Chapter 7 Section 7 The Value of Historical Materials
There are two main aspects to the overall estimation of the value of chronological materials. One is to provide information on the lives of historical figures, enriching and supplementing the brief biographical materials;The second is to provide arguments for discussing history and demonstrating history.
Chronicle is a kind of biography, which describes a person's life story and some comments.The biographies of some important historical figures are relatively brief, such as only recording their official careers, or focusing on selected records, or only recording the last and highest official ranks; while the chronicles record the step-by-step process of their official careers, and record the intricacies of the ups and downs of the officialdom The contradictory relationship between the characters can be used to understand the status and faction relationship of this figure in the political group.For some executioners who suppressed the people, the biographies can only summarize their so-called "meritorious achievements", while the chronicles can see the insidiousness of their suppression methods and the whole process of suppression and resistance.As for the chronicles of some literati and scholars, most of them have been researched and discussed by the authors, which are more useful than the simple comparison of the chronicles of high-ranking officials and officials.It can be used to understand the procedure of the master's imperial examination, the standard of study, the outline of the left and lost works, the origin of teachers and friends, the relationship between students and students, and so on.Some people who are unknown but have made contributions can be known from their genealogy. For example, Cheng Zhaocai, one of the founders of Pingju, was not known at all, but the writers made a genealogy, which made people know this folk artist. His life and contributions can be understood.Therefore, some people once praised the chronicle as "the best way to understand the meaning of people and discuss the world" (Sun Deqian's "Reading Methods of Ancient Books").Since the chronology includes both important and insignificant figures, its use value is relatively high.
The biographies recorded in the chronicle can also be used to check some books about the biographies of the characters.I used the annals to collate the "Comprehensive Table of Biography of Steles of Past Dynasties" edited by Jiang Liangfu, but I found out that there were errors in one person and two years, as well as name, age, birth and death, place of origin, source, editor, book title, etc. More than 50 items (see 8 "Practical Effects" in this chapter for details)
However, when using the chronology to understand the life and deeds of a person, one must pay attention to one problem.Because most of the chronicles come from descendants, disciples, and friends, their comments on the owner of the genealogy cannot but be false; have a preference.Therefore, biographical stories or comments often require special consideration.Among them, Mo Ruo's Chronicle of Mr. Zhongming is the most typical example.The owner of the spectrum is Zhongming Mingjing, a man from Kangxi to Qianlong.Zhang Jingli, one of his disciples, compiled the notation according to Shi Jing's diary, and the notation mainly focused on self-cultivation, lectures, and discussions on Taoism.If you only look at the chronology and records, the owner of the genealogy seems to be a "mellow Confucian" all his life, but if you look at other works, this person is very contemptuous of the people of the time.Ruan Kuisheng's "Talk of a Tea Guest" has a special article "The Ugliness of Shi Jing" in volume 9, exposing Shi Jing's ugly behavior, and commenting that he is "a weird and ridiculous person, with no ink, he likes to pretend to be self-confident, and he is not suspicious" .Volume 2 of Dong Chao's "Donggao Miscellaneous Notes" is more than 30 items that Jing reported illegal things for his younger brother.In Duan Yucai's "Mr. Dai Dongyuan's Chronicle", it is recorded that Shi Jing was despised by Dongyuan, and he even refused to discuss knowledge with him, and wrote a letter to ridicule him.Jiang Han's "Shi Weng Shanfang Notes" Volume 9 further pointed out that the middle character Quan should not be used to "refer to Zhongming", which proves that this genealogy is not enough for credit.
In addition to providing some information for understanding the characters, the chronicle also contains some historical materials that can prove the history of history.For this part of historical materials, the following four situations can be roughly estimated:
First, chronicle records are trivial and mediocre, and people and events are not enough to describe. Even if there are some records related to historical events, most of them are fragmented and cannot go beyond the scope of other records. A mediocre bureaucrat, his "Customized Chronicle" records the official history and family affairs of himself and his sons, and there are no historical materials to choose from.Another example is Du Shoutian during the Jiadao period, who was a bureaucrat with no achievements and a vegetarian meal. After his death, his son Du Han recorded his official history, favors, honors, and mourning, etc., to represent his performance, and there are no usable historical materials.There are few records of this type.
Second, the information recorded in the chronicle can be mutually confirmed and supplemented with other records.Some aspects are richer and more specific than others, and involve more issues.This part of the chronology is relatively large in number.Here are a few examples to illustrate:
"Mengzhai Chronicle" (Tian Wen) records that Kangxi's former cabinet secretary was not taken seriously; "Yizhai Feng Gong Chronicle" (Feng Pu) records the fact that Han officials were sent to inspect the full staff in the 17th year of Shunzhi (AD 1660), Kangxi In the fifth year (AD 1666), Tiaoji sent two ministers to set up offices next to the provincial governor's office to inspect the governors, but they encountered opposition, which was related to the official system.
"Sun Zongyi Chronicle" (Sun Zongyi) Shunzhi 13th year (AD 1656) notes that Gaoyou's house-based conscripts are suffering and exhausting. "The family lost their lives every year, and they had to donate the house to the wealthy family or demolish the house to escape. , to avoid corvée."The 18th year of Shunzhi (1661 A.D.) records the harshness of conscripting the land and the Ding in Gaoyou, and the situation of Ding Cha is particularly difficult, which can be seen from the remnants of the corvee system in the early Qing Dynasty.
"Mantang Chronicle" (Song Luo), "Fan Zhongzhen Gong Chronicle" (Fan Chengmo), "Loushan Provincial Records" (Wang Shu), etc. record the situation of water transport in the south of the Yangtze River during the Kangxi and Yongzhou reigns, which are related to the water transport system.
"Ren'an Self-Records Chronicle" (Wei Chengxian) notes in the first year of Daoguang's reign that Shanxi Dingfu worked together, which is related to the land tax system.
Most of the records in "Chronicle of Chen Keqin" (Chen Pengnian) and "Chronology of King Li Dawang" (Li Yumei) are related to Hegong.
Most of the records in "Jieshan Custom Chronicle" (Wang Youpu) and "Xianshui Bugong Chronicle" (Xu Weimei) are related to the salt administration.
Most of the records in "Mr. Shuan's Chronicle" (Wang Chang) and "Hailiang's Self-narrative Chronicle" (Yang Guozhen) are related to Tongzheng.
"Kaifeng Fujun Chronicle" (Sun Mengping), "撝 [huihui] Lu Family's Self-Compiled Chronicle" (Tong Yiqian), "A Brief Introduction to the Master of Xifen Yinxuan" (Zhou Jing) and other records of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom in Anqing, Jiading, Wuxi and other places Implement the township official system.
"The Disciples of Rong'an" (Yuan Shikai) records the establishment and expansion of the new army.
"Awen Chenggong Chronicle" (A Gui), "Shen Duankegong Chronicle" (Shen Jinsi), "Dezhuang Guogong Chronicle" (De Lengtai), "Zhongwugong Chronicle" (Yang Yuchun), "Wang Zhuangjiegong Chronicle" ( Wang Wenxiong), "Luo Zhuang Yonggong Chronicle" (Luo Siju), "Yan [yanyan] Shan Bigong Chronicle" (Bi Yuan), "Han Guijia [ling Ling] Manual Chronicle" (Han Wei [fengfeng]) and "En The Annals of Xitang (Yinghe) and other notations all contain information related to Taiwan's Zhu Yigui and Lin Shuangwen uprisings, the uprisings of various ethnic minorities, the Sichuan-Chu Jiaojun uprising, the Tianli Sect uprising, and the rebellion of the sheds.
"Chronology of the Duxue Old Man" (Shi Yun [yun Yun] Yu) "The History of the Bandits" attached to the article in the eighth year of Jiaqing records the history of the White Lotus Sect in Sichuan and Chu provinces in detail, and it records the call for the land distribution of the White Lotus Sect; "Zhutang Zhipu" has records related to the Guluhui and other secret associations.Others such as "Mr. Huang Kunpu's Chronicle" (Huang Shulin)'s record of Wuweijiao, "Sibu Old Man's Handmade Chronicle" (Pan Shien), and "Zhiguifujun's Chronicle" (Zhou Zhiqi)'s record of Jiangxi Qianhuihui are of reference value.
"Chronology of Wu Wenjiegong" (Wu Wenrong), "Chronology of Yuzhuang Yigong" (Yutai), "Chronology of Zhang Zhijun" (Chronology of Zhang Liangji) and other records recorded in Zhong Renjie's Uprising in Chongyang, Hubei Province after the Opium War, "Chronology of Zhiguifujun" "(Zhou Zhiqi) records the Yang Dapeng Uprising in Leiyang, which can make up for the deficiencies in the official documents of the Qing Dynasty and the memorials of Jiang Chen.
"Jingting Self-Record Chronicle" (Shen Qiyuan), "Sick Bed Dream Record" (Wang Huizu) and other specific figures recorded in the Qianjia period are more detailed than the general records.
"Mr. Huang Kunpu's Chronicle" (Huang Shulin) records that in June of the fourth year of Qianlong (1739 A.D.), 53 prefectures and counties in Shandong were plagued by locusts and the Yellow River flooded in Cao County, Shandong, resulting in floods in 73 prefectures and counties.
"Wu Wenjiegong Chronicle" (Wu Wenrong) and "Shengqi Wuzhai Self-Compiled Chronicle" (Huang Zantang) both describe in detail that after the Opium War, due to the five-port trade, the transport workers on the old transportation line and some corresponding The situation of unemployment of personnel in the industry, and the consequences of this situation on social order.
"Ma Duanmin Gong Chronicle" (Ma Xinyi), "Chongde Old Man's Personal Chronicle" (Zeng Jifen) and other specific examples of the restoration and development of the feudal exploitation system after the failure of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. "Wang Wenqin Gong Chronicle" (Wang Qingyun) records the land tax and corvee in the Qing Dynasty.
"Pu Songling Chronicle", "Kong Shangren Chronicle", "Hong Sheng Chronicle" and "Wu Jingzi Chronicle" are all beneficial to the study of the creation, circulation and commentary of literary masterpieces, such as, and He.
Chronicle of Mr. Ji Xiaolan (Ji Yun〔yunyun〕), Chronicle of Mr. Zha Tashan (Cha Shenxing), Chronicle of Master Chenghuai's Customized Chronicle (Zhang Tingyu), Records of Master Leitang's Disciples (Ruan Yuan), etc. They all describe in detail the compilation process of such books as "Siku Quanshu", "Peiwen Yunfu", "Continued Documents Tongkao", "Kangxi Dictionary" and "Jingji Compilation".
"Mr. Zhang Lichen's Chronicle" (Zhang Wei) records the writing of books on Ziban, which can be prepared in the early Qing Dynasty.
"Yiweixuan Chronicle" (Fang Dongshu) records the disputes between the Han and Song Dynasties in the early Qing Dynasty in detail.
"Chronology of Mr. Lu Baojing" (Lu Wenxuan), "Chronology of Mr. Huang Yu [rao Rao] Pu" (Huang Pilie), "Chronology of Mr. Xiaojing Soup" (Li Fusun), "Chronology of Mr. Gu Qianli" (Gu Guangqi), "Zang Zaidong The Chronology of Mister (Zang Yong), Keshuzhai School Books (Qian Taiji), etc., record the catalog and collation of Qing Dynasty editions.
Chronicle of Mr. Cha Dongshan (Zha Jizuo), Chronicle of Lu Liuliang (Lv Liuliang), Chronicle of Mr. Cha Tashan (Cha Shenxing), Chronicle of Mr. Nanshan (Dai Mingshi), Chronicle of Mr. Zhang Wenke ( Zhang Taikai) recorded the whole story of the literary prison cases of Zhuang Ting (long Long), Lu Liuliang, Zha Siting, Dai Mingshi, Hu Zhongzao, etc. in the Qing Dynasty.
"Xiangqi Fujun Chronicle" (Wang Kaiyun) records the whole story of "Xiang Jun Zhi" and the current discussion in detail. "Mr. Hou Guanyan's Chronicle" records his translation of "Tianyanlun".
"Yayuan Layman's Self-narration" (Gu Yuxian) records the "crying temple case" in the early Qing Dynasty.
Chronicles of Duke Li Wenxiang (Li Zhifang), Wang Yuangong of Pingnan (Shang Kexi), Chronicles of Duke Fan Zhongzhen (Fan Chengmo), Chronicles of Duke Chen Keqin (Chen Pengnian), etc. all record the "San Francisco Incident" material.
"Hailiang's Self-narrated Chronicle" (Yang Guozhen), "Meng'an Layman's Self-Compiled Chronicle" (Cheng Tinglu), "Ge Zhuang Jiegong Chronicle" (Ge Yunfei), "Lanshi Self-made Chronicle" (Wang Xijiu), "Xin Ling "Reminiscences" (Huang Entong) and other scores all record content related to the history of the Opium War.
"Tiyu Chronicle" (Chongshi) records that in the third year of Xianfeng (1853 A.D.), the Taiping Army was very powerful, and the Qing court donated money to 18 rich eunuchs including Chongshi, which shows the embarrassment of the Qing court's finances.
"The Chronicle of Zhang Wenxiang" (Zhang Zhidong) and "The Chronicle of Mr. Zhou Mengpo of Wu Xing" (Zhou Qingyun) record the situation of "Southeast Mutual Protection" during the Reform Movement of 1898.
Although there are some historical materials available for reference in this type of chronicle, it must also be noted that many of them are either self-made, or produced by descendants and friends, and there are inevitably elements of exaggeration, such as Xu Guangjin's "Zhong The self-made chronicle was plundered for its own merits in the anti-British struggle of the masses.The Chronicle of Zhang Zhijun compiled by Lin Shaonian said that "the discovery of the Hunan Army" began with Zhang Liangji, which is not true.Some annals even apologise for the filthy songs of the pedigree owner, such as the "Mr. At the time of peril, I will keep my body to wait for it, make surprises to win, until nothing is achieved, and it is my misfortune to be criticized by corrupt Confucians." He collected materials from this point of view and discussed them arbitrarily.Another example is the Chronicle of Mr. Hou Guanyan compiled by Yan Zhu, who repeatedly defended his father Yan Fu's participation in the "Hongxian Monarchy".The facts should be carefully examined and analyzed strictly.Some chronology excerpts, citations, and many works are easy to search. However, if the original book is published and handed down, you should go back to the source to check the original material, so as to avoid misinformation as much as possible.
The third is that the information recorded in the chronicle is beyond the reach of other books, which helps to make the argument more comprehensive and powerful, and some even solve doubtful problems.The number of such chronicles is also relatively small.Choose as an example:
⑴ "Mr. Zhao Keting's Chronicle" (Zhao Yujing) Kangxi forty-eight years (AD 1709) records the resistance and struggle of Lu's shack residents in Henan in detail.The resistance of the shanty townsmen in Nanshan was discussed in many Qing works; but the resistance of the shantytowns in Henan is still rare.
⑵ "Mr. Feng Xulin Chronicle" (Feng Chunhui) in the third year of Daoguang (AD 1823) records the Ma Jinzhong Uprising in Linqing, Shandong Province in detail.Although the uprising lasted only three months, the momentum spread throughout Hebei and Shandong. The title of "Tianxinshun" was established, and officials such as generals, military advisers, and ministers were set up. More than 500 people were killed and executed in the end.This is a major uprising after the failure of Li Wencheng's uprising, which is rare in other writings.
⑶ "Wenwen Zhonggong's Custom Chronicle" (Wenxiang) Notes in February of the third year of Xianfeng (1853 A.D.) After the Taiping Army captured Jinling, Beijing's "Hecheng Money Shop was closed on the same day in early February. Leave the capital on leave."In the September article of the same year, it was also recorded that when the Taiping Army went to Tianjin in the Northern Expedition, "Strict defenses were set up inside and outside the city, and the officials in the capital even left the city in a hurry before asking for leave." This shows the specific circumstances of the prosperity of the revolution and the shock of the capital, which are other records. less than.
⑷ "Mr. Yu Xiaohui's Chronicle" (Yu Zhi) Xianfeng Sanfeng (AD 1853) to Tongzhi three years (AD 1864). ", "The Case of Encouraging Farmers", "Heroes", "Green Linduo", "Song of the Emperor's Grace", "Song of Parents' Grace", "Song of Disbandment" and other reactionary poems and operas, and painted 42 frames of "Iron Tears in the South of the Yangtze River" He urged donations everywhere, attacked the revolution wantonly, and attempted to disintegrate and destroy the revolution ideologically.Because of this, the master of the spectrum was recommended as the official title of the Jiaguanglu Temple Administration.This can be an example of the reactionary ideological struggle of the landlord class against the Taiping Revolution.
⑸ "Tian Tui Old Man's Custom Chronicle" (Xu Hung) In the first year of Guangxu (1875 A.D.), Chun Rong, the father of the notation, was a cloth dealer. In the fifth year of Tongzhi (1866 A.D.), he opened the Dafeng Foreign Cloth Shop and became a foreign cloth dealer. business.In the twenty-fourth year of Guangxu (AD 1898), it is recorded that in the 16th year of Guangxu (AD 1890), Chunrong was appointed as the Chinese manager of Dehua Bank by a foreign cloth merchant, and became a financial comprador. , HSBC and Deutsche Bank, and became a candidate for financial compradors.From this we can see the specific transformation process of how an ordinary cloth merchant was transformed into a financial comprador.
⑹ "Le Nong's Custom Year Chronicle" (Rong Desheng) is a history of the fortune of a national capitalist. It records the process of Rong's family operating a bank, and then operating various enterprises such as flour, rice, and yarn mills. It can be seen that a The specific process of how the usurers were transformed into national capitalists.
⑺ "Hejian Thatched Cottage Owner's Self-reported Suffering" is an autobiography of Wang Qingrui (one name Wang Qingliang) who lived in Jiadao Dynasty, and it was attached to "Huating Wang's Genealogy", so it has not been noticed.In the 22nd year of Daoguang's reign (AD 1842), the self-note under the article said: "Yu Ji's book "Keep Carbuncle and Fluid Drugs"".The self-note to Yao Chun's poem attached to the score also said: "The book "Kuaicarbuncle and Flowing Poison" compiled by Jun contains details of the repeated events of the barbarians."This can solve the question of who the author of the book "Keep Carbuncle and Fluid Drugs" has been unknown for a long time.
Fourth, some historical materials are not recorded in some official historical records, but they are also important for understanding society. More detailed records, such as "Huang Yu [qu Qu] Yun Chronicle" records that in the eighth year of Shunzhi (AD 1651), when the genealogy master was a scholar, he could avoid the extortion of subordinate officials: "I was lucky enough to get a piece of money, my concubine My father was exempted from being implicated by Lijia and forced by Xu servants, so that he would not be imprisoned by Chu for his innocence." After the election in the eleventh year (AD 1654), the situation changed even more. After the fifty-first Yu Chinese style, you can know the joy. Relatives and friends from all over the world either gave rice or silver to congratulate. And the public said: This ancestral property has been redeemed. It is the Yiye Jiqiu, so as not to fall. In the past, it was repeatedly empty. Those who once lived were rich; those who walked on foot in the past, followed each other once. At the time of fame and fame, it can be ignored!" It can be seen that Fan Jinzhong's theory should also be well-founded.Another example is "Mr. Liang Yansun's Chronicle", because the author of the genealogy has been in the political arena of the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China for a long time, and he also participated in confidential matters. It is of great reference value for the study of historical events in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China.
The above examples can prove that there are indeed valuable historical materials in the chronicles, but unfortunately, the number of such chronicles is small and scattered.If you can check carefully, what you get will help to demonstrate historical events.
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