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Xuantong zhengji 宣統政記

Feb 21, 2016 © Ulrich Theobald

Xuantong zhengji 宣統政記 "Records of the politics of the Xuantong reign" is a chronicle of the last imperial reign, that of the infant ruler Puyi 溥儀 (r. 1908-1912). The official dynastic history of the Qing dynasty 清 (1644-1911), Qingshigao 清史稿, published in 1928, was not very convincing in its attitude to the last decade or so of the Qing dynasty. Serious researchers had to use the collection Donghualu 東華錄 to obtain exacter and more reliable information. Yet the Xuantong reign was not covered in the Donghualu. Jin Yufu 金毓黻 (1887–1962) therefore felt compelled to compile the "official" chronicle of these three years, as a supplement to the Donghualu.

The first 6 juan of the 43-juan long collectionstill cover part of the Guangxu reign 光緒 (1875-1908), the rest the reign of Emperor Puyi. The Xuantong zhengji is an important collection of polished primary sources on the last part of the dynastic reign of the Qing. It was were first published in 1934 by the Dalian liaohai shushe 大連遼海書社. Two years later, they were included in the first publication of the "Veritable Records" of the Qing dynasty, Da-Qing lichao shilu 大清歷朝實錄, published in 1936 by the Daizō shuppansha 大藏出版社 in Japan. It is also part of the whole shilu set that was published in 1964 by the Huawen shuju 華文書局 in Taibei and the 1987 edition by the Zhonghua Book Company 中華書局.

Source:
Fang Ming 方鳴, ed. (1993). Ershi shiji Zhongguo xueshu yaoji da cidian 二十世紀中國學術要籍大辭典 (Beijing: Zhonggong zhongyang dangxiao chubanshe), 510.