Da-Jin guo zhi 大金國志

Da-Jin guo zhi 大金國志 is an unofficial history of the Jurchen state of Jin 金, or the Jin dynasty (1115-1234). It was probably compiled by a Song-period 宋 (960-1279) scholar of Türkish origin named Yuwen Maozhao 宇文懋昭 xxx.

Yet contents prove that these "Records of the Great Jin empire" must have been compiled during the Yuan period 元 (1279-1368). It was certainly not written by one single author, but is a collection of different, quite heterogenical, sources. The preface, for example, says that it was submitted to the throne of the Jin emperor five days before the dynasty fell. The author, furthermore, is said to have been a subject of the Song dynasty, but the Song emperors are always called with a less polite designation that shows that the author cannot have been a subject of the Song. The Yuan dynasty, on the other hand, is called "the Great Dynasty".

The Da-Jin guo zhi 大金國志, comprising 26 juan, is written in the style of biographical-thematical histories (jizhuanti 紀傳體) that are not arranged chronologically. The history of its compilation is quite obscure, just like the identity of the author(s). Many parts of the text are borrowed from other books, like Yuan Hao's 元好 (1190-1257) Zhongzhouji 中州集 and the Song annals Sanchao beimeng huibian 三朝北盟會編. Nonetheless it contains valuable historical material of the Jin period and must be used as an addition to the official dynastic history of the Jin period, the Jinshi 金史.

Two prints of the Da-Jin guo shi survive, one published by the Saoyeshanfang Studio 掃葉山房, and one as part of the series Guoxue jiben congshu 國學基本叢書.