History of the Han Dynasty (Complete 3 Volumes) -- Simplified Chinese Version of the Four Histories

Author: (Han) Ban Gu compiled, (Tang) Yan Shigu annotated
Publisher:
Publishing Date: Not available
Features: The Book of Han, also known as The Former Han Book, is a part of the dynastic history in the annalistic and biographical style in China. It follows the format of Records of the Grand Historian with some modifications, changing Shiji (Records of the Grand Historian) to Zhi (Treatises) and Shixi (Households of the Feudatories) to Chuan (Biographies). It consists of four parts: Annals, Tables, Treatises, and Biographies. Since The Book of Han, subsequent dynasties imitated its format to compile other dynastic histories in the annalistic and biographical style. The Book of Han was written by Ban Gu, a historian of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Ban Gu (32–92 AD), styled Mengjian, was from Anling in Fufeng (now eastern Xianyang, Shaanxi), born into a wealthy and imperial family. His father, Ban Biao, served as the magistrate of Wangdu during the reign of Emperor Guangwu of the Eastern Han. Ban Biao was a learned and versatile scholar, specializing in historical studies and renowned as a master of Confucianism. Dissatisfied with many of the continuations of Records of the Grand Historian, he "collected the lost stories of the past and integrated diverse anecdotes" (Historical Records of the Later Han Dynasty - Ban Biao's Biography, wrote 65 chapters titled The Later Records to continue Records of the Grand Historian. Ban Gu grew up in this scholarly family, able to compose poetry and prose by the age of nine, and entered the Imperial Academy in Luoyang at the age of sixteen. He, delved into the doctrines of the Hundred Schools of Thought, and became familiar with the historical records of the Han Dynasty. In the 30th year of Jianwu (54 AD), Ban Gu returned to his hometown due to his father's death and organized Ban Biao's The Later Records. In the first year of Emperor Ming of the Eastern Han (58 AD), Ban Gu began compiling The Book of Han. Five years later, someone accused Ban Gu of privately altering the official history, leading to his arrest. His younger brother, Ban Chao, rushed to Luoyang to defend him. When Emperor Ming reviewed the manuscript submitted by local officials, he greatly admired Ban Gu's talent and appointed him as an official in the Imperial Library, responsible for managing archives and reviewing documents. Later, he was promoted to a position overseeing secretarial affairs. During this period, Emperor Ming allowed him to continue compiling The Book of Han. Ban Gu, along with Chen Zong, Yin Min, and Meng Yi, compiled The Annals of the World View, and later wrote 28 chapters of biographies and chronicles on prominent figures, the Pinglin faction, and Gongsun Shu. In the fourth year of Jianchu (79 AD), Emperor Zhang gathered scholars at White Tiger Grotto to discuss the differences and orthodox interpretations of the Five Classics, establishing the orthodox Confucianism. Ban Gu was tasked with "compiling the events," resulting in The White Tiger Treatise on Virtue (also known as The White Tiger Treatise on Unity). In the early years of Emperor He's reign (89 AD), Ban Gu served as the Vice Protector of the Army under General Dou Xian in campaigns against the Northern Xiongnu. In the fourth year of Yongyuan (92 AD), Dou Xian, accused of plotting rebellion, committed suicide, and Ban Gu was implicated, first dismissed from his position, and later arrested on the pretext of an insult by the magistrate of Luoyang, Zhong Jing, who had been humiliated by Ban Gu's household slaves. Ban Gu died in prison shortly after. Ban Gu began compiling The Book of Han in the early years of Emperor Ming's reign and completed it in the seventh year of Jianchu (82 AD), a process that spanned 25 years. The book covers 230 years of Western Han history, from the rebellion of Emperor Gaozu of Han (Liu Bang) against the Qin Dynasty to the downfall of the Xin Dynasty under Wang Mang. It includes 12 Annals, 8 Tables, 10 Treatises, and 70 Biographies, totaling 100 chapters. Among them, 8 Tables and The Treatise on Astronomy were left unfinished, later completed by his sister, Ban Zhao, and Ma Xun of Fufeng. Thus, The Book of Han was compiled by four individuals: Ban Biao, Ban Gu, Ban Zhao, and Ma Xun. The Book of Han followed the format of Records of the Grand Historian but made some changes and innovations. In the Annals section, The Book of Han replaced "Annals" with "Annals" (e.g., Annals of Emperor Gaozu), adding the Annals of Emperor Hui to supplement the gaps in Records of the Grand Historian and continuing with the Annals of Emperors Zhao, Xuan, Yuan, Cheng, Ai, and Ping after the Annals of Emperor Wu. The Book of Han removed The Annals of Xiang Yu from Records of the Grand Historian and moved Xiang Yu's to the Biographies, creating The Biography of Chen Sheng and Xiang Yu. For Wang Mang, who reigned for over a decade, The Book of Han did not create an Annals for him but included him in the Biographies with The Biography of Wang Mang. In the Tables section, The Book of Han created eight tables, six of which were based on Records of the Grand Historian and primarily recorded the deeds of figures in the Han Dynasty. The two new tables were The Table of Figures from Antiquity to the Chu-Han Period and The Table of Officials and Ministers. Despite the name "Antiquity to the Chu-Han Period," The Table of Figures from Antiquity to the Chu-Han Period only covered figures up to the Chu-Han period, divided into nine ranks, earning criticism for not adhering to the dynastic format. Among the eight tables, The Table of Officials and Ministers was highly regarded by later scholars. It consisted of two parts: the first part recorded the establishment, scope of authority, salary, and evolution of official positions in the Qin and Han dynasties in text; the second part listed tables of various official positions, documenting promotions, demotions, and dismissals, providing a comprehensive overview of the Han Dynasty's bureaucratic system. In the Treatises section, The Book of Han replaced Shiji (Treatises) with Zhi (Treatises) and expanded and developed the eight Shiji, forming the Bibliographical Style in Chinese historiography. The Treatises of The Book of Han included Treatise on Law and Calendar, Treatise on Rites and Music, Treatise on Criminal Law, Treatise on Finance and Trade, Treatise on Sacrifices, Treatise on Astronomy, Treatise on Five Elements, Treatise on Geography, Treatise on Waterways and Irrigation, and Treatise on Literature. Six of these treatises were renamed or merged, such as Treatise on Law and Calendar, Treatise on Rites and Music, Treatise on Finance and Trade, Treatise on Sacrifices, Treatise on Astronomy, and Treatise on Waterways and Irrigation, with their content either differing or modified. For example, the Treatise on Finance and Trade inherited material from The Book of Equivalents while adding new content, divided into two volumes: the first volume discussed "food," covering agricultural economy, while the second volume covered "goods," introducing industrial and commercial activities and currency. The Treatise on Sacrifices, Treatise on Astronomy, and Treatise on Waterways and Irrigation also expanded on The Book of Sacrifices, The Book of Heavenly Offices, and The Book of River and Canal, respectively. Additionally, the Treatise on Criminal Law, Treatise on Five Elements, Treatise on Geography, and Treatise on Literature were newly created by The Book of Han. Among them, the Treatise on Literature recorded the origins, developments, and achievements of various disciplines and schools of thought in ancient Chinese academia, as well as the collection of imperial archives during the Han Dynasty, making it one of the earliest works on bibliography in China. In the Biographies section, The Book of Han followed the tradition of Records of the Grand Historian but did not include "Households of the Feudatories." Figures from the Households of the Feudatories in Records of the Grand Historian were moved to the Biographies section. Some appendices in Records of the Grand Historian were expanded into full biographies or combined biographies, such as Zhang Qian, Dong Zhongshu, and Li Ling. The Book of Han inherited Records of the Grand Historian but also differed from it, with three distinctive features. First, The Book of Han reflects a strong feudal orthodox ideology. During Ban Gu's time, feudal theological thought had become the dominant ideology, and the Ban family, as historians who "sincerely devoted themselves to the way of the sages," naturally took it upon themselves to uphold feudal theological thought, using "the way of the sages" as the guiding principle of their work. Thus, while inheriting the content of Records of the Grand Historian, the author also criticized its "discrepancies with the way of the sages," altering its perspectives to align with feudal orthodox ideology. The book deified the imperial power of the Western Han Dynasty and upheld the idea of the Han Dynasty as the orthodox ruling house, serving to justify the legitimacy of the Eastern Han Dynasty and deify its imperial power. Therefore, the feudal theological doctrine of the "Five" (the theory of the cyclical succession of the five elements) and the belief in the divine grant of sovereignty became the dominant ideology of The Book of Han. To promote the feudal theological thought of "the interaction between heaven and man" and auspicious signs, The Book of Han pioneered The Treatise on Five Elements to record the mystical doctrines of five elements and disasters, and created The Biography of Xi Xian, Hou Jing, Jing Yi, and Li to document the deeds of five elements scholars. Second, The Book of Han pioneered the practice of writing history for specific dynasties and standardized the annalistic and biographical compilation format. Ban Gu's decision to write history for specific dynasties was not accidental but rather met the demands of the time. He summarized and creatively developed historical works from the reign of Emperor Wu to the early Eastern Han Dynasty, aiming to serve the political needs of the ruling class. Ban Gu believed that the universal history format of Records of the Grand Historian placed the entire Western Han Dynasty "at the end of the hundred kings and among the Qin and Xiang," neither promoting "the virtue of the Han" nor highlighting the historical significance of the Han Dynasty. This became the basis for writing history for specific dynasties in The Book of Han. Thus, The Book of Han "encompassed an entire dynasty," with its scope starting from the establishment of the Western Han Dynasty and ending with its collapse. To highlight Liu Bang, the Annals of Emperor Gaozu were placed first. This format of writing history for specific dynasties was praised by later feudal historians and became the model for compiling "orthodox histories" in subsequent dynasties. In terms of compilation format, The Book of Han inherited and developed Records of the Grand Historian, making the annalistic and biographical style a more complete compilation method. For example, although Records of the Grand Historian had The Annals of Empress Lü, it used the era name of Emperor Hui, so The Book of Han added The Annals of Emperor Hui, resolving the inconsistency in Records of the Grand Historian's format. It also recorded years and months more clearly and explicitly than Records of the Grand Historian. Furthermore, the four new Treatises in The Book of Han provided a more comprehensive account of the political, economic, social, and cultural systems of the Western Han Dynasty, enhancing its historical value. In terms of biography arrangement, The Book of Han generally followed the chronological order, with a more uniform and standardized format than Records of the Grand Historian. Third, The Book of Han contains abundant materials, preserving many important historical documents. The existing The Book of Han is approximately 800,000 words, with a larger volume than Records of the Grand Historian. It includes many important edicts, primarily in the Annals section. In many biographies, The Book of Han also includes extensive political, economic, military, and cultural memorials, proposals, writings, and letters. Among the ten Treatises in The Book of Han, there are also similar important historical documents, such as the inclusion of Chao Cuo's Memorial on the Value of Grain in The Treatise on Finance and Trade. The Book of Han also supplemented Records of the Grand Historian with materials on the history of various ethnic groups within and outside China. For example, based on Records of the Grand Historian's Biography of the Xiongnu, The Book of Han added historical facts after Emperor Wu, providing a more complete account of the Xiongnu from ancient times to the end of the Western Han Dynasty. It also merged Records of the Grand Historian's biographies of the Nanyue, Dongye, Joseon, and Southwest Yi, creating a more detailed Biography of the Southwest Yi, Nanyue, and Joseon after supplementing them with substantial historical facts. Meanwhile, The Book of Han changed Records of the Grand Historian's Biography of Da Yuan to Biography of the Western Regions, recording the history of various ethnic groups in Xinjiang and the histories of Central Asia and Southwest Asia. The Book of Han often used ancient characters and meanings, making the text difficult to understand, so even contemporaries of Ban Gu had to provide annotations on its pronunciation and meaning. According to the Sui Dynasty's Catalog of Classics, nearly 20 families of scholars wrote annotations for The Book of Han during the Eastern Han to the Southern and Northern Dynasties period, with most focusing on pronunciation and meaning. Regarding the annotations of The Book of Han, those by scholars before the Tang Dynasty have been lost. The existing annotations of The Book of Han are the comprehensive annotations compiled by Yan Shigu of the Tang Dynasty, considered one of the more complete annotations.