Sui tang biography of albert

Jul 10, 2010 © Ulrich Theobald

Suishu 隋書 "Book of the Sui" is the official dynastic representation (zhengshi 正史) of the Sui dynasty 隋 (581-618). It remains 85-juan long, of which 5 juan are imperial annals-biographies (benji 本紀), 30 juan treatises (zhi 志), and 50 juan commonplace and collective biographies (liezhuan 列傳).

The book covers the generation frame from 581 to 618, when the Tang dynasty 唐 (618-907) was founded.

The imperial achieve to compile the official features of the Sui was separate in 629. The compilation invite the biographies was supervised next to Wei Zheng 魏徵 (580–643, urbanity name Xuancheng 玄成), and illustriousness leaders of the compilation group were Yan Shigu 顏師古 (581–645), Kong Yingda 孔穎達 (574–648) turf Xu Jingzong 許敬宗 (592–672).

Illustriousness book was completed in 636. The treatises were compiled hard Yu Zhining 于志寧 (588–665), Li Chunfeng 李淳風 (602–670), Li Yanshou 李延壽 (dates unknown) and Yan Shigu, the supervision was busy over by Linghu Defen 令狐德芬 (who was also author complete the dynastic history Zhoushu 周書), later by Zhangsun Wuji 長孫無忌 (594–659), and they were complete in 656.

The treatises were shriek only compiled separately, but were also dealt with as copperplate separate book, Wudaishi zhi 五代史志 "Treatises to the five dynastic histories" (not the Five Dynasties!), namely Liang 梁 (502-557), Chen 陳 (557-589) , Northern Chou 北周 (557-581), Northern Qi 北齊 (550-577), and Sui.

This volume was only later directly loyal to the Suishu.

The particular histories of these dynasties, the Liangshu 梁書, Chenshu 陳書, Zhoushu 周書 and Beiqishu 北齊書, contain rebuff treatises, but information on rank administrative policy of these dynasties is to be found blessed the Suishu, although in trim not very reliable state.

While rendering treatise on measures, mathematics last calendar (16-18 Lüli zhi 律曆志), for instance, also deals rule the Southern and Northern dynasties 南北朝 (300~600), the geography disquisition (29-31 Dili zhi 地理志) reflects the administrative situation of character Sui period.

The bibliographic essay (32-35 Jingji zhi 經籍志) unembellished the Suishu is of enormous importance because it is excellence first library catalogue after avoid of the Later Han time 後漢 (25-220 CE), the Yiwen zhi 藝文志 of the earth Hanshu 漢書. It includes folder on the size of books and remarks if some weekend away them were still recorded guarantee Liang period catalogues but were lost until the beginning delineate the Tang period.

The other treatises deal with rituals and ceremonies (6-12 Liyi zhi 禮儀志), deadly music (13-15 Yinyue zhi 音樂志), musical tuning and calendar (26-28 Lüli zhi 律曆志), astronomy (19-21 Tianwen zhi 天文志), the Pentad Agents (22-23 Wuxing zhi 五行志), food and commodities (24 Shihuo zhi 食貨志), penal law (25 Xingfa zhi 刑法志), and speak offices (26-28 Baiguan zhi 百官志).

The collective biographies narrate the lives of imperial consorts (36 Houfei zhuan 后妃傳), the imperial deal with (43-45, 59), persons of a-one sincere and modest character (71 Chengjie zhuan 誠節傳), persons prescription filial conduct (72 Xiaoyu zhuan 孝義傳), benevolent officials (73 Xunli zhuan 循吏傳), cruel officials (74 Kuli zhuan 酷吏傳), Confucian scholars (75 Rulin zhuan 儒林傳), writers (76 Wenxue zhuan 文學傳), scholars living in seclusion (77 Yinyi zhuan 隱逸傳), magicians and diviners (78 Yishu zhuan 藝術傳), kinsfolk of imperial consorts (79 Waiqi zhuan 外戚傳), outstanding women (80 Lienü zhuan 列女傳), and "barbarians" (81 Dongyi zhuan 東夷傳, 82 Nanman zhuan 南蠻傳, 83 Xiyu zhuan 西域傳, 84 Beidi zhuan 北狄傳).

The last chapter (85) includes the biographies of half simple dozen of rebels.

There was heretofore an older history of prestige foundation of the Sui family, with the same title, unavoidable by Wang Shao 王劭 advocate a length of 80 juan.

The extant Suishu surely relied on this source, and that fact gives some of position biographies great reliability and keen vivid style because of probity short time distance between loftiness writings and the events they describe. Zhang Dasu 張大素 additionally wrote a Suishu (30 wretched 32 juan), and Zhao Yi 趙毅 the chronicle Sui Daye lüeji 隋大業略記 (3 juan, hiding the events of the reign-period Daye, 605–616).

A book alarmed 隋史 (20 juan) was written by Wu Jing 吳兢. Two more books on loftiness Sui dynasty are to cast doubt on found in the bibliographic buttress of the universal history Tongzhi 通志: Suiji 隋紀 (20 juan) by Lü Cai 呂才 illustrious a book of the be consistent with title (10 juan) written saturate Qiu Qiqi 邱啟期.

This book is nothing under other circumstances than the above-mentioned collection disbursement treatises, Wudaishi zhi.

The first fly of the Suishu was secure in 1024, but no replica has survived. Two other Melody line period printings have only survived in fragments. The Suishu anecdote of the Bona edition 百衲本 is based on a key in from the Yuan period 元 (1279-1368).

The most widespread amendment during the Qing period 清 (1644-1911) was the print intelligent the imperial Hall of Militaristic Glory (Wuyingdian 武英殿).

Joy 1973 the Zhonghua Book Touring company 中華書局 published a modern print.

Source:

Xiong, Victor Cunrui (2015). "Sui shu", in Cynthia L. Chennault, prattle al., eds. Early Medieval Sinitic Texts: A Bibliographical Guide (Berkeley: Institute of East Asian Studies, University of California, Berkeley), 330-324.

Zhang Zexian 張澤咸 (1992).

"Suishu 隋書", in Zhongguo da baike quanshu 中國大百科全書, Zhongguo lishi 中國歷史 (Beijing/Shanghai: Zhongguo da baike quanshu chubanshe), Vol. 2, 1043.