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The Liangshu 梁書 "Book of the Liang" is the official dynastic history of the Liang dynasty 梁 (502-557). It was written during the early Tang period 唐 (618-907) by Yao Silian 姚思廉 and comprises 56 juan "scrolls" of which 6 are imperial biographies (benji 本紀) and 50 normal biographies (liezhuan 列傳). Treatises are not included at all.
Yao’s father Yao Cha 姚察 was already occupied with the compiling of histories of the former dynasties at the court of the Sui dynasty 隋 (581-618). His son Silian took over this profession and in 629 submitted his history of the Liang dynasty. A part of this book had already been written by Yao Cha. In order to honour Yao Silian the emperor had the imperial secretary Wei Zheng 魏徵 written a laudation at the end of the imperial biographies of the Liangshu.
The Liangshu is actually much too short compared with the histories of other dynasties. It is expecially the literary and scholarly life at the court and among the nobility of the Liang period which would have deserved more attention.
Source: Zhou Yiliang (1992) 周一良. "Liangshu 梁書", in: Zhongguo da baike quanshu 中國大百科全書, Zhongguo lishi 中國歷史, vol. 2, p. 577. Beijing/Shanghai: Zhongguo da baike quanshu chubanshe.
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Chinese literature according to the four-category system
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