Chronicle is a special type of biography in historical records.However, it is different from general biographies. General biographies mainly record the biography of the master, while chronicles center on the master and use the year and month as the latitude and longitude to describe the life of the master in a more comprehensive and detailed manner.The so-called "chronology" (Zhu Shijia's "Preface to the Chronicles of Chinese Celebrities in the Past Dynasties") is "those who describe a person's morality, knowledge, and career in detail and are linked to the year and month."It is a mixture of biography and chronology, and gradually develops and evolves from genealogy, chronology, genealogy, biography, lineage, etc. (Qing Zhang Xuecheng's "Preface to the Chronicle of Liu Zhongjiegong").

The term chronicle was first seen in "Hanshu·Yiwenzhi". "Han Shu·Yiwenzhi" contains five volumes of "Ancient Chronicles of Emperors" edited by Que Ming in the Han Dynasty.This book has been lost for a long time, and we have no way of seeing it, but one thing is certain, this is not a chronology in the sense of later generations, at most it is a very brief chronicle of historical biography or a chronology of major events. There have always been different opinions about when and when the chronicle was created as a specialized genre.Some people think that it started with "Xizhipu" on the Qin bamboo slips, but it is similar to the tomb inscriptions of later generations, so it is not reliable.Some people think that it started in the Tang Dynasty. One of the reasons is that in the early Tang Dynasty, Liu Rengui wrote 20 volumes of "Liu Shixing Chronicle", which is recorded in the biography of "Old Tang Book" and "New Tang Book·Yiwenzhi"; the second reason It is said that Bai Juyi's self-compiled chronicle is attached at the end of the legendary Tang manuscript "Changqing Front and Back Collection".These two theories are difficult to prove. First, because Liu Rengui’s "Liu Shixing Chronicle" was lost early, we have no way of knowing the specific content of this book. Heluo Xing Chronicle, whether the content of this book is a chronicle in the sense of later generations, or whether it is a group biography of the Liu family is unknown, and it can only be used as the name suggests, and it is doubtful for the time being; the second is Bai's own chronicle. The author Yuan Yi has clearly stated in the "Preface to the Chronicle of Qian Xinmei" that this compilation "has been lost for a long time", but when we examine the earliest extant Song version "Baishi Anthology", we have not seen this spectrum, which shows clearly Even if Shi compiled this genealogy, the Song Dynasty no longer exists. Whether Bai Shi really compiled this genealogy can only be verified by later generations.

Others believe that the earliest chronology is the first volume of "Tang Yizu Chronicles" compiled by Tang Zhaofeng and Zhang Zhaoyuan in the Five Dynasties, the first volume of "Tang Xianzu Chronicles" and the 20 volumes of "Taizu Chronicles" compiled by Zhao Feng. The reason is that all three were Tang officials. As a general, he was later posthumously named emperor by his descendants, and these three books all narrate his personal history by year, which should be attributed to the chronology.However, this issue has been settled as early as the Northern Song Dynasty in You Miao's "Suichutang Bibliography", and the three books are all classified into the category of factual records.Even though the three of them did not proclaim themselves emperors when they were alive, the three books are still written in the style of real records. Although the real records and the chronicles are both based on the year, the difference between them is still obvious. Generally, the real records only record daily life, Words and deeds, there is no background information and other relevant information, but the chronicle is not the case, generally do not collect or collect less daily life, words and deeds, but focus on the deeds of the owner of the genealogy and other related materials.

The academic circles generally believe that the chronicles began in the Song Dynasty, or that the earliest extant chronicles existed in the Song Dynasty.According to the author's incomplete statistics, there are about 165 chronicles compiled by the Song Dynasty extant and found in previous catalogs and other works, of which 59 were compiled by the previous generation, and the rest were compiled by the people of the dynasty.Among the chronicles compiled for the previous generations, the chronicles of the Tang Dynasty accounted for a large part. Most of the famous literati in the Tang Dynasty were compiled by the Song people, and some had more than one. For example, Du Fu had 12, Han Yu seven, The seventh part of Bai Juyi, the second part of Liu Zongyuan, and the rest, such as Wang Tong, Li Bai, Yan Zhenqing, Yuan Zhen, Li Deyu, etc., also have scores, and some of them have been engraved into my collection of poems and essays, and have been handed down.Among the genealogies compiled by the Song people for the previous generations, there are nine typical genealogies of Confucius. From this number, we can also see the status of Confucianism in the Song Dynasty.In addition, there are five kinds of scores compiled for Tao Yuanming, one for Taishang Laojun and Tao Hongjing, a famous Taoist priest in the Southern Dynasties.Among the more than 100 kinds of chronicles compiled by the Song people for the people of this dynasty, most of the politicians and famous literati have more than one kind, such as Fan Zhongyan's two kinds, Ouyang Xiu's nine kinds, Zhou Dunyi's two kinds, Su Xun's four kinds, and Su Shi's nine kinds. Three kinds, three kinds by Huang Tingjian, three kinds by Su Zhe, two kinds by Zongze, two kinds by Li Gang, two kinds by Yue Fei, four kinds by Zhu Xi, six kinds by Lu Jiuyuan, two kinds by Weijing, and others like Yan Shu, Wang Anshi, Cai Xiang, Zeng Gong, Cheng Yi, Chen Shidao, Ye Mengde, Lu Zuqian, etc. also have their own scores.People from other places, such as the monk Dahui Pujue Zen Master and the Taoist Ziyang Zhenren Zhang Yongcheng, also have colleagues to compile scores for them.The authors of the chronicles of the Song people are quite extensive. Some scholars of later generations admired the former sages and compiled them; some disciples and disciples compiled them for their teachers; , Taoist priests compiled notations; more genealogy masters self-compiled chronicles, which can be seen in the recorded Song self-compiled chronicles are roughly Liu Zhi's self-compiled "Liu Zhongsu Gongxing Chronicles" volume, Ma Kuo's "Mao Mao Zhai Self-narration", really Dexiu's "Zhenxi Mountain Chronicle", Ye Yougeng's "Yin Yin Yin" Sou Zizhi, Wen Tianxiang's "Chronicle Records", etc.Due to the long history, most of these chronicles of Song people have been lost, and we can only get a glimpse of them through the relevant catalogs and records of contemporaries and descendants.

Due to the short age of the Yuan Dynasty and the lack of cultural awareness of the Mongolian rulers who invaded by foreign races, the number of chronicles compiled by the Yuan people is small. The author only counts 51 species, of which 40 species were compiled for the previous generation.The chronology compiled by the Yuan people has a wider range than that of the Song people, such as the chronology of Dayu's flood control, the chronology of the kings of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, six kinds of Confucius chronology, two kinds of Mencius chronology, two kinds of Tao Yuan's chronology, two kinds of Zhang Jiuling's chronology, and two kinds of Du Fu's chronology. Chronicles, Chronicles of Zhu Xi of Three Kinds, Chronicles of Guan Yu and Lu Xiufu, etc.Early Mongol rulers such as Genghis Khan admired the Quanzhen School of Taoism. Therefore, the Quanzhen School’s ancestor Wang Chongyang, the seven ancestors, Sun Buer, Ma Yu, Tan Chuduan, Hao Datong, Wang Chuyi, Liu Chuxuan, and Qiu Chuji also have their own genealogy.In addition to the authors of the chronology, such as self-authors, later scholars, disciples, family members and grandchildren, and Taoists, literati from ethnic minorities also joined the ranks. Yelv Youshang, a Khitan native, once compiled "Xu Lu Zhai Kao" for his teacher Xu Heng. "Sui Lue" volume, this book is still in existence.

According to the author's incomplete statistics, there are 489 types of chronology compiled by the Ming Dynasty, of which 179 types were compiled by the predecessors and 310 types were compiled by the people of this dynasty.Compared with the Song and Yuan Dynasties, the range of chronicles compiled by the people of the Ming Dynasty was wider. In the Ming Dynasty, 31 kinds of chronicles were compiled for Confucius, and dozens of Confucius' disciples had their own genealogies.For example, Mencius has 10 kinds, Guan Yu has 4 kinds, Zhuge Liang has 2 kinds, Tao Yuanming has 3 kinds, Du Fu has 7 kinds, Lu Zhi has 3 kinds, Zhou Dunyi has 10 kinds, Sima Guang has 3 kinds, Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi have 4 kinds, and Yue Fei has 2 kinds. , Zhu Xi 10 kinds, Lu Jiuyuan 3 kinds, Cui Yuzhi 3 kinds, Wang Shouren 10 kinds.In addition, scholars, princes and grandchildren, monks, Taoists, calligraphers, painters, women, etc. all compiled scores for it. What's more, even Han Lin'er and Zhang Shicheng, leaders of the peasant uprising at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, also compiled scores for it.

Compared with the Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties, the work of compiling the chronology in the Qing Dynasty achieved astonishing achievements. More than half of the chronology compiled by the extant ancients was done by the Qing people, and the number exceeded the sum of the three dynasties.Compared with the previous three dynasties, many notation compilers in the Qing Dynasty were scholars with profound knowledge, which led to the presentation of a large number of high-quality chronicles that are sufficient for reference.Since there are many chronicles of the Qing Dynasty that have been preserved to date, and they are relatively complete and typical, the introduction of this book will mainly focus on the chronicles compiled by the Qing people, and also cover all dynasties.

Since modern times, the scope of genealogy masters has expanded more than before. It has surpassed the limitation of dignitaries, literati and scholars as the main genealogy masters in the past, and all kinds of people in society have been listed as genealogy masters, such as Zhong Xiang, Hong Xiuquan, Qiu Jin; unappreciated scientific and technological figures Mei Wending and Li Shanlan; drama novelists Pu Songling, Cao Xueqin, Tang Xianzu, Kong Shangren; calligraphers and painters Chen Hongshou, Shi Tao, Zheng Xie; Women, etc. have their own genealogy.A large number of Sinologists in the Qing Dynasty also published monographs on their lives and academic practices, which are of great benefit to the study of academic history.

The main reasons why Chronicle Book has been developing smoothly since its rise and has not declined until now are roughly as follows: (1) In order to study the works and theories of previous generations of literati and scholars, later generations arranged the main deeds of the books according to the year and month to find the background of the formation of the works and theories, traces of development, and mentors and apprentices.Hang Shijun, a historian from the Kangxi to Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, wrote a preface to the chronicle of Shi Runzhang, a poet in the early Qing Dynasty (see "Daogutang Collected Works" Volume 5), and Yin Zhuangtu, an official in the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, in his self-composition preface, This point has been discussed in more detail.

(2) Chronicles can supplement the deficiencies in national history and family biography, and can correct errors in chronicles.National history and family biography can only selectively narrate a person's life story, and the secondary or deeds that were considered insignificant at the time are often omitted.In some cases, due to the discrepancies in recorded rumors, there are mistakes in the content of the descriptions.There are even some people who were not qualified to be included in national history and family biography at that time, but later became more and more valued by people, and it is necessary to record their deeds.In this way, the chronology will take on the task of supplementing and correcting the national history and family biography in response to the needs of objective reality.Quan Zuwang, a historian in the early Qing Dynasty, once said in the preface to "Mr. Shi Yushan's Chronicle": "The giant man and Kui Confucianism have many deeds. The big ones are the history of the country, and the small ones are family biography and tomb texts. There is no room for error. The chronicle is correct." (See Volume 32 of "鲒琴 [jieqi Jieqi] Pavilion Collection") Sun Yirang, a scholar in the late Qing Dynasty, made a more detailed development of this point in the preface of "Mr. Maochaomin Chronicle"; Qian Mu also It is considered that the chronology is a kind of "source for drawing and history" ("China's academic history in the past three hundred years").

(3) If the chronology is self-compiled, one is for the successful to show their "achievements" in order to pass on to future generations to educate their descendants.Sheng Chuan of the Qing and Zhou Dynasties clearly stated in his self-composition: "Recalling the experiences of life, rough outlines, and narrating by year, you must not dare to praise yourself, talk to show your descendants, so that you know how hard it is to start a family!" (" (Preface to The Chronicle of Grinding the Shield) Of course, the main purpose of Zhou himself is still to show off his merits and pass them on to the world, and "to show his descendants" is just a kind of pretext;In particular, some people who have encountered ups and downs and failed in their ambitions often want to entrust their experiences and emotions in pens and inks to announce them to future generations, and pray for people's sympathy and understanding.Wu Zhuang of the Qing Dynasty said in the preface of his "Hua Jia Zi Pu": "Poverty and distress, can't do what you want, but can't bear to do what you want. If you encounter ups and downs, you will be emotionally exhausted 〕Rebellion, you can tell all future generations in the world, so as to pray for forgiveness of their life." There are also because the owner of the spectrum has been criticized more, and the descendants wrote the spectrum to wash away the ancestors. For example, Wang Zhong of the Qing Dynasty was a controversial one. A scholar, whose son Wang Xisun specially wrote a score for him, and emphasized in the preface: "Let future generations be gentlemen who talk about the world and know people, don't be confused by lies." No matter what the situation is, it is for the purpose of expression is completely consistent. (4) Since the chronology is richer in data collection than general biography, the compilation form is more flexible, and it is easy to check in order of year, so this genre has been used for a long time. Due to the above-mentioned reasons, a large number of chronicles have been produced, and the number of chronicles has increased day by day, thus obtaining the due independent status in historical records.According to Yang Dianxun's "General Records of Chinese Chronicles" published in 1980, a total of 3015 kinds of chronicles were collected, and 1829 persons were recorded.According to the "Chronicles of Chinese Past Dynasties" published in 1992, a total of 6259 kinds of chronicles were collected, with 4010 authors.According to statistics based on dynasties, there are more than 800 species and more than 600 people in the Chronology of the Qing Dynasty that the author has personally checked and read. Chronology developed rapidly in the Qing Dynasty. In addition to the four common reasons mentioned above, the development of academic culture in the Qing Dynasty also had a certain impact on it.After the Qing Dynasty entered the customs from Shunzhi and established its political power, after the restoration and development of the Kang, Yong, and Qian dynasties, it has reached the so-called "prosperous age" stage, and all aspects of academic culture have made new achievements on the basis of their predecessors.In order to cooperate with academic research, the chronology as a research object has also developed relatively rapidly, especially the development of textual research in the Qianjia period. In order to make the research foundation more solid, the study of characters needs more detailed background information and relevant A detailed account of life and deeds, and the chronicle is a most suitable genre.Precisely because of "during the Qianjia period, there was competition for textual research, and the industry of compiling chronology has flourished day by day, and it has continued to this day" (preface to Gu Tinglong's "Chronicle Catalog of Chinese Celebrities in Past Dynasties"). While the academic culture developed, the cultural despotism of the Qing government was also strengthening day by day.In the early Qing Dynasty, the literature network became more and more dense, and the literary prisons continued one after another. The stricter the restraint, the more taboos, so some people had doubts about writing works that reflected the entire historical event, so some people chose to list a person's life to comment on history. in order to avoid violating taboos.This also increased the number of chronicles compiled, so the number of chronicles of the Kang, Yong, and Qian dynasties in the Qing Dynasty accounted for the vast majority of the total Qing Dynasty chronicles. However, the more important reason for the prosperity of music notation in the Qing Dynasty is its social reasons.The entire Qing Dynasty experienced the late feudal society and semi-feudal and semi-colonial society.Whether it is in class structure, hierarchical relationship, or social customs, there have been corresponding changes.The owners of chronicles are no longer limited to literati, scholars and dignitaries as in the past.Merchants and compradors exchanged their economic power for political power and social status, so they no longer denigrated their humble origins and "low business" with good plans; People with extraordinary skills and unique skills are widely admired, so some people also write scores for them; ethnic businessmen also talk about their way to get rich; women and foreigners are also willing to write scores for them.It can be seen that due to changes in social atmosphere, regardless of family status, everyone has the right to set up a monument.Due to the expansion of the scope of chronology, the number also increased day by day, so that chronology gradually gained a special status in historical records. Chronology only appeared in catalog books from the Song Dynasty.Chronicles are recorded in three famous catalogs of the Song Dynasty——Chao Gongwu's "Junzhai Shuzhi", You Miao's "Suichutang Bibliography" and Chen Zhensun's "Zhizhai Shulu Jieti".The national catalog "Wenyuan Pavilion Bibliography" and the private catalog "Shishantang Bibliography" in the Ming Dynasty are also listed.In the Qing Dynasty, the national catalog "Siku Quanshu Zongmu" and the historical catalog "Ming History·Yiwenzhi" all included chronicles, and the number was relatively large.However, most of them are attached to the biography or genealogy of the Ministry of History, and they have not yet achieved an independent status as a special category.In modern times, there are three categories of historical genealogy records in "Bibliography Answers" written by Zhang Zhidong in the late Qing Dynasty. Chronological Catalog" Preface).This statement is not very accurate. "Bibliography and Answers" does have a special catalog of chronicles, but it is not the beginning of a special catalog of chronicles.Because in the history department of "Tanshengtang Collection Bibliography" by Qi Chengxuan [ranran] in the Ming Dynasty, there was a category of genealogy records outside the biography category, and under the category of genealogy records, there was a special catalog of chronicles, which included "Han Wengong Chronicle" to "Wu Ningfang Chronicle" and many others.In the early Qing Dynasty, Qian Zeng’s "Yiyuan Collection Bibliography" and "Shugutang Bibliography" both set up a chronicle category, which included "Sage Master Chronicle" to "Wu Wenzheng Gong Chronicle", etc., in Qing Dynasty Zhang Xuecheng's "Historical Records" There is also a chronicle special project.They are all hundreds of years earlier than "Bibliographic Questions and Answers".Therefore, since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, chronicles have been attached to the biography and genealogy records in historical records, and have gradually become their own special category.This independent status reflects the degree of development that the Chronicle has achieved.