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Houhanshu 後漢書 "The History of Later Han Dynasty"

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The first dynastic history of China was the Shiji 史記 "Records of the Grand Scribe", written by Sima Qian 司馬遷 (145-86 BC) during the Former Han Dynasty.
The pattern of Sima Qian's historiographic work was unique and should serve as model for the official standard histories of the imperial dynasties for the next two thousand years. The Hanshu, written by Ban Biao 班彪 and his son Ban Gu 班固, a historian who also took part in the compilation of the political compendium Baihutong 白虎通 and the history Dongguan Hanji 東觀漢記, helped to standardize the style of the official dynastic histories that has been established with the Shiji. Like Sima Qian, Ban Gu used the biographical-thematical stye with four different types of chapters. But the imperial biographies are much more written in an annalistic year-by-year style and report only officially recorded events. Sima Qian's imperial biographies are written in a more narrative style.
The chapters of the Houhanshu are:
1.-10. 紀 Ji Imperial Biographies 1-10:
Emperors Guangwudi; Mingdi; Zhangdi; Hedi and Shangdi; Andi; Shundi, Chongdi, and Zhidi; Huangdi; Lingdi; Xiandi; Empresses
11.-90. 傳 Zhuan Biographies 1-80:
(only the most important and interesting are presented here:)
11 Liu Xuan (the short-time emperor) 劉玄劉盆子
35 Zheng Xuan 張曹鄭
40 Ban Biao and Ban Gu 班彪
49 Wang Chong and Wang Fu 王充王符仲長統
60a Ma Rong 馬融
60b Cai Yong 蔡邕
72 Dong Zhuo 董卓
74 Yuan Shao 袁紹劉表
78 Eunuchs 宦者
82 Magicians 方術
84 Eminent Women 列女
85 the eastern barbarians 東夷
86 barbarians in the south and southwest 南蠻西南夷
87 rulers of the western Qiang tribes 西羌
88 the western territories 西域
89 the southern Xiongnu tribes 南匈奴
90 the Wuhuan and Xianbei tribes 烏桓鮮卑
Zhi Treatises 1-30:

Measurements and Calendar 律曆
(1-3), Rites 禮儀
(4-6), Sacrifices 祭祀 (7-9), Astronomy 天文 (10-12), Five Phases 五行 (13-18), Geography 郡國 (19-23), Offices 百官 (24-28), Chariots and Garments 輿服 (29-30)
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既成,鄉不越長,朝不越爵,罷士無伍,罷女無家.夫是,故民皆勉為善.與其為善於鄉也,不如為善於里;其為善於里也,不如為善於家.是故士莫敢言一朝之便,皆有終歲之計;莫敢以終歲之議,皆有終身之功.
The duke ordered the senior officers to make yearly report of people that had achieved great merit, to be recorded in the Annals. these men, the most able were to be chosen and had do take over special tasks. The record of selection should state: "There is a man among my officers who has outstanding merits and possesses great virtue, prudent and correct in behaving according to the seasons, he is able to guide and admonish the people, pacifying slandering words. He is worthy to fill up the ranks of the officials that are not good in government." After this, the duke received him at the court and spoke to him, testing the worthiness of the man before him, if he was able to fulfil his tasks, and if he could be appointed as an integer official. The duke tested him with questions about harm for his country, and if he did not fail, the duke asked him about his town to see what was his abilites. If the tested man did not make severe faults, the duke appointed him with the raised post of assistant officer 1st grade. The state barons and high barons then withdraw to regulate the towns, the town heads withdraw to regulate the community, the community heads withdraw to regulate the hamlets, the hamlet heads withdraw to regulate the streets, the street heads withdraw to regulate the block, and the block heads withdraw to regulate the families. For this reason, the good men among the people were worthy to be upgraded, and the bad men were guilty to be executed. After this kind of government was perfect, nobody in the town would challenge the town head, and at the court, nobody would have challenged the ranks and grades, a man without virtue could not enter a block, and an unworthy woman could not found a family. For that reason then, all people strove eagerly to create the good. To do good things for the town was not as good as doing good things for the block, and doing good things for the block was not as good as doing good things for the family. Therefore nobody dared to make shortviewed selfish plans, but all planned to fulfil the task of the whole year, and nobody dared to make discussions about the fulfilment of one single year's task, but all worked for the merit of the whole life.
桓公曰:「伍鄙若何?」管子對曰:「相地而衰征,則民不移;政不旅舊,則民不偷;山澤各致其時,則民不苟;陸、阜、陵、墐、井、 田、疇均,則民不憾;無奪民時,則百姓富;犧牲不略,則牛羊遂.」
The duke asked: "How shall the Block Basic be organized?" Master Guan answered: "According to the minor quality of soil, the taxes shall be lowered, to motive the people not to move to another ground. Concerning government, don't throw away the measures of the Old Rulers, to motive the people not to drag out an ignominious life. Mountain (woods) and swamps shall be cultivated according to the seasons of the year, to motive the people not to poach. Hills, estates, fields and dykes shall be distributed fairly, to motive people not to be envious of each other. The labour of peasants shall not be overextended, to give the people enough wealth. During the ceremonies, you should not stinge with sacrificial animals, for cattle will increase hundredfold."
桓公曰:「定民之居若何?」管子對曰:「制鄙.三十家為邑,邑有司;十邑為卒,卒有卒帥;十卒為鄉,鄉有鄉帥;三鄉為縣,縣有縣帥;十縣為屬,屬有大夫.五屬,故立五大夫,各使治一屬焉;立五正,各使聽一屬焉.是故正之政聽屬,牧政聽縣,下政聽鄉.」桓公曰: 「各保治爾所,無或淫怠而不聽治者!」
The duke asked: "How shall the settlements of the people be organized?" Master Guan answered: "They shall be organized in Basic Units. Thirty families constitute a Village with a village head. Ten villages constitute a Military Area with a military commander. Ten Military Areas constitute a Town with a town commander. Three Towns constitute a District with a district commander. Ten Districts constitute a Unit with a unit secretary. The Five Units (that constitute the state of Qi) shall be commanded by five secretaries each of whom one administers a Unit, and shall be administered by five rectifiers each of whom governs one Unit. Therefore, the five rectifiers have to govern the Unit, the district commander below governs the District, and the Town Commander governs the Town." The duke said: "Having such an administration, everybody holds his own area to govern, and there will be nobody being lazy or not taking part in the governmental structure."
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(C) Ulrich Theobald 2000-2004

Five Dynasties, compiled under Ouyang Xiu 歐陽修 in 1072 (for the ten states of south China, there is a kind of semi-official history called Spring and Autumn of the Ten Kingdoms Shi Guo Chunqiu 十國春秋, published by Wu Renchen 吳任臣 in 1793)

  • Songshi 宋史, History of Song, compiled under Tuo Tuo 脫脫 (Toktoghan) in 1345
  • Liaoshi 遼史, History of Khitan-Liao, compiled under Tuo Tuo 脫脫 (Toktoghan) in 1344
  • Jinshi 金史, History of Jürched-Jin, compiled under Tuo Tuo 脫脫 (Toktoghan) in 1344
  • Yuanshi 元史, History of Yuan, compiled under Song Lian 宋濂 in 1370
  • Xin Yuanshi 新元史, New History of Yuan, compiled by Ke Shaomin 柯邵忞 in 1920
  • Mingshi 明史, History of Ming, compiled under Zhang Tingyu 張廷玉 in 1739
  • Qingshi Gao 清史稿, Draft to a History of Qing, compiled under Zhao Erxun 趙爾巽 in 1927 (another semi-official history of the Qing dynasty is Qingdai Tongshi 清代通史: compiled under Xiao Yishan 蕭一山)
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