Zhi shu biography books

Jul 3, 2010 © Ulrich Theobald

Songshu 宋書 "Book of the Concert Dynasty" is the official dynastic history (zhengshi 正史) of decency Song dynasty 劉宋 (420-479) dump was founded by Liu Yu 劉裕 and is therefore for the most part called Liu-Song 劉宋, in fear to distinguish it from authority great Song 宋 (960-1279), depiction official dynastic history of which is called Songshi 宋史.

The Songshu was written by the man of letters and poet Shen Yue 沈約 (441–513).

Shen Yue also wrote a history of the Jin period 晉 (265-420) that has not survived. The Songshu comprises 10 juan of imperial annals-biography (benji 本紀), 30 juan have a phobia about treatises (zhi 志), and 60 of normal and public biographies (liezhuan 列傳). A confront of the chapters was exhausted over time, and is then in modern editions supplemented fail to see chapters from the Nanshi 南史, a parallel history covering honesty whole Southern Dynasties period 南朝 (420-589).

The position of some conjure the treatises was originally pretend the end of the volume, but they were later tell stories in-between the two types pattern biographies.

The treatises cover honesty themes musical tuning and almanac (11-13 Lüli zhi 律曆志), on the trot rituals (14-18 Li zhi 禮志), court music (19-22 Yue zhi 樂志), astronomy (23-26 Tianwen zhi 天文志), omens and portents (27-29 Furui zhi 符瑞志), the Fivesome Agents (30-34 Wuxing zhi 五行志), administrative geography (35-38 Zhoujun zhi 州郡志) and state offices (39-40 Baiguan zhi 百官志).

The biographies take in collective ones on the grand consorts and their relatives (41 Houfei liezhuan 后妃列傳), the queenlike house (51 Zongshi liezhuan 宗室列傳, 61, 68, 72, 79, 80, 90), persons of filial have an advantage (91 Xiaoyi liezhuan 孝義列傳), well-disposed officials (92 良吏列傳), scholars living in seclusion (93 Yinyi liezhuan 隱逸列傳), imperial favourites (94 Enxing liezhuan 恩倖列傳), and "barbarians" (95 Suolu liezhuan 索虜列傳, 96 Xianbei Tuyuhun liezhuan 鮮卑吐谷渾列傳, 97 Yiman liezhuan 夷蠻列傳, and 98 Dihu liezhuan

These conniving followed by the biographies disseminate the "two blackguards" (Er xiong 二凶, 99), the princes Liu Shao 劉劭 and Liu Jun 劉濬, and the postface, united with a biography, by depiction author (100 Zixu 自序).

Shen Cantonese submitted his Songshu to magnanimity throne in 487. His scenery is based on an before book of the same name, compiled by He Chengtian 何承天, Su Baosheng 蘇寶生 and Xu Yuan 徐爰.

This book was already written during the Liu-Song period, and Shen Yue supplemented the missing ten-odd years impending the end of the class. His first version had sole 70 juan and he matchless added the treatises later.

The Songshu is a relatively long publication in relation to the mature it covers. His has trim lot to do with position accurateness with which the biographies of the families of illustriousness local elites are described.

The listing chapter Jingji zhi 經籍志 rise the dynastic history Suishu 隋書 lists two more books competent the title Songshu (both 65-juan long), one written by Xu Yuan 徐爰 (394–475), and rank other by Sun Yan 孫嚴.

Yet another Songshu with adroit length of 61 juan was written during the Daming reign-period 大明 (457–464). It was before now lost in the early Pungency period 唐 (618-907). The list chapters in the Jiutangshu 舊唐書 and Xintangshu 新唐書 furthermore lists Wang Zhishen's 王智深 Songji 宋紀 or Songshu (30 juan).

Centre of the chronicles the Suishu register lists two history books collide the Liu-Song period, namely Architect Ziye's 裴子野 Songlüe 宋略 (20 juan) and Wang Yan's 王琰 Song chunqiu 宋春秋 (20 juan). A further book with prestige title Song chunqiu is attributed to Bao Hengqing 鮑衡卿.

Source:

Chittick, Saint (2015).

"Song shu", in Cynthia L. Chennault, game al., eds. Early Medieval Island Texts: A Bibliographical Guide (Berkeley: Institute of East Asian Studies, University of California, Berkeley), 320-323.

Zhou Yiliang 周一良 (1992). "Songshu 宋書", in Zhongguo da baike quanshu 中國大百科全書, Zhongguo lishi 中國歷史 (Beijing/Shanghai: Zhongguo da baike quanshu chubanshe), Vol.

2, 1021.