Royal Regulations

荀子Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) · ChinaJun 2024

4.3

Word count: 4.9K words
Chapters: 2

Summary

Wang Chih comes from the Li Chi and refers to the rules and regulations by which ancient rulers governed the realm; its contents cover such institutions as enfeoffment, offices, ranks and stipends, sacrifices, funerals, punishments, the founding of towns, the selection of officials, and schooling.

Editor's review

Wang Chih is the chapter of the Li Chi that systematically discusses the institutions of ancient rulership. Traditionally associated with the Hsun-tzu school, it covers the territories of enfeoffed states, offices, ranks and stipends, sacrifices and funerals, punishments and litigation, the founding of cities, the selection of officials, and schooling, making it a condensed outline of pre-Ch'in institutions. This edition follows the old Shanghai Chin-chang Shu-chü printing and preserves the traditional block-print format, giving readers access to the original text. Its value lies in gathering scattered items of ritual and political institutions into one chapter, providing an overall framework for understanding the structure of ancient state governance; it is also often used in classical studies, history, and the history of political thought. Readers should grasp the levels of institutional classification, distinguish ideal design from actual practice, and corroborate with relevant commentaries and historical sources. Suited to systematic study by readers with some grounding in classical Chinese.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Scholars and students of pre-Ch'in institutional history and the history of political thought
Readers who need to understand ancient offices, enfeoffment, and selection systems
University teachers and students of classical studies and history
Students of traditional culture with a systematic reading plan for the institutional chapters of the Li Chi

Not a good fit for

Beginners who struggle with classical Chinese and need vernacular explanation
General readers seeking a light popular introduction
Readers who only want to look up a single institution and do not intend to read the whole chapter

Reading tips

First list the institutional framework by topic—enfeoffment, offices, sacrifices, punishments, education—then read the text section by section.
Compare with relevant chapters of the Hsun-tzu and pre-Ch'in historical sources to identify idealized elements in the institutional record.
Prepare tables of offices and historical maps to help understand the territories of enfeoffed states and administrative levels.
After reading, try summarizing the main points of each institution in a table to check whether you have grasped the structure.

About the publisher

Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) China · Founded in 1901

Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) was a private publishing and distribution house in Shanghai during the late Qing and early Republican periods, issuing traditional works by lithographic printing. Judging from the 1,194 titles in the collection, its publishing focused on classical poetry, Eastern philosophy, historical reading, traditional Chinese medical texts, and canonical works, along with books on literary appreciation. Representative titles include the poetry and prose collections of Du Fu and Ouyang Xiu; historical works such as the Book of Han and Zizhi Tongjian; classical texts such as the Book of Documents and Mencius; and specialized and literary classics such as Treatise on Cold Damage and Li Sao. Its author resources cover major figures across the ages, including Du Fu, Ban Gu, Sima Guang, Zhang Zhongjing, Qu Yuan, Ouyang Xiu, and Tang Shenwei, reflecting the house's characteristic reliance on traditional scholarship and medical literature while serving general readers. Public information on its early history and operational details is limited, so no conjecture is offered here.

版权信息
王制第九

FAQ

What is the relationship between Wang Chih and Hsun-tzu?

Wang Chih comes from the Li Chi, and tradition holds that it has ties to the Hsun-tzu school, but the exact authorship and process of composition are still debated in scholarly circles. Readers may use the institutional discussions in the Hsun-tzu for reference, but should not simply equate the text with Hsun-tzu's own writing.

What institutions does Wang Chih cover?

The chapter covers the scale of enfeoffed states, the establishment of offices, ranks and stipends, sacrificial norms, funeral rites, principles of punishment, the founding of cities, the selection of officials, and schooling. It is a broad-ranging institutional text that can be seen as an outline account of ancient state governance.

What should I read first before Wang Chih?

It is advisable to have some basic experience reading the Li Chi and to know common terms in ritual studies; basic knowledge of pre-Ch'in history and ancient offices is also helpful. If reading the original directly, use a reliable annotated translation and reference works on offices.

Is this book a vernacular translation or the original text?

According to the publication information, this is the traditional edition printed by the Shanghai Chin-chang Shu-chü, preserving the original text and the old block-print format; it is not a modern vernacular translation. Readers need classical Chinese reading ability, or should prepare commentaries and reference works for assistance.

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About the author

荀子 Author

Xunzi is one of the representative figures of pre-Qin Confucianism and is generally known by the honorific name "Xunzi"; reliable public information about his real name, native place, and dates of birth and death is limited, making them difficult to verify. The library holds 24 of his works, with representative titles including Xunzi, Fei Shi Er Zi (Against the Twelve Masters), Quan Xue (Encouraging Learning), Fu Guo (Enriching the State), Li Lun (A Discussion of Rites), Xunzi (Fine Public Domain Edition), Jie Bi (Dispelling Blindness), and Tian Lun (A Discussion of Heaven). In terms of subject matter, these pieces span philosophical argument, discussion of ritual institutions, and prose miscellanies. They offer systematic reflection on human nature, Heaven and the Way, and problems of knowledge, while also displaying a rhetorical style that advances step by step and persuasively employs analogies, often using everyday examples to illuminate abstract ideas. His works circulate widely in the categories of Eastern philosophy and philosophical reading, and have had a lasting influence on later Confucian thought and argumentative prose writing.