Twenty-Four Histories
The Twenty-Four Histories (Chinese: 二十四史; pinyin: Èrshísì Shǐ; Wade–Giles: Erh-shih-szu shih), also known as the Orthodox Histories (Chinese: 正史; pinyin: Zhèngshǐ; Wade–Giles: Chêng4shih3), are the Chinese official dynastic histories covering from the earliest dynasty in 3000 BC to the Ming dynasty in the 17th century.
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Chinese | 二十四史 | ||||||||||||||
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The Han dynasty official Sima Qian established many of the conventions of the genre, but the form was not fixed until much later. Starting with the Tang dynasty, each dynasty established an official office to write the history of its predecessor using official court records, partly in order to establish its own link to the earliest times. As fixed and edited in the Qing dynasty, the whole set contains 3,213 volumes and about 40 million words. It is considered one of the most important sources on Chinese history and culture.[1]
The title "Twenty-Four Histories" dates from 1775, which was the 40th year in the reign of the Qianlong Emperor. This was when the last volume, the History of Ming, was reworked and a complete set of the histories was produced.
Collection
Title | Corresponding dynasty | Main author | Year of compilation | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Records of the Grand Historian 史記 |
The period from the Yellow Emperor to the Emperor Wu of Han | Sima Qian (Han dynasty) |
91 BC | Part of the Early Four Historiographies (前四史) |
Book of Han 漢書 |
Western Han Xin dynasty |
Ban Gu (Han dynasty) |
AD 82 | Part of the Early Four Historiographies (前四史) |
Records of the Three Kingdoms 三國志 |
Cao Wei Shu Han Eastern Wu |
Chen Shou (Jin dynasty) |
AD 289 | Part of the Early Four Historiographies (前四史). Greatly expanded by later annotation |
Book of the Later Han 後漢書 |
Eastern Han | Fan Ye (Liu Song) |
AD 445 | Part of the Early Four Historiographies (前四史)[2] |
Book of Song 宋書 |
Liu Song | Shen Yue (Liang dynasty) |
488 | |
Book of Southern Qi 南齊書 |
Southern Qi | Xiao Zixian (Liang dynasty) |
537 | |
Book of Wei 魏書 |
Northern Wei Eastern Wei |
Wei Shou (Northern Qi) |
554 | |
Book of Liang 梁書 |
Liang dynasty | Yao Silian (Tang dynasty) |
636 | Part of the Eight Historiographies compiled in Tang dynasty (唐初八史) |
Book of Chen 陳書 |
Chen dynasty | Yao Silian (Tang dynasty) |
636 | Part of the Eight Historiographies compiled in Tang dynasty (唐初八史) |
Book of Northern Qi 北齊書 |
Northern Qi | Li Baiyao (Tang dynasty) |
636 | Part of the Eight Historiographies compiled in Tang dynasty (唐初八史) |
Book of Zhou 周書 |
Western Wei Northern Zhou |
Linghu Defen (Tang dynasty) |
636 | Part of the Eight Historiographies compiled in Tang dynasty (唐初八史) |
Book of Sui 隋書 |
Sui dynasty | Wei Zheng (Tang dynasty) |
636 | Part of the Eight Historiographies compiled in Tang dynasty (唐初八史) |
Book of Jin 晉書 |
Western Jin Eastern Jin |
Fang Xuanling (Tang dynasty) |
648 | Part of the Eight Historiographies compiled in Tang dynasty (唐初八史) |
History of the Southern Dynasties 南史 |
Liu Song Southern Qi Liang dynasty Chen dynasty |
Li Yanshou (Tang dynasty) |
659 | Part of the Eight Historiographies compiled in Tang dynasty (唐初八史) |
History of the Northern Dynasties 北史 |
Northern Wei Eastern Wei Western Wei Northern Qi Northern Zhou Sui dynasty |
Li Yanshou (Tang dynasty) |
659 | Part of the Eight Historiographies compiled in Tang dynasty (唐初八史) |
Old Book of Tang 舊唐書 |
Tang dynasty | Liu Xu (Later Jin) |
945 | |
Old History of the Five Dynasties 舊五代史 |
Later Liang Later Tang Later Jin Later Han Later Zhou |
Xue Juzheng (Song dynasty) |
974 | |
Historical Records of the Five Dynasties 五代史記 |
Later Liang Later Tang Later Jin Later Han Later Zhou |
Ouyang Xiu (Song dynasty) |
1053 | Also called "New History of the Five Dynasties" (新五代史) |
New Book of Tang 新唐書 |
Tang dynasty | Ouyang Xiu (Song dynasty) |
1060 | |
History of Liao 遼史 |
Liao dynasty Western Liao |
Toqto'a (Yuan dynasty) |
1343 | Part of the Three Historiographies compiled in Yuan dynasty (元末三史)[3] |
History of Jin 金史 |
Jin dynasty | Toqto'a (Yuan dynasty) |
1345 | Part of the Three Historiographies compiled in Yuan dynasty (元末三史) |
History of Song 宋史 |
Northern Song Southern Song |
Toqto'a (Yuan dynasty) |
1345 | Part of the Three Historiographies compiled in Yuan dynasty (元末三史) |
History of Yuan 元史 |
Yuan dynasty | Song Lian (Ming dynasty) |
1370 | |
History of Ming 明史 |
Ming dynasty | Zhang Tingyu (Qing dynasty) |
1739 |
Inheritance works
These works were begun by one historian and completed by an heir, usually of the next generation.
- Records of the Grand Historian, inherited from Sima Tan 司馬談 (father) by Sima Qian 司馬遷 (son)
- Book of Han, inherited from Ban Biao 班彪 (father), Ban Gu (son) by Ban Zhao 班昭 (daughter/sister)
- Book of Liang and Book of Chen, inherited from Yao Cha 姚察 (father) by Yao Silian 姚思廉 (son)
- Book of Northern Qi, inherited from Li Delin 李德林 (father) by Li Baiyao 李百藥 (son)
- History of the Southern Dynasties and History of the Northern Dynasties, inherited from Li Dashi 李大師 (father) by Li Yanshou 李延壽 (son)
Related works
There were attempts at producing new traditional histories after the fall of the Qing dynasty, but they either never gained widespread acceptance as part of the official historical canon or they remain unfinished.
Title | Corresponding dynasty | Main author | Year of compilation | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
New History of Yuan 新元史 |
Yuan dynasty | Ke Shaomin (Republic of China) |
1920 | Part of the Twenty-Five Histories (二十五史) |
Draft History of Qing 清史稿 |
Qing dynasty | Zhao Erxun (Republic of China) |
1927 |
Modern attempts at creating the official Qing history
In 1961, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the declaration of the Republic of China (ROC), the ROC government in Taiwan published the History of Qing, adding 21 supplementary chapters to the Draft History of Qing and revising many existing chapters to denounce the People's Republic of China (PRC) as an illegitimate, impostor regime. It also removed passages that were derogatory towards the Xinhai Revolution.[4] This edition has not been widely accepted as the official Qing history because it is recognized that it was a rushed job motivated by political objectives. It does not correct most of the errors known to exist in the Draft History of Qing.[5]
An additional project, attempting to write a New History of Qing incorporating new materials and improvements in historiography, lasted from 1988 to 2000. Only 33 chapters out of the projected 500 were published.[5] This project was later abandoned following the rise of the Taiwanese nationalist Pan-Green Coalition, which argues that it is not the duty of Taiwan to compile the history of mainland China.
In 1961, the PRC also attempted to complete the Qing history, but historians were prevented from doing so against the backdrop of the Cultural Revolution.[6]
In 2002, the PRC once again announced that it would complete the History of Qing.[7] The project was approved in 2002,[8] and put under the leadership of historian Dai Yi.[9] Initially planned to be completed in 10 years,[10] the project suffered multiple delays, pushing completion of the first draft to 2016.[11] Chinese Social Sciences Today reported in April 2020 that the project's results were being reviewed.[12]
Modern editions
In China, the Zhonghua Book Company (Zhonghua Shuju) have edited a number of these histories. They have been collated, edited, and punctuated by Chinese specialists.[13]
From 1991 to 2003, it was translated from Classical Chinese into modern written vernacular Chinese, by Xu Jialu and other scholars.[14]
Translations
One of the Twenty-Four Histories is in the process of being fully translated into English: Records of the Grand Historian by William Nienhauser, in nine volumes.[15]
In Korean and Vietnamese, only the Records has been translated. Most of the histories have been translated into Japanese.
See also
- Chinese classic texts
- Draft History of Qing, a continuation of the histories through 1911
- History of China
- Official communications in imperial China
- Zizhi Tongjian
References
Citations
- Ch 49, "Standard Histories," in Endymion Wilkinson. Chinese History: A New Manual. (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Asia Center, Harvard-Yenching Institute Monograph Series, 2012). ISBN 9780674067158. Also see "Standard Histories" link to the Googlebook of the 2000 edition of Wilkinson.
- Hill, John E. (2009) Through the Jade Gate to Rome: A Study of the Silk Routes during the Later Han Dynasty, 1st to 2nd Centuries CE. BookSurge, Charleston, South Carolina. ISBN 978-1-4392-2134-1.
- Xu Elina-Qian, p. 23.
- 台灣版《清史》一年速成 筆墨官司幾上幾下. big5.huaxia.com (in Chinese). Retrieved 12 April 2018.
- Chen, Hsi-yuan (2004). "Last chapter unfinished: The making of the official Qing History and the crisis of Traditional Chinese Historiography". Historiography East and West. 2 (2): 173–204. doi:10.1163/157018606779068306. ISSN 1570-1867. S2CID 153377177.
- Wilkinson, Endymion (2012). Chinese history: a new manual. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Asia Center. pp. 834–5. ISBN 978-0674067158.
- Huáiràng, Yuè (3 April 2019). 新修《清史》已进入稿件通读阶段,预计今年出版问世. Péngpài Xīnwén 澎湃新闻 (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 12 April 2019.
- Mao, Liping; Ma, Zhao (2012). ""Writing History in the Digital Age": The New Qing History Project and the Digitization of Qing Archives". History Compass. 10 (5): 367–374. doi:10.1111/j.1478-0542.2012.00841.x.
- Chéng, Chóngdé (3 January 2021). 戴逸先生与清史纂修前的准备工作. Guangming 光明 (in Chinese).
- 中新社网站 (26 August 2003). 两岸学者聚京共商清史纂修大计 预计10年完成. 新浪军事 (in Chinese).
- Rèn, Mǐn (18 December 2013). Sòng, Yǔchéng (ed.). "Guójiā Qīngshǐ Biānzuǎn Gōngchéng yǐ wánchéng chūgǎo" 国家清史编纂工程已完成初稿 [The first draft of the National Qing History Compilation Project has been completed]. Běijīng Xīnwén 北京新闻 (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 19 December 2013.
- Guo, Fei (21 April 2020). Ma, Yuhong (ed.). "Dai Yi speaks on Qing history national compilation project". Chinese Social Sciences Today. Archived from the original on 14 September 2021.
- Xu Elina-Qian, p. 19.
- "二十四史全译 - 图书".
- The Grand Scribe's Records (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1994- )
Sources
- Xu Elina-Qian, Historical Development of the Pre-Dynastic Khitan, University of Helsinki, 2005. 273 pages. 19 and 23
External links
