Eastern Han Dynasty Records

Author: Song Tianlin
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-04-01
Features: We hereby note that the 40 volumes of the Tang Dynasty Annals were compiled by Song Tianlin. When Tianlin served as a professor in Fuzhou, he initially submitted the Western Han Dynasty Annals. Later, while holding the position of a doctor in the Imperial Academy, he completed this book and submitted it again in the second year of the Baoying era. The format of this book aligns with the previous one, covering approximately 15 to 16 percent of the content, totaling 384 items. Unlike the Western Han Dynasty Annals, which lacks commentary, this book includes case notes and excerpts from others' discussions, following the example of Su Mian's Annotations.
The Eastern Han Dynasty, after the restoration under Emperor Guangwu, saw Emperor Ming and Emperor Zhang continuing the legacy of restoring and reviving abandoned institutions. Its rituals and cultural achievements surpassed those of the Western Han. Contemporary chroniclers, such as those who compiled the Records of the Eastern Han and figures like Hua Qiao, Sima Bi, and Yuan Hong, left behind fragments of their works, which are still preserved. Other books like Han Official Rituals, Han Miscellaneous Affairs, and Old Han Institutions, frequently cited in commentaries, are also well-documented. Thus, the records of the Eastern Han Dynasty are relatively more comprehensive than those of the Western Han. Tianlin based his work on Fan Ye's History of the Later Han while incorporating insights from other sources, organizing them into clear categories and arrangements, which greatly aids in research.
For instance, regarding the sons of Emperor Xian, such as Prince Ji of Jinyin, Prince Yi of Shanyang, and Prince Miao of Jibei, though they were initially appointed by the Cao family and later reduced to mere marquesses, they were still established as imperial princes and should have been listed under the imperial lineage. However, since Fan Ye's original text lacked entries for them, Tianlin omitted them, resulting in an omission. In his preface, Tianlin mentions Liu Zhao's annotations to Fan Ye's History of the Later Han, but he mistakenly attributes them to Sima Bi's Comprehensive History of the Later Han. Although this error was already pointed out by Chao Gongwu, it is merely a minor oversight. Overall, the book remains detailed, and even with some inaccuracies, it is not significantly flawed.
The versions of this book in circulation today are based on the Song Dynasty edition and are copies. The 37th and 38th volumes are completely missing, while the 36th and 39th volumes are each missing half, leaving them irreparable. Thus, they are retained as they are.