The treatises of later Han : their author, sources, contents and place in Chinese historiography

308 Pages·1990·6.516 MB·English

by  B. J. Mansvelt Beck

SINICA LEIDENSIA
EDIDIT
INSTITUTUM SINOLOGICUM LUGDUNO BATAVUM
Vol. XXI
THE TREATISES OF
LATER HAN

THE TREATISES OF
LATER HAN
Their Author, Sources, Contents
and Place in Chinese Historiography
BY
B. J. MANSVELT BECK
E.J. BRILL
LEIDEN • NEW YORK • K0BENHAVN • KOLN
1990
Published with financial support from the Netherlands Organization for
Scientific Research (NWO).
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Mansvelt Beck, B. J.
The treatise of later Han: their author, sources, contents, and
place in Chinese historiography / by B. J. Mansvelt Beck,
p. cm.—(Sinica Leidensia, ISSN 0169-9563: vol. 21)
Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.
ISBN 90-04-08695-4
1. Ssu-ma, Piao, d. ca. 306. Hsii Han shu. 2. China—History—Han
dynasty, 202 B.C.-220 A.D. 3. Ssu-ma, Piao, d. ca. 306.
4. Historians—China—Biography. I. Title. II. Series: Sinica
Leidensia; v. 21.
DS748.M36 1990
931 ’.04—dc20 90-2156
CIP
ISSN 0169-9563
ISBN 90 04 08895 4
© Copyright 1990 by E. J. Brill, Leiden, The Netherlands
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or
translated in any form, by print, photoprint, microfilm, microfiche
or any other means without written permission from the publisher
PRINTED IN THE NETHERLANDS
XW 'V?? ^ o?1?? pb^n-nK mina? ns; n$y ‘ran-n^
:«Ti9—ry^ efeqg Q,nl?«n r©ir"iEft< noi^n-nx Dixn
Eccl. 3:11

CONTENTS
Preface......................................................................................................... xi
Introduction ........................................................................................... 1
I. SIMA BIAO, HIS LIFE AND WORKS .................................................... 5
His Life ........................................................................................... 5
His Works ...................................................................................... 7
The Continued Book of Han XHS and the
Book of Han HS ...................................................................... 12
The Preface of X H S.................................................................... 16
Earlier Histories of Later Han ................................................ 17
The Records of Han from the Eastern
Pavilion D G H J................................................................................. 19
Criticism of DGHJ .................................................................... 26
Qiao Zhou...................................................................................... 27
The Text History and Editions of XHS and HHS ......... 32
II. TREATISES IN EARLY DYNASTIC HISTORIES .................................. 36
The Creation and Scope of Treatises.................................... 36
Survey of Later Han Treatises ................................................ 37
The Treatises by Cai Y ong....................................................... 41
The Destruction of the Archives.............................................. 46
Liu Zhao on Later Han Treatises ......................................... 50
Liu Zhiji on Treatises ................................................................ 52
Balazs on Treatises ....................................................................... 54
III. PITGHPIPES AND THE CALENDAR ................................................ 56
Forerunners in SJ and H S ......................................................... 56
Structure of the Treatise ........................................................... 57
The Treatise on Pitchpipes......................................................... 58
The Calendar Treatise................................................................ 59
Outline of the Treatise................................................................ 60
Authorship of the Treatise......................................................... 61
Concluding Remarks .................................................................. 62
IV. CEREMONIAL .................................................................................... 64
Forerunners in SJ and H S ................................................ 64
Structure of the Treatise ........................................................... 65
Outline of the Treatise................................................................ 66
Sources and Authorship............................................................. 70
Vlll CONTENTS
The Influence of Qiao Zhou..................................................... 72
Frequency of the Ceremonies .................................................. 73
The Imperial Funeral Described by the Treatise.............. 75
The Imperial Succession Described by the Annals ......... 77
Further Instances of Incompleteness and Distortion .... 79
Related Literature about Ceremonial .................................. 83
Later Han Schools of Ceremonial ......................................... 86
Concluding Remarks .................................................................. 88
V. sacrifices ........................................................................................... 89
Forerunners in SJ and H S ......................................................... 89
Structure of the Treatise ........................................................... 89
Outline of the Treatise................................................................ 90
Authorship of the Treatise......................................................... 94
Arguments against Cai Yong’s Authorship ......................... 96
Sima Biao as an Historian......................................................... 97
Three Different Accounts of Spring’s Beginning .............. 99
Propaganda in the Treatise....................................................... 103
Cai Yong and the Imperial Ancestral Tem ple.................. 105
The Discussion and the Eulogy .............................................. 108
Concluding Remarks .................................................................. 110
VI. THE HEAVENS .................................................................................. Ill
Forerunners in SJ and H S ......................................................... Ill
Earlier Han Comets ..................................................................... 112
Structure and Outline of the Treatise..................................... 114
Stylistic Variations......................................................................... 115
Authorship of the Treatise......................................................... 119
Starfield Interpretations.............................................................. 121
Historical Events in the Treatise ............................................ 126
Unique Persons in the Treatise................................................ 127
Completeness of the Treatise..................................................... 129
VII. THE FIVE PHASES........................................................................... 131
The Model in H S ......................................................................... 131
Structure and Organisation of the Treatise ....................... 141
Outline of the Treatise................................................................ 142
Sources and Authorship.............................................................. 145
Portents, Interpretations, and Responses.............................. 147
Completeness of the Lists............................................................ 148
The Interpretations ..................................................................... 149
The Connected Historical Events............................................ 152
Concluding Remarks ................................................................... 154
CONTENTS ix
VIII. THE PORTENT TREATISES ......................................................... 156
The View of History in the Treatises.................................... 156
The Role of Signs and Portents in Later Han
Society ......................................................................................... 157
Solar Eclipses ................................................................................ 158
Natural Disasters ......................................................................... 162
Portents as a Source of Criticism ........................................... 163
The Critics...................................................................................... 165
The Influence of Portents on Political Decisions .............. 168
Comparison with the Earlier Han Treatises ....................... 170
Subjects for Further Study ....................................................... 173
IX..ADMINISTRATIVE GEOGRAPHY....................................................... 175
The Model in H S ......................................................................... 175
Structure and Outline of the Treatise.................................... 177
Editorial Changes......................................................................... 181
Accuracy to the Treatise............................................................. 183
Date and Authorship.................................................................... 187
Additions by Sima Biao............................................................. 189
Anachronisms in the Treatise.................................................... 192
Concluding Remarks .................................................................. 194
X..THE BUREAUCRACY........................................................................... 196
The Model in H S ......................................................................... 196
The Preface .................................................................................... 197
Outline of the Treatise and Eulogy......................................... 199
Method of the Treatise ............................................................. 202
Editorial Mistakes and Changes............................................. 203
Systematic Silences in the Treatise......................................... 205
Non-systematic Omissions in the Treatise........................... 210
The Description of Two High Offices .................................. 211
Earlier Theories about the Sources of the Treatise ......... 214
The Tables of the Hundred Officials.................................... 216
A Theory about Imperial Decline in the Treatise........... 220
The Old Text and the Original Notes.................................. 221
The Prefect Grand Astrologer.................................................. 223
Parallels with the Original Notes ........................................... 225
Concluding Remarks .................................................................. 226
XI. CARRIAGES AND ROBES .................................................................. 227
Structure of the Treatise, Outline and Eulogy.................. 227
Editions and Secondary Literature ....................................... 230
The Prefaces .................................................................................. 231
Dates and Datable Parts of the Treatise................................ 236
Authorship of the Treatise......................................................... 242
X CONTENTS
The Root of G old......................................................................... 244
Further Influences on the Treatise......................................... 248
Imperial Processions as Described by the Treatise........... 254
History in the Treatise................................................................ 258
Poetry in the Treatise ................................................................ 262
Visits to the Imperial Mausolea ............................................. 263
Observance of the Rules ........................................................... 265
Concluding Remarks .................................................................. 266
conclusion ............................................................................................. 269
Summary of the Findings ......................................................... 269
The Tendency toward Systematisation ................................ 270
The Purpose of Treatises ........................................................... 271
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND LIST OF ABBREVIATED TITLES ......................... 274
conversion table.................................................................................. 279
INDEX........................................................................................................... 281
TABLES
I. Previous Histories.................................................................... 17
II. The Development of DGHJ.................................................. 24
III. Later Han Treatises................................................................ 42
IV. Ceremonies in the Treatise on Ceremonial.................... 66
V. Works on Later Han Ceremonial .................................... 83
VI. Comets in SJ and HS ........................................................... 113
VII. Starfield Equations in the Treatise on the Heavens .. 124
VIII. Unique Persons in the Treatise on the Heavens ......... 127
IX. Completeness of a Few Lists in the Treatise on
the Five Phases.................................................................... 149
X. Extra Interpretations in the Treatise on
the Five Phases.................................................................... 150
XI. Starfield Equations in the Five Phases Treatise........... 152
XII. Commandedes and Kingdoms according to the
Treatise on Administrative Geography....................... 179
XIII. Commanderies and *Kingdoms Established
in the Period 146-184 ....................................................... 180
XIV. Senior Offices Not Mentioned in the Treatise
on the Bureaucracy ........................................................... 210
XV. Parallel texts in Section 13 of the Treatise
on Carriages ......................................................................... 256
map ............................................................................................................. 178