Yan Ruogong's Chronology: A Collection of Chronologies

Author: Zhang Mu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: The Annals of Yan Ruqin, originally titled The Annals of Mr. Yan Qianqiu, compiled by Zhang Mu during the Qing Dynasty. Yan Ruqin, styled Baishi, also known as Qianqiu Jushi, was originally from Taiyuan but later resided in Shanyang (now Huai'an City, Jiangsu Province). He was born on the fourteenth day of the tenth month in the Bingsi year (1636) of the Ming Chongzhen era.
At a young age, Yan Ruqin was deeply devoted to learning and reflection. At the age of twenty, while studying the Classic of Ancient Documents, he concluded that the Eastern Jin Dynasty’s Mei Zai’s contribution of the Classic of Ancient Documents was a forgery. He then immersed himself in research for nearly three decades, completing the Commentary on the Ancient Documents of the Classic of Documents in eight volumes. Drawing on classical texts and historical evidence, he meticulously exposed the contradictions and inconsistencies, presenting one hundred and twenty-eight pieces of evidence to convincingly prove that the Classic of Ancient Documents was a forgery. Mao Qiling wrote A Defense of the Ancient Documents of the Classic of Documents in rebuttal, but he too admitted, “Ultimately, he could not overturn the truth with forceful arguments” and stated, “The well-supported arguments had already been established as irrefutable” (Four Treasuries General Catalogue, Volume 12, Commentary on the Ancient Documents of the Classic of Documents).
For this edition, the Daoguang-era publication of the Jia edition was used as the base text, with reference to the Yi edition and the Yueya Hall Series, and Wu Chongyao’s preface was also included.