History of the Southern Dynasties
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Summary
A biographical-historical work and one of the Twenty-Four "Standard Histories." On the term "standard history," the Treatise on Classics and Literature in the Book of Sui says: "Works produced in each age all imitated Ban [Gu] and Ma [Sima Qian] and were regarded as standard histories." The Qing-era Complete Library of the Four Treasuries further stipulated that in the standard-history category "anything not decided by imperial judgment shall not be admitted indiscriminately; for the standard history is dignified in form and its significance matches that of the classics, and without an explicit ordinance none may presume to add to it"—that is, without imperial approval a work could not be listed among the standard histories. Most of the Twenty-Four Standard Histories contain annals, biographies, tables, and treatises, interwoven and coherent, not only recording the general historical outline of each dynasty but also reflecting an exceedingly complex yet highly continuous historical process.
Editor's review
The History of the Southern Dynasties is a biographical-historical work compiled by Li Yanshou in fulfillment of the unfinished aim of his father, Li Dashi, and ranks among the Twenty-Four Histories. It fuses the histories of the four Southern Dynasties—Liu Song, Southern Qi, Liang, and Chen—into a single compilation, eliminating repetition and contradictions among the four books; the prose is concise and clean, and the biographies often append family members and anecdotes, giving a more continuous view of personal relationships than the dynastic histories. For the general reader its value lies not in supplying novel historical material but in sketching, in comparatively few pages, the political turnovers, the rise and fall of prominent families, and the character of the literati of the Southern Dynasties—a relatively gentle passage into Southern Dynasties history. It is best used for "overall reading" rather than "lookup"; begin with the annals to grasp the dynastic sequence, then choose biographies of interest for closer reading. Because it was completed in the Tang, some accounts differ from original Southern Dynasties records, and citations should be checked against the original books such as the Book of Song and the Book of Southern Qi.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- General readers interested in Wei-Jin and Northern-Southern Dynasties history who want an overall outline of the Southern Dynasties first
- Students with some grounding in classical Chinese who wish to survey the history of the four Southern Dynasties
- Teachers preparing lessons on ancient literature and history who need to understand prominent families and literati culture
- Enthusiasts of biographical narrative willing to read a history along the lines of its figures
Not a good fit for
- Complete beginners with no classical Chinese who need a fully translated and annotated vernacular edition
- Researchers seeking specialized textual criticism of Southern Dynasties history who need original source citations
- Readers who want only entertaining stories and lack patience for dynastic change and institutional background
Reading tips
- Read the annals first to clarify the order of Song, Qi, Liang, and Chen, then choose biographies by interest rather than proceeding volume by volume.
- Keep a chronology of major Southern Dynasties events at hand and check it whenever relationships become confusing; this reduces the chance of giving up midway.
- Read selected chapters alongside dynastic histories such as the Book of Song and the Book of Southern Qi to appreciate Li Yanshou's choices in cutting and consolidating.
- After each volume, note the main figures and events in two or three sentences to build your own index of Southern Dynasties figures.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 宋本纪（上）第一
- 宋本纪（中）第二
- 宋本纪（下）第三
- 齐本纪（上）第四
- 齐本纪（下）第五
- 梁本纪（上）第六
- 梁本纪（中）第七
- 梁本纪（下）第八
- 陈本纪（上）第九
- 陈本纪（下）第十
- 列传第一：后妃（上）
- 列传第二：后妃（下）
- 列传第三：宋宗室及诸王（上）
- 列传第四：宋宗室及诸王（下）
- 列传第五
- 列传第六
- 列传第七
- 列传第八
- 列传第九
- 列传第十
- 列传第十一
- 列传第十二
- 列传第十三
- 列传第十四
- 列传第十五
- 列传第十六
- 列传第十七
- 列传第十八
- 列传第十九
- 列传第二十
- 列传第二十一
- 列传第二十二
- 列传第二十三
- 列传第二十四
- 列传第二十五
- 列传第二十六
- 列传第二十七
- 列传第二十八
- 列传第二十九
- 列传第三十
- 列传第三十一：齐宗室
- 列传第三十二：齐高帝诸子（上）
- 列传第三十三：齐高帝诸子（下）
- 列传第三十四
- 列传第三十五
- 列传第三十六
- 列传第三十七
- 列传第三十八
- 列传第三十九
- 列传第四十
- 列传第四十一：梁宗室（上）
- 列传第四十二：梁宗室（下）
- 列传第四十三：梁武帝诸子
- 列传第四十四
- 列传第四十五
- 列传第四十六
- 列传第四十七
- 列传第四十八
- 列传第四十九
- 列传第五十
- 列传第五十一
- 列传第五十二
- 列传第五十三
- 列传第五十四
- 列传第五十五：陈宗室诸王
- 列传第五十六
- 列传第五十七
- 列传第五十八
- 列传第五十九
- 列传第六十：循吏
- 列传第六十一：儒林
- 列传第六十二：文学
- 列传第六十三：孝义（上）
- 列传第六十四：孝义（下）
- 列传第六十五：隐逸（上）
- 列传第六十六：隐逸（下）
- 列传第六十七：恩幸
- 列传第六十八：夷貊（上）
- 列传第六十九：夷貊（下）
- 列传第七十：贼臣
FAQ
What is the relationship between the History of the Southern Dynasties and the Book of Song and the Book of Southern Qi?
The History of the Southern Dynasties is a continuous history that Li Yanshou made by integrating the dynastic histories of Liu Song, Southern Qi, Liang, and Chen, drawing largely on those four books with abridgment. It does not replace the originals but provides a coherent thread; for specific textual verification one should still return to the original dynastic histories.
Can someone without classical Chinese read the History of the Southern Dynasties?
Reading the original directly is quite difficult, since the biographical style is terse and dense with names and official titles. It is advisable to start with an annotated or modern-translated edition, or a vernacular selection, to become familiar with the figures and events, and then gradually move to the original rather than tackling the whole work at once.
In what order should one begin reading the History of the Southern Dynasties?
Begin with the annals of each dynasty to learn the succession of rulers and major events, then read closely the biographies that interest you. The biographies often append family members; reading along family lines makes it easier to form an overall impression than plowing through volume by volume.
Can the accounts in the History of the Southern Dynasties be cited directly?
As a history completed in the Tang, the History of the Southern Dynasties abridges and consolidates older Southern Dynasties histories, and individual accounts differ from the originals. For ordinary reading this is no problem, but for papers or rigorous citation one should check the original records in the Book of Song, Book of Southern Qi, Book of Liang, and Book of Chen.
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About the author
Li Yanshou
Author · Chinese
Li Yanshou was a Tang-dynasty historian, courtesy name Xialing, a native of Xiangzhou (present-day Anyang, Henan) whose ancestral home was Longxi; his birth and death years are unknown, and available public information is limited. Carrying on the unfinished work of his father Li Dashi, he independently compiled the eighty-volume History of the Southern Dynasties (Nan Shi) and the one-hundred-volume History of the Northern Dynasties (Bei Shi), both included among the Twenty-Four Histories and important sources for the history of the Northern and Southern Dynasties. He also took part in the official compilation of the Book of Sui, the Monographs of the Five Dynasties, the Book of Jin, and the state history of his own time. His writing, in annal-biographical form, spans the successive northern and southern courts, trimming redundancy and keeping events coherent, and shows a broad historical vision that offers later readers a relatively complete account of politics, people, and society in that era, with a lasting influence on Chinese historiography.
