History of the Northern Dynasties (Complete 10 Volumes) -- Traditional vertical

Author: Li Yanshou of the Tang Dynasty
Publisher:
Publishing Time: Not available
Features: The Northern History is a comprehensive historical work in the Zhi (biographical) style, co-authored with The Southern History. It consists of 12 volumes of Benji (chronicles) and 88 volumes of Liezhuang (biographies), totaling 100 volumes. Alternatively, it has 10 volumes of Benji and 70 volumes of Liezhuang, totaling 80 volumes. The narrative begins with the founding of the Northern Wei Dynasty by Emperor Daowu in the first year of the Dengguo era (386 AD) and ends with the second year of the Yining era of Emperor Gongdi of the Sui Dynasty (618 AD), covering 230 years of history from the four feudal regimes of the Northern Wei, Northern Qi, Western Zhou, and Sui Dynasties. The Northern History and The Southern History were compiled based on eight dynastic histories in the Zhi style, including The Book of Song, The Book of Southern Qi, The Book of Liang, The Book of Chen, The Book of Wei, The Book of Northern Qi, The Book of Western Zhou, and The Book of Sui. They represent a successful adaptation and creative reimagining of these eight works.
The Northern History and The Southern History break away from the traditional dynastic system, dividing this period into the Northern and Southern eras and writing comprehensive histories that span all dynasties. These two works are interlinked and complementary. By fully integrating the long-stage history from the Southern and Northern Dynasties to the unification under the Sui Dynasty, they overcome numerous flaws such as fragmented historical records, repetitive accounts, difficulty in editing, excessive length, and inconvenience for readers. They present specific facts in a concise manner, providing readers with a comprehensive and systematic understanding of history. This facilitates the comparison of the distinct characteristics of different dynasties and historical periods, accurately outlining the historical context and trends of change, thereby reflecting the essential nature of historical development.
Additionally, the way The Northern History and The Southern History were compiled also encourages historical reflection from the perspective of the overall history of the Chinese nation. It helps to eliminate the long-term division and estrangement between the North and South, fostering a sense of unity under one roof. However, these two histories failed to produce a chronology of the relationship between the North and South, reflecting the author's lack of a holistic perspective. Furthermore, the author's explanation of the variations between the Northern and Southern dynasties is also unclear, failing to fully meet Sima Qian's requirement of "understanding the changes between past and present."