Chinese Ancient History Source Criticism

Author: An Zuozhang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1998-09-01
Features: A History of Ancient China Source Criticism was commissioned by the State Education Commission and Fujian People's Publishing House to serve as a textbook for the Ancient Chinese History program in history departments of higher education institutions. From 1988, it took three years and several revisions to develop the manuscript into its current form. Currently, there are various published works on Chinese source criticism, including general overviews, period-specific studies, specialized monographs, and introductory texts. Additionally, there are related disciplines such as historical philology, the history of historiography, and general historiography, which are closely linked to source criticism. It can be said that the field is flourishing, with each approach having its merits. This book strives to incorporate the research findings of various scholars while meeting the practical needs of teaching and cultivating students' independent research capabilities. It attempts to make new explorations and innovations in terms of system, structure, content, and methodology. The book is divided into three parts.
Part One covers theoretical issues in source criticism. Theoretical research in source criticism plays a guiding role in the overall study of the discipline. Currently, the theoretical development of Chinese source criticism is still in its infancy, with scholars holding differing views on related theoretical questions, and some issues remain highly contentious. This part attempts to provide theoretical discussions and explanations on several aspects: the concept, scope, composition, and classification of sources; the general nature and characteristics of sources; the tasks, scope, and historical development of Chinese source criticism, including its patterns; the distinctions and connections between source criticism, other historical sciences, and related disciplines, as well as the role of source criticism in historical research; and the multifaceted significance and methods of source criticism research. This represents only our preliminary understanding and interpretation. It is hoped that under the guidance of Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought, through long-term academic discussions and debates, the theoretical level of source criticism research will continue to improve.
Part Two introduces sources for Ancient Chinese History. Based on their genres and content, the sources are divided into fifteen major categories: archaeological sources, sources from the Five Classics, sources from the Hundred Schools of Thought, annalistic sources, chronological sources, political sources, biographical sources, biographical sources, sources on science, religion, and scholarship, geographical, local gazetteer, and genealogical sources, collected works, notes and miscellaneous histories, encyclopedic, multi-volume, and compiled sources, archival sources, and foreign sources. Each category is introduced separately. When introducing a specific category, a brief preface is provided to summarize its general characteristics, placed at the beginning of chapters or sections, depending on the situation. The sources are then introduced in chronological order, divided into stages or subcategories. The descriptions aim to be concise and to the point, with more detailed coverage given to some renowned historical works, while others are summarized. The focus is on explaining the content, value, and common or newer editions of the sources. This approach allows readers to grasp the development and general context of a particular category of sources while providing a comprehensive overview of ancient sources. It benefits researchers of period-specific and specialized histories by avoiding the repetition often found in traditional period-specific or specialized introductions.
Part Three addresses the research and application of sources. This part incorporates fundamental knowledge from disciplines such as bibliography, textual criticism, paleography, etymology, textual research, and historical compilation, clarifying their roles, functions, and application methods in source criticism. Combining the characteristics of source criticism in Ancient Chinese History, it systematically and comprehensively elaborates on methods for collecting, organizing, and utilizing sources, introducing new research methods alongside traditional historical research approaches.