Veritable Records of Emperor Shunzong

Han YuJun 2024

4.2

Word count: 23K words
Chapters: 6

Summary

Traditional Chinese thought and culture have a long history and are highly original, inventive, and literary. Early intellectual forms are especially distinctive: religious theology, classical texts of Chinese medicine, ancient military strategy, Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, and the Hundred Schools, feng shui and metaphysics, the Twenty-Four Histories, and local customs and geography are all vast and profound.

This "Essence of the Chinese Classics" series preserves the original appearance of the texts and focuses on preserving and transmitting traditional Chinese thought and culture. By reading the literary essence left by ancient sages, readers cultivate character and subtly come to appreciate the classics of Chinese learning.

Editor's review

The Veritable Records of Shunzong is an annalistic veritable record compiled with Han Yu's participation, documenting the brief but pivotal political shifts of Emperor Shunzong's reign. Its prose is concise and restrained, its narrative well ordered, and it possesses both historical and literary value. Its accounts of court politics and personnel changes during the Yongzhen years provide first-hand material for understanding the political ecology of the mid-Tang; Han Yu, a master of ancient-style prose, writes history with a measured brush that does not indulge in elaboration, so readers can see both the compilation conventions of the veritable-record genre and the documentary precision of Tang prose. This edition preserves the original appearance of the text and is suitable as an introductory text for studying Tang history and Han Yu's prose style. It can be read alongside the relevant annals and biographies in the Old Book of Tang and the New Book of Tang, noting the genre's arrangement by year and month with events keyed to dates, and attending to the measured wording of praise and blame, so that close reading reveals the fusion of historical and literary craft.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Lovers of Tang history who wish to understand the political developments of Shunzong's reign
Scholars of classical literature interested in Han Yu's prose and historical style
Beginners in history who want to learn the compilation conventions of the veritable-record genre
Enthusiasts of traditional culture willing to read primary texts rather than second-hand interpretations

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer light, story-driven historical narratives and have little patience for classical Chinese
Readers seeking a systematic general-history framework and hoping to survey the whole Tang dynasty in one book
Readers who only want quick conclusions and are unwilling to read sources comparatively

Reading tips

First read a general overview of Tang history to establish context, then read the original record entry by entry to lower the threshold of understanding.
Prepare the relevant annals and biographies from the Old Book of Tang and the New Book of Tang for comparison, noting differences and variations in wording.
Annotate dates and personnel changes as you go to map the political developments of Shunzong's reign for easy review.
Select striking passages for repeated reading to appreciate the concise, restrained quality of Han Yu's ancient-style prose.

版权信息
卷一（起藩邸，尽贞元二年二月）
卷二（起二月，尽三月）
卷三（起四月，尽五月）
卷四（起六月，尽七月）
卷五（起八月，尽至山陵）

FAQ

Can someone without a foundation in classical Chinese read the Veritable Records of Shunzong?

Yes, but with the help of annotations and reference works. The veritable-record style is terse, events are arranged by year and month, and sentences are mostly short and direct, making it easier to approach than rhapsodic or belletristic texts. It is advisable to first learn the basic background of Emperor Shunzong's reign, then read entry by entry with annotations, looking up official titles and personal names first; after a few fascicles the rhythm becomes noticeably smoother.

How does the Veritable Records of Shunzong differ from ordinary histories?

It is an annalistic veritable record, noting the affairs of a reign by year, month, and day; its material comes close to contemporary official archives, and its conventions emphasize dates and personnel rather than continuous argument. Compared with biographical histories, it is closer to raw records, dense in detail but lacking synthesis, and is suited to consulting and comparative reading with specific questions in mind rather than to reading straight through as a general history.

What background knowledge should one prepare before reading this book?

It is advisable first to learn the general situation of mid-Tang military governors and eunuch power, and the basic outline of court politics during the Yongzhen years, knowing that Shunzong's reign was short. A rough acquaintance with Han Yu's life and his advocacy of ancient-style prose also helps in better appreciating his measured narrative. This background can be supplied by popular works on Tang history.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Han Yu Author · China

Han Yu (768–824), courtesy name Tuizhi, was a native of Heyang, Henan (present-day Mengzhou, Henan), with his ancestral home in Changli, hence known as Han Changli. A Tang dynasty writer, thinker and statesman, he championed the Classical Prose Movement, opposed the ornate style of parallel prose, and advocated that writing should convey the Way. He is ranked first among the Eight Great Prose Masters of the Tang and Song and, together with Liu Zongyuan, is known as "Han and Liu," exerting a profound influence on later prose. His works span argumentative essays and landscape and lyrical poetry, marked by a vigorous, striking style. The collection holds 26 of his works, including the three-volume Annotated Collected Works of Han Changli (simplified edition), Collected Works of Han Yu and Han Yu's Collected Works (2 volumes), as well as poems such as "Spring Snow," "Late Spring," "Early Spring" and "Sixteen Poems on a Visit to the South of the City," and he also appears in Selected Works of the Eight Great Prose Masters: Han Yu.