|
|
 |
The Shitong 史通 "All about historiography" is one of China’s oldest books containing a systematic critique to historiography. It was written by the Tang period 唐 (618-907) scholar Liu Zhiji 劉知幾, is 20 juan "scrolls" long and was finished in 710. Liu Zhiji was himself a very important historiographer at the Tang court and wrote himself several histories: a Tangshu 唐書 "Book of the [origin of the] Tang" in 80 juan (together with with Zhu Jingze 朱敬則; not the great Jiutangshu 舊唐書!), the veritable records (shilu 實錄) of Empress Wu Zetian 武則天 (r. 690-704), Wuhou shilu 武后實錄 (with Xu Jian 徐堅), and two genalogies called Shizuzhi 氏族志 "Families and clans" (with Liu Chong 劉沖) and Xingzu xilu 姓族系錄 "The genealogies of the [great] families", the latter in 200 juan, further the veritable records of emperor Ruizong 唐睿宗 (r. 684 and 710-712), Ruizong shilu 睿宗實錄 in 20 juan (with Wu Jing 吳競) and emperor Zhongzong 唐中宗 (r. 683-684 and 705-709), Zhongzong shilu 中宗實錄 in 20 juan, as well as a revised record of the empress, the Zetian shilu 則天實錄 in 30 juan.
In 708 he retired from his office – at least for some time – in order to compile his Shitong. The main reason was that he was very displeased with the influence high officials tried to exert on the historiographers in order to conceal negative facts or to embellish mediocre performances.
His book contains 39 so-called inner chapters (neipian 內篇), of which 3 were lost during the Song period 宋 (960-1279), and 13 outer chapters (waipian 外篇). Liu systematically treats all aspects of historiography and highlights his standpoint with examples. He thus tried to establish rules for an objective kind of historiography. His book is very important to know more about the offices and procedures in ancient Chinese historiography. Liu stressed that a historian has straightly to write down facts (zhishu 直書), without "beating around the bush" (qubi 曲筆), but he has also to highlight the good and to criticise the bad. The second important point is a good composition. Only this will allow a book obtaining the status of a classic. Thirdly he has to XXX. A historian, Liu says, must know how to interprete sources (shicai 史才), he has to have knowledge of history (shishi 史識), and must be trained in historiography (shixue 史學).
Though Liu Zhiji developed important guidelines for a more objective historiography he did not leave the traditional paths of the prevalent two types of history writing, which was either done in a biographic-thematic style (jizhuanti 紀傳體) or in an annalistic form (biannianti 編年體). He made no proposals for better forms of writing history in the future.
The late Tang scholar Liu Can 柳璨 wrote a commentary, the Shitong xiwei 史通析微. The earliest exant printing dates from the Ming period 明 (1368-1644). The Ming time scholar Li Weizhen 李維楨 wrote the commentary called Shitong pingshi 史通評釋, Guo Kongyan 郭孔延 a commentary with the same title, and Wang Weijian 王維儉 wrote the Shitong xungu 史通訓詁. All those commenaries were considered in Pu Qilong's 浦起龍 Shitong tongshi 史通通釋 which was printed in 1752. This is the most widespread commentary. It was was reprinted in 1978 by the Shanghai guji press 上海古籍出版社.
Source: Qu Lindong 瞿林東 (1992). "Shitong 史通", in: Zhongguo da baike quanshu 中國大百科全書, Zhongguo lishi 中國歷史, vol. 2, pp. 939 f. Beijing/Shanghai: Zhongguo da baike quanshu chubanshe.
| Contents |
Neipian 內篇 Inner Chapters
1. Liujia 六家 The six historiographical traditions
2. Erti 二體 The two historiographical patterns
3. Zaiyan 載言 Recording words
4. Benji 本紀 Imperial biographies
5. Shijia 世家 Biographies of eminent houses and people
6. Liezhuan 列傳 Normal (collective) biographies
7. Biaoli 表歷 Chronological tables
8. Shuzhi 書志 Monographies and tractates
9. Lunzan 論贊 Discussions and praises
10. Xuli 序例 Prefaces and introductions
11. Timu 提目
12. Duanxian 斷限
13. Bianci 編次 The orderly sequence
14. Chengwei 稱謂 Terms and names
15. Caizhuan 採撰 Selection and composition
16. Zaiwen 載文 Recording documents
17. Buzhu 補注 Supplements and commentaries
18. Yinxi 因習
19. Yili 邑里 Localities and distances
20. Yanyu 言語 Words and speeches
21. Fuci 浮詞
22. Xushi 敘事
23. Pinzao 品藻
24. Zhishu 直書
25. Qubi 曲筆
26. Jianshi 鑒識
27. Tanze 探賾
28. Moni 摸擬 Mutual dependence and intertwining
29. Shushi 書事
30. Renwu 人物 Personalities
31. Hecai 覈才
32. Xuzhuan 序傳
33. Fanxing 煩省 Overcharging and abbreviation
34. Zashu 雜述 Miscellaneous descriptions
35. Bianzhi 辨職
36. Zixu 自敘 Autobiographies
Waipian 外篇 Outer Chapters:
1. Shiguan Jianzhi 史官建置 The office of the historiographer
2. Gujin Zhengshi 古今正史 The standard official histories in old and new times
3. Yigu 疑古 Doubting antiquity
4. Huojing 惑經 Questioning the canonical books
5. Shenzuo 申左
6. Dianfan 點煩
7.-9. Zashuo 雜說 Miscellaneous treatises
10.-11. Wuxingzhi 五行志 About the Five Phases chapter
12. Anhuo 暗惑
13. Wushi 忤時
|
|
|
|
Chinese literature according to the four-category system
|
|
