Book of Han

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ming dynasty wood carved edition of Book of Han in Ningbo Tian Yi Chamber Library collection

The Book of Han (traditional Chinese: 前漢書; simplified Chinese: 前汉书; pinyin: Hànshū; Wade-Giles: Ch'ien Han Shu) is a classical Chinese history finished in 111 CE, covering the history of China under the Western Han from 206 BCE to 25 CE. It is also sometimes called the Book of Former Han. A second book, the Book of Later Han covers the Eastern Han period from 25 to 220, and was composed in the fifth century by Fan Ye (398–445). Various scholars have estimated that the earliest material covered in the book dates back to between 206 and 202 BCE.^[1] The book also contains the first written historical mention of Japan.

This article contains Chinese text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Chinese characters.

Chinese Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Book of Han (in Chinese)

[edit] Contents

The encyclopedic work was started by Ban Biao during the Han dynasty. After his death, his eldest son Ban Gu continued working on the book, which grew to a total of 100 volumes, and included essays on law, science, geography, and literature. Ban Gu's younger sister Ban Zhao finished writing the book in 111, 19 years after Ban Gu was put in prison. She wrote volumes 13-20 (eight chronological tables) and 26 (astronomy). As with the Records of the Grand Historian, Zhang Qian, a notable Chinese general who travelled to the west, was the key source for the cultural and socio-economic data on the Western Regions contained in the 96th volume. The "Annals" section and the three chapters covering the reign of Wang Mang were translated into English by Homer H. Dubs. ^[2]

The book set the standard for the writings of later Chinese dynasties, and today it is a reference used to study the Han period. It is often regarded as part of the early four historiographies of the Twenty-Four Histories canon, together with the Records of the Grand Historian, Records of Three Kingdoms and Book of Later Han.

[edit] Annals

Ji (紀, annal), 12 (13) juan. Emperors’ biographies in strict annal form, which offer a chronological overview of the most important occurrences, as seen from the imperial court.

[edit] Chronological Tables

Biao (表, tables), 8 (10) juan. Chronological tables of important people.

[edit] Treatises

Zhi (志, memoirs), 10 (18) juan. Each treatise describes an area of effort of the state.

[edit] Biographies

Zhuan (傳, exemplary traditions, usually translated as biographies”), 70 juan. Biographies of important people. The biographies confine themselves to the description of events that clearly show the exemplary character of the person. Two or more people are treated in one main article, as they belong to the same class of people. The last articles describe the relations between China and the various peoples beyond the frontiers.

[edit] Mentioning of Japan

The Japanese first appear in written history in this book (Book of the Later Han), in which it is recorded, "The people of Wo are located across the ocean from Lelang, are divided into more than one hundred tribes, and come to offer tribute from time to time." It is later recorded that in 57, the southern Wa kingdom of Na sent an emissary named Taifu to pay tribute to Emperor Guangwu and received a golden seal. The seal itself was discovered in northern Kyūshū in the 18th century.^[3] According to the Book of Wei, the most powerful kingdom on the archipelago in the 3rd century was called Yamataikoku and was ruled by the legendary Queen Himiko.

[edit] See also

• Twenty-Four Histories

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

• Hulsewé, A. F. P. and Loewe, M. A. N. 1979. China in Central Asia: The Early Stage 125 BC – AD 23: an annotated translation of chapters 61 and 96 of the History of the Former Han Dynasty. E. J. Brill, Leiden.
• Dubs, Homer H. (trans.) The History of the Former Han Dynasty. 3 vols. Baltimore: Waverly, 1938-55. Digitized text. (Digitized text does not retain volume or page numbers and alters Dubs' footnote numbering.) Glossary.
• Watson, Burton. 1974. Courtier and Commoner in Ancient China. Selections from the History of the Former Han. Columbia University Press, New York. (A translation of chapters 54,63,65,67,68,71,74,78,92, and 97).
• Wu, Shuping, "Hanshu" ("Book of Han"). Encyclopedia of China (Chinese Literature Edition), 1st ed.

[edit] External links

• Pan Chao (Ban Zhao), Female Historian
• Silk Road Seattle (The Silk Road Seattle website contains many useful resources including a number of full-text historical works, maps, photos, etc.)

v • d • e Han Dynasty topics History Chu-Han contention · Feast at Hong Gate · Lü Clan Disturbance · Sino-Xiongnu War · Rebellion of the Seven States · Sino-Roman relations · Xin Dynasty · Chimei · Goguryeo–Han Wars · First Chinese domination (History of Vietnam) · Second Chinese domination (History of Vietnam) · Disasters of Partisan Prohibitions · Way of the Five Pecks of Rice · Yellow Turban Rebellion · End of Han Society and culture Records of the Grand Historian · Book of Han · Huainanzi · Eight Immortals of Huainan · Mawangdui Silk Texts · Kings of the Han Dynasty · Luxuriant Dew of the Spring and Autumn Annals · Old Texts · Fu (poetry) Government Three Lords and Nine Ministers (Nine Ministers · Three Excellencies) · Four Commanderies · Protectorate of the Western Regions (Chief Official) · List of Emperors of the Han Dynasty Economics Silk Road · Ancient Chinese coinage Science and technology Zhang Heng · Hua Tuo · Zhou Bi Suan Jing · Book on Numbers and Computation · The Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art · Huangdi Neijing · Jinkui Yaolue  · Shang Han Lun