Military Defense

AnonymousBashu Publishing House · ChinaJun 2024

3.6

Word count: 563 words
Chapters: 2

Summary

Refers to using military force for defense. "Rites of Zhou, Offices of Spring, 'Dianrui'": "The ivory tally is used to raise troops and to direct military defense." Zheng Xuan's commentary: "Military defense means what troops are stationed to guard." "Records of the Grand Historian, Biographies of Li Yiji and Lu Jia": "Tian Guang agreed, so he followed Li Yiji, stood down the military defense and war preparations at Lixia, and drank freely with Li Yiji day after day."

Editor's review

This book centers on the ancient military term bing shou (defending with troops), using Zheng Xuan's commentary on the "Dianrui" chapter of the "Chunguan" section of the Rites of Zhou and the "Biography of Li Yiji and Lu Jia" in the Records of the Grand Historian as线索 to trace the meaning and institutional context of "defending territory with troops" in early Chinese texts. Its value lies not in offering a modern guide to warfare but in restoring an obscure term to the interwoven contexts of ritual, military administration, and historical narrative, letting readers see how the ancients understood the relationship between defense, armament, and political order. Concise in length and restrained in citation, it serves well as an introductory text for reading classical military vocabulary alongside pre-Qin and Han documents. It is best read in conjunction with the relevant chapters of the Rites of Zhou and the Records of the Grand Historian, allowing one to appreciate both the pleasures of philological exegesis and the intersection of institutional and military history. For general readers it is more like a small window through which to glimpse the contours of ancient concepts of military defense.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in pre-Qin and Han texts and ancient military vocabulary
Students of history and literature needing to understand the meaning of 'bingshou' and its ritual background
General readers who enjoy reading institutional history from the perspective of philology

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting modern defensive tactics and practical case studies
Readers hoping for long-form military history or full translations of military classics

Reading tips

First read the relevant passage in the Rites of Zhou, 'Chunguan: Dianrui,' then compare it with this book to understand the intent of Zheng Xuan's commentary.
Read the context in the Records of the Grand Historian, 'Biographies of Li Yiji and Lu Jia,' to grasp what 'bingshou' specifically refers to in historical narrative.
Keep a pen ready and mark each quotation in the book against its original source for easy later verification.
After finishing, summarize in one paragraph the difference between 'bingshou' and 'combat readiness' to test whether your understanding is accurate.

About the publisher

Bashu Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Bashu Publishing House is a publisher centered on collating and publishing classical Chinese cultural texts, with its main publishing areas covering classical literature, Eastern philosophy, ancient poetry, and educational classics. Its library currently holds 1,075 titles, including representative works such as Dream of the Red Chamber, the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering, Renjian Cihua, and Out to the Frontier, involving authors such as Cao Xueqin, Wang Xizhi, Wang Guowei, Wang Changling, Liu Xie, and Yan Yu. These reflect the publisher's focus on literary classics, poetry criticism, and philosophical readings. Its publishing character lies in working around ancient texts and canonical works, with attention to textual collation and presentation. Public information on its more detailed publishing background and series plans is limited; this introduction is based only on the library's book information.

版权信息
兵守第十二

FAQ

Where does the term 'bingshou' first appear?

According to the book's materials, 'bingshou' appears in the Rites of Zhou, 'Chunguan: Dianrui,' which says the ivory tablet is used 'to raise troops and to administer military defense (bingshou),' and Zheng Xuan comments, 'Bingshou means what troops are used to defend.' The book also cites the use in the Records of the Grand Historian, 'Biographies of Li Yiji and Lu Jia,' of 'disbanding the troops and defense preparations at Lixia,' showing the term's actual use in early texts.

Is this book a work of military theory?

No. This book takes the ancient term 'bingshou' as its starting point and, drawing on the annotations to the Rites of Zhou and records in the Records of the Grand Historian, explains its meaning and background. It is closer to an interpretation of classical texts and military vocabulary than to a systematic work of military theory or modern defensive tactics.

Can I read it without a foundation in classical Chinese?

You can, but it requires some patience. The book unfolds around brief quotations; the classical passages are not long, and readers can first use annotations to clarify the words and then understand the overall meaning. If the material is completely unfamiliar, it is advisable to consult a modern Chinese translation of the Rites of Zhou and the Records of the Grand Historian alongside.

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About the author

Anonymous Author

Anonymous is not a real personal name but a general Chinese designation for authors whose names are unknown, lost, or unsigned. Neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be verified, and available public information is limited, so the works attributed to this name are the only basis for description. The collection holds 2,078 works under Anonymous, spanning medicine, classics, historical readings, ancient poetry, classical literature, and philosophy. Representative works include The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Lingshu, Mencius, The Book of Documents, Nineteen Old Poems, Complete Song Ci, and The Peacock Flies Southeast. Most of these works took shape through long transmission and editing, emerging either from collective folk creation or from authors whose names were lost over time. In ancient China, the Book of Songs, the Great Learning, and many popular storybooks and plays were signed Anonymous because their authors could not be traced. Anonymous works cross the classics, histories, philosophical writings, medical texts, and poetry; their subjects are broad, and their styles vary from archaic simplicity to clear naturalness, making them important and influential sources for understanding ancient Chinese thought, medicine, and literature.