A Compendium of the Later Han History (Vol. 1 and 2): Three Additional Works

Author: Wang Xianqian et al. (Qing Dynasty)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-04-01
Features: The Book of the Later Han consists of 120 volumes, including 90 biographical chapters written by Fan Ye of the Southern Dynasties of the Liu Song period and annotated by Li Xian of the Tang Dynasty; and 30 topical chapters written by Sima Biao of the Jin Dynasty and annotated by Liu Zhao of the Southern Dynasties of the Liang period. Due to the long passage of time, the old annotations have become difficult for later scholars to interpret, and some require reannotation, collation, and textual criticism. Since the Qing Dynasty, numerous scholars have studied the Book of the Later Han, achieving remarkable results. Among them, Discussions on the Book of the Later Han (11 volumes) and Continued Discussions on the Book of the Later Han (9 volumes), written by Qian Daizhao of the Qing Dynasty; and Supplementary Corrections to the Annotations of the Book of the Later Han (8 volumes), written by Zhou Shouchang of the Qing Dynasty, have made significant contributions to the textual criticism and correction of the Book of the Later Han and its old annotations. Collected Explanations of the Book of the Later Han (120 volumes), written by Wang Xianqian of the modern era, is based on Li Xian's annotations and Huidong's Supplementary Annotations to the Book of the Later Han, extensively collecting and collating texts, correcting errors, and interpreting historical institutions and customs, making it the culmination of annotations to the Book of the Later Han. However, Wang Xianqian passed away before completing the publication of Collected Explanations of the Book of the Later Han, and the manuscript was scattered. Thanks to the collation and supplementation by his disciples Huang Shan and Liu Congchen, the work was finally completed. Here, the above four books are published together for the reference of historical researchers.