holding the military authority of a certain prefecture or several prefectures" or "governing and supervising the military affairs of a certain prefecture or several prefectures." They were high-ranking officials responsible for the governance of a region and were considered key figures in the local administration. Their actions were closely tied to the livelihood of the people in their jurisdiction, the stability of society, and the integrity of local governance. The book includes 507 magistrates from the Han Dynasty to the Liao Dynasty, covering 559 prefectures. The information on these magistrates objectively reflects the history of their time and is an essential source for understanding and researching the history and events of that era. This book compiles the epitaphs and steles of these magistrates, which were scattered across various works and journals, greatly facilitating the use of these materials by researchers.