Twenty-Four Histories
The Twenty-Four Histories (Chinese: 二十四史; pinyin: Èrshísì Shǐ; Wade–Giles: Erhshihszu Shih) is a collection of Chinese historical books covering a period from 3000 BC to the Ming Dynasty in the 17th century. The whole set contains 3213 volumes and about 40 million words. It is considered one of the most important sources on Chinese history and culture.
Typically, after collecting credible sources, these canonical history records were produced in the next dynasty by officially organized editing, revising, and collating. Every factual error left in the published records is officially considered to be a failure by the responsible officer.
Books of the Twenty-Four Histories
- Early Four Historiographies 前四史
- Book of Song (宋書, Sòng Shū) — Southern Dynasties, compiled by Shen Yue 沈約 in 488
- Book of Qi (齊書, Qí Shū) — Southern Dynasties, compiled by Xiao Zixian 蕭子顯 in 537
- Book of Wei (魏書, Wèi Shū) — Northern Dynasties, compiled by Wei Shou 魏收 in 554
- Eight Historiographies of Tang Dynasty 唐初八史
- Book of Liang (梁書, Liáng Shū) — Southern Dynasties, compiled by Yao Silian 姚思廉 in 636
- Book of Chen (陳書, Chén Shū) — Southern Dynasties, compiled by Yao Silian 姚思廉 in 636
- Book of Northern Qi (北齊書, Běi Qí Shū) — Northern Dynasties, compiled by Li Baiyao 李百藥 in 636
- Book of Zhou (周書, Zhōu Shū) — Northern Dynasties, compiled under Linghu Defen 令狐德棻 in 636
- Book of Sui (隋書, Suī Shū), compiled under Wei Zheng 魏徵 in 636
- Book of Jin (晉書, Jìn Shū), compiled under Fang Xuanling 房玄齡 in 648
- History of Southern Dynasties (南史, Nán Shǐ), compiled by Li Yanshou 李延壽 in 659
- History of Northern Dynasties (北史, Běi Shǐ), compiled by Li Yanshou 李延壽 in 659
- Book of Tang (唐書, Táng Shū), compiled under Liu Xu 劉昫 in 945
- Five Dynasties History (五代史, Wǔdài Shǐ), compiled under Xue Juzheng 薛居正 in 974
- New History of the Five Dynasties (新五代史, Xīn Wǔdài Shǐ), compiled under Ouyang Xiu 歐陽脩 in 1053
- New Book of Tang (新唐書, Xīn Táng Shū), compiled under Ouyang Xiu 歐陽脩 in 1060
- Three Historiographies of Yuan Dynasty 元末三史
- History of Yuan (元史, Yuán Shǐ), compiled under Song Lian 宋濂 in 1370
- History of Ming (明史, Míng Shǐ), compiled under Zhang Tingyu 張廷玉 in 1739
Inheritance works
These works were begun by one historian and completed by an heir, usually in the next generation.
Related works
- New History of Yuan (新元史, Xīn Yuán Shǐ), compiled by Ke Shaomin 柯劭忞 in 1920
- Draft History of Qing (清史稿, Qīng Shǐ Gǎo), compiled under Zhao Erxun 趙爾巽 in 1927
Modern editions
In China, the Zhonghua Shuju have edited a number of these Histories. These sets (or editions) are appreciated because they have been carefully collated and edited (punctuated) by the Chinese specialists. Therefore, these editions are believed to be relatively reliable, and easy to read and understand.[3]
See also
References
- ^ 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
- ^ Xu Elina-Qian, p.19
External links