New History of the Five Dynasties

Ouyang XiuQunyan Publishing House · ChinaJun 2024

4.5

Word count: 352K words
Chapters: 2

Summary

Compiled by Ouyang Xiu of the Song dynasty, originally titled Records of the Five Dynasties (Wudai Shiji); later generations renamed it New History of the Five Dynasties to distinguish it from the officially commissioned History of the Five Dynasties by Xue Juzheng and others. It covers the fifty-three years from the first year of Kaiping in the Later Liang (907) to the seventh year of Xiande in the Later Zhou (960). The New History of the Five Dynasties is more detailed in content, but its drastic abridgment of the old "treatises" (zhi) is not to be taken as a model, so its value as historical source material is somewhat inferior to that of the Old History of the Five Dynasties.

Editor's review

The New History of the Five Dynasties is Ouyang Xiu's privately compiled history of the Five Dynasties, originally titled Records of the Five Dynasties and later renamed to distinguish it from the officially commissioned Old History of the Five Dynasties by Xue Juzheng and others. The book covers fifty-three years of history from the first year of Kaiping in the Later Liang to the seventh year of Xiande in the Later Zhou. Ouyang Xiu writes concisely with clear praise and blame, and his narrative is well organized; he devoted considerable effort to the selection and arrangement of biographical material and to historical commentary, giving the work a more distinctive style than ordinary official histories. Note, however, that the book drastically cuts the "treatises" (zhi) of the old history, with clearly insufficient coverage of institutional systems, economic geography, and related topics, so its overall value as historical source material is somewhat inferior to that of the Old History of the Five Dynasties. The book is therefore better suited as a reader for understanding the broad outlines of Five Dynasties history and Ouyang Xiu's views on historiography than as a reference work for institutional details. When reading, one may compare the annals and biographies with the Old History of the Five Dynasties, appreciating both the strength of its concise prose and recognizing the weakness of its abridgment, thereby forming a more complete judgment of Five Dynasties history.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers with a preliminary interest in the history of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms
Readers of history and literature who wish to understand Ouyang Xiu's views on historiography and his prose style
Beginning readers who need the basic outline of Five Dynasties history and its biographies
Upper-grade students with some ability to read classical Chinese

Not a good fit for

Researchers who need to examine details of Five Dynasties institutions and regulations
Beginners with weak classical Chinese who need vernacular annotations
Specialist researchers expecting detailed records of economic geography

Reading tips

Begin with the table of contents and the Hereditary Houses and Basic Annals sections to establish the overall framework of regime change during the Five Dynasties
For major figures, compare the relevant biographies with those in the Old History of the Five Dynasties to see differences in selection and arrangement
Pay attention to Ouyang Xiu's language of praise and blame in his historical commentaries and appreciate his historiographical stance
Questions of institutions and regulations should not be sought in this book; consult other historical sources

About the publisher

Qunyan Publishing House China · Founded in 1989

Founded in 1989, Qunyan Publishing House has long been committed to publishing academic and educational books for mid- and high-level readers, and has built up a certain presence in Eastern philosophy, classical literature, and classic works. Representative titles available in the database include Records of the Grand Historian, Dream of the Red Chamber, Selections of Refined Literature, Complete Song Ci, Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, Record of Daily Knowledge, Taiping Huimin Hejiju Fang, and The Collected Works of Wang Yangming, covering common categories such as ancient poetry, medicine, and examinations. Its author resources include Sima Qian, Cao Xueqin, Xiao Tong, Li Shan, Pu Songling, and Gu Yanwu. The press also offers distinctive series such as the Biographical Series of the China Democratic League and the Historical Documents Series of the China Democratic League, and publishes research on historical documents, biographies, memoirs, and textbooks and academic works by League members. Public information is limited, and its overall publishing scale and complete catalogue require further verification.

版权信息
新五代史

FAQ

What are the main differences between the New History of the Five Dynasties and the Old History of the Five Dynasties?

The New History of the Five Dynasties was privately compiled by Ouyang Xiu; its prose is concise and its praise and blame are sharp, but it drastically cuts the "treatises" (zhi) of the old history. The Old History of the Five Dynasties was officially commissioned and records institutions and regulations in greater detail. Each has its own strengths as historical source material, and they are best read together.

Is this book suitable for beginners to read directly?

Those with some ability to read classical Chinese can use it as an introduction, and it is advisable first to grasp the basic outline of regime change during the Five Dynasties. If one's classical Chinese is weak, one may use a vernacular translation or begin with general histories before entering the biographical sections of the original.

Why is its value as historical source material said to be slightly inferior to that of the old history?

Mainly because Ouyang Xiu drastically cut the "treatises" (zhi) of the old history, leaving insufficient coverage of institutions, regulations, economic geography, and related topics. Its biographies and narrative style remain distinctive, but examining institutional details requires other historical sources.

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About the author

Ouyang Xiu Author · Chinese · 1007–1072

Ouyang Xiu (1007–1072), courtesy name Yongshu, styled Zuiweng and later Liuyi Jushi, was a native of Yongfeng in Jizhou (present-day Ji'an, Jiangxi). A statesman, man of letters and historian of the Northern Song dynasty, he was one of the Eight Great Prose Masters of the Tang and Song and a leader of the Northern Song movement to reform poetry and prose. He held that writing should illuminate the Way and serve practical ends, and his plain, natural style deeply influenced later prose. In historiography he was chief editor of the New Book of Tang and sole author of the New History of the Five Dynasties. He rose to Vice Privy Councillor and Assistant Administrator and received the posthumous title Wenzhong. The collection holds 30 of his works, including complete collections, poetry and prose anthologies, the notebook Guitian Lu and historical writings.