Laws and Decrees Through the Ages (Part One)

Xing Chunru / 李穆南 / Jie Baofeng / 刘心莲Liaohai Publishing House · ChinaDec 2021

Word count

64K words

Chapters

53

ISBN

9787807119906

Tags

Summary

Editor's review

In terms of reading value, the book suits readers interested in ancient Chinese political institutions, social structure, or legal culture. It is not a mere listing of legal provisions but reveals, through changes in statutes and decrees, the evolution of dynastic governance philosophies. Its analysis of classic codes such as the Tang Code with Commentary and the Great Ming Code, for example, showcases the distinctive wisdom of the Chinese legal tradition. Meanwhile, historical cases interspersed in the annotations bring dry legal texts to life. General readers may find the book somewhat specialized, but patient reading will yield a deeper understanding of traditional Chinese society.

Overall, this is a solid scholarly compilation. Although it lacks widespread ratings on platforms such as Douban, its content quality merits recognition within its professional field. It fills a gap in popular history writing on legal history and is suitable as in-depth reading for expanding one's knowledge.

Who it's for

A good fit for

• History enthusiasts interested in ancient Chinese law and social institutions
• University students and researchers in legal history or history
• Readers who wish to understand traditional culture from an institutional perspective
• Readers who enjoy scholarly works combining primary sources with annotations

Not a good fit for

• Readers seeking light, entertaining reading
• Beginners lacking basic patience for or background knowledge of legal texts

Reading tips

1. Read each chapter's introduction first to grasp the historical context before delving into the statutes
2. Read alongside specific historical events or cases to enhance understanding
3. Take notes while reading to record key points and features in the evolution of statutes and decrees

About the publisher

Liaohai Publishing House is a comprehensive publisher known for textbooks and the collation of ancient works. Its publishing scope covers state-approved textbooks, local curriculum materials, supplementary educational books, and national and local ancient-text compilation projects, while also extending into humanities fields such as Eastern philosophy. Its catalog contains about 4,694 titles, with representative works including the multi-volume Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji), and its author resources include classic writers and works such as Sima Qian and Confucius. Grounded in educational publishing and the transmission of traditional culture, the press maintains sustained investment in ancient-text collation, forming a publishing profile that balances textbooks and scholarship. Due to limited public information, its more specific publishing directions and features require further supplementation.

Contents

1. 版权信息
2. 《中国文化知识大观园》编委会
3. 编写说明
4. 一、律令史
5. 先秦刑法
6. 《法经》
7. 秦律
8. 汉律
9. 《曹魏律》
10. 《晋律》
11. 《北魏律》
12. 《北齐律》
13. 《开皇律》
14. 《唐律疏议》
15. 《宋刑统》
16. 《大明律》
17. 《大清律例》
18. 谋反
19. 谋大逆
20. 谋叛
21. 恶逆
22. 不道
23. 大不敬
24. 不孝
25. 不睦
26. 不义
27. 内乱
28. 律
29. 令
30. 敕
31. 二、历代刑法
32. 宫刑
33. 大辟
34. 笞刑
35. 杖刑
36. 徒刑
37. 流刑
38. 死刑
39. 刺配
40. 枭首
41. 戮尸
42. 凌迟
43. 车裂
44. 斩首
45. 腰斩
46. 剥皮
47. 箭射
48. 沉渊
49. 绞缢
50. 鸩毒
51. 黥面
52. 劓刑
53. 截舌

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About the author

Xing Chunru is a Chinese full-time book editor about whom publicly available information is limited. He has long compiled popular series for institutions such as Liaohai Publishing House. His output is considerable, with more than 700 titles held in the collection, covering fields such as art history, science and military affairs, politics and history, language and writing, and film and television. Representative works include Chinese Martial Arts (Part II), A History of Chinese Art, A History of Chinese Science and Technology, A Course in the Art of Language, Famous Paintings and Masterpieces, and the series A Grand Garden of Chinese Cultural Knowledge. These books present specialized knowledge in an accessible style, emphasizing systematic organization and readability, and are intended for young readers and general audiences, helping to popularize and guide understanding of traditional culture, art appreciation, and language expression.

Li Munan: publicly available information is limited, and details of his life, such as nationality and dates of birth and death, are not clearly recorded. Nevertheless, the 229 works held in the library indicate a prolific compiler with wide-ranging interests. His works focus mainly on Chinese culture and history, and representative titles include Chinese Martial Arts (Volume Two), The Grand Compendium of Chinese Cultural Knowledge: Science and Military Volume, The Grand Compendium of Chinese Cultural Knowledge: Politics and History Volume, The History of Ancient Chinese Literature, The History of Contemporary Chinese Literature, Poems of Successive Dynasties, and Residential Architecture and Folk Customs (Volume One). The common categories cover culture, popular science, general biography, and history readers, showing that his writing centers on knowledge popularization and cultural dissemination. His subjects span literary history, folk customs, military science, and political history, and are mostly aimed at general readers. Overall, Li Munan's body of work is extensive and emphasizes the systematic organization of traditional Chinese culture and historical knowledge, giving him a certain accumulated presence and influence in the compilation of popular cultural reading materials.

Jie Baofeng, born in 1976 and a native of Qianguo, Jilin, is of Han ethnicity and serves as an assistant researcher. He is currently director of the Jilin Provincial Local Chronicles Museum, a member of the Standing Committee of the Jilin Provincial CPPCC, and vice chair of the Jilin Provincial Committee of the China Association for Promoting Democracy, and has long been engaged in compiling local chronicles. He has planned and published more than ninety chronicles and gazetteers, including the Illustrated Gazetteer of the Colonial Governing Institutions of the Puppet State of Manchukuo, and has served as chief editor of numerous history and popular science series, gaining extensive experience in document organization and knowledge dissemination. His works span a wide range of subjects, including folk literature, inspirational growth, and social fiction, with 970 titles held in the collection. These include multivolume editions of traditional classics such as the Classic of Mountains and Seas and The Complete Works of Guiguzi, as well as accessible popular readings, reflecting an editorial approach that balances scholarship with readability.

Liu Xinlian is a Chinese compiler credited with a considerable number of titles, though public information about her is limited, and her nationality, dates of birth and death, and personal background are not clearly recorded. Judging from the 182 works held in the collection, her writing focuses mainly on cultural popularization and general knowledge books, covering such subjects as Chinese martial arts, political history, science and military affairs, emperors and eunuchs of successive dynasties, imperial examination top scholars, and myths and legends. The common categories include culture, popular science, history readings, folk literature, and general biography. Representative works include Chinese Martial Arts (Volume II), The Grand View of Chinese Culture: Political and Historical Volume, The Grand View of Chinese Culture: Science and Military Volume, Emperors of Successive Dynasties, and Myths and Legends. Overall, her editorial style leans toward accessible introductions for general readers, emphasizing systematic organization and readability, making it suitable for ordinary readers seeking to understand traditional culture and historical knowledge.