Classical Texts and Corrupt Interpretations (Set of 2 Volumes) (Premium Edition)

Author: Ruan Yuan et al. (Qing Dynasty)
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Publishing Time: Not available
Features: When we read ancient texts from the pre-Qin and Han dynasties or unearthed written materials today, we need to accurately interpret the meanings of characters. This often requires two methods: one is to consult elementary books like Shuowen Jiezi and Erya, and the other is to examine ancient annotations from the Han and Tang dynasties. However, the interpretation of a single character's meaning is often scattered across various books, making it extremely inconvenient to find. During the Qing Dynasty, the Qian-Jia scholars believed: "One must first master textual interpretation before they can properly study the classics." Under this guiding principle, they not only devoted great effort to annotating elementary books like Shuowen Jiezi and Erya, but also focused on compiling scattered Han and Tang dynasty annotations into books for easier access. However, this endeavor was ultimately unsuccessful in being completed. In the 60th year of the Qianlong reign (1795), Ruan Yuan served as the Chief Education Officer of Zhejiang. Due to his long-standing interest in textual interpretation, upon assuming office, he organized a team of scholars to "compile annotations by category and arrange characters by rhyme," collecting and systematically compiling ancient annotations from elementary books and Han-Tang dynasty annotations. Later, he hired Jian Yong, an expert in textual interpretation, to finalize the project. In the third year of the Jiaqing reign (1798), the Jingji Zuanju (Compendium of Classical Annotations) was completed in 106 volumes. This work is exceptionally comprehensive, and earlier scholars praised it as "displaying the richness of characters within a single rhyme, yet being fully complete in its annotations, and allowing one to find all interpretations by merely checking a single character." It is truly no exaggeration to call it the "master of classical studies" and the "cornerstone of textual interpretation," as it is "limitless in its resources and inexhaustible in its utility."