SINICA LEIDENSIA EDIDIT INSTITUTUM SINOLOGICUM LUGDUNO BATAVUM Vol. XXI THE TREATISES OF LATER HAN THE TREATISES OF LATER HAN Their Author, Sources, Contents and Place in Chinese Historiography BY B. J. MANSVELT BECK E.J. BRILL LEIDEN • NEW YORK • K0BENHAVN • KOLN 1990 Published with financial support from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO). Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Mansvelt Beck, B. J. The treatise of later Han: their author, sources, contents, and place in Chinese historiography / by B. J. Mansvelt Beck, p. cm.—(Sinica Leidensia, ISSN 0169-9563: vol. 21) Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index. ISBN 90-04-08695-4 1. Ssu-ma, Piao, d. ca. 306. Hsii Han shu. 2. China—History—Han dynasty, 202 B.C.-220 A.D. 3. Ssu-ma, Piao, d. ca. 306. 4. Historians—China—Biography. I. Title. II. Series: Sinica Leidensia; v. 21. DS748.M36 1990 931 ’.04—dc20 90-2156 CIP ISSN 0169-9563 ISBN 90 04 08895 4 © Copyright 1990 by E. J. Brill, Leiden, The Netherlands All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or translated in any form, by print, photoprint, microfilm, microfiche or any other means without written permission from the publisher PRINTED IN THE NETHERLANDS XW 'V?? ^ o?1?? pb^n-nK mina? ns; n$y ‘ran-n^ :«Ti9—ry^ efeqg Q,nl?«n r©ir"iEft< noi^n-nx Dixn Eccl. 3:11 CONTENTS Preface......................................................................................................... xi Introduction ........................................................................................... 1 I. SIMA BIAO, HIS LIFE AND WORKS .................................................... 5 His Life ........................................................................................... 5 His Works ...................................................................................... 7 The Continued Book of Han XHS and the Book of Han HS ...................................................................... 12 The Preface of X H S.................................................................... 16 Earlier Histories of Later Han ................................................ 17 The Records of Han from the Eastern Pavilion D G H J................................................................................. 19 Criticism of DGHJ .................................................................... 26 Qiao Zhou...................................................................................... 27 The Text History and Editions of XHS and HHS ......... 32 II. TREATISES IN EARLY DYNASTIC HISTORIES .................................. 36 The Creation and Scope of Treatises.................................... 36 Survey of Later Han Treatises ................................................ 37 The Treatises by Cai Y ong....................................................... 41 The Destruction of the Archives.............................................. 46 Liu Zhao on Later Han Treatises ......................................... 50 Liu Zhiji on Treatises ................................................................ 52 Balazs on Treatises ....................................................................... 54 III. PITGHPIPES AND THE CALENDAR ................................................ 56 Forerunners in SJ and H S ......................................................... 56 Structure of the Treatise ........................................................... 57 The Treatise on Pitchpipes......................................................... 58 The Calendar Treatise................................................................ 59 Outline of the Treatise................................................................ 60 Authorship of the Treatise......................................................... 61 Concluding Remarks .................................................................. 62 IV. CEREMONIAL .................................................................................... 64 Forerunners in SJ and H S ................................................ 64 Structure of the Treatise ........................................................... 65 Outline of the Treatise................................................................ 66 Sources and Authorship............................................................. 70 Vlll CONTENTS The Influence of Qiao Zhou..................................................... 72 Frequency of the Ceremonies .................................................. 73 The Imperial Funeral Described by the Treatise.............. 75 The Imperial Succession Described by the Annals ......... 77 Further Instances of Incompleteness and Distortion .... 79 Related Literature about Ceremonial .................................. 83 Later Han Schools of Ceremonial ......................................... 86 Concluding Remarks .................................................................. 88 V. sacrifices ........................................................................................... 89 Forerunners in SJ and H S ......................................................... 89 Structure of the Treatise ........................................................... 89 Outline of the Treatise................................................................ 90 Authorship of the Treatise......................................................... 94 Arguments against Cai Yong’s Authorship ......................... 96 Sima Biao as an Historian......................................................... 97 Three Different Accounts of Spring’s Beginning .............. 99 Propaganda in the Treatise....................................................... 103 Cai Yong and the Imperial Ancestral Tem ple.................. 105 The Discussion and the Eulogy .............................................. 108 Concluding Remarks .................................................................. 110 VI. THE HEAVENS .................................................................................. Ill Forerunners in SJ and H S ......................................................... Ill Earlier Han Comets ..................................................................... 112 Structure and Outline of the Treatise..................................... 114 Stylistic Variations......................................................................... 115 Authorship of the Treatise......................................................... 119 Starfield Interpretations.............................................................. 121 Historical Events in the Treatise ............................................ 126 Unique Persons in the Treatise................................................ 127 Completeness of the Treatise..................................................... 129 VII. THE FIVE PHASES........................................................................... 131 The Model in H S ......................................................................... 131 Structure and Organisation of the Treatise ....................... 141 Outline of the Treatise................................................................ 142 Sources and Authorship.............................................................. 145 Portents, Interpretations, and Responses.............................. 147 Completeness of the Lists............................................................ 148 The Interpretations ..................................................................... 149 The Connected Historical Events............................................ 152 Concluding Remarks ................................................................... 154 CONTENTS ix VIII. THE PORTENT TREATISES ......................................................... 156 The View of History in the Treatises.................................... 156 The Role of Signs and Portents in Later Han Society ......................................................................................... 157 Solar Eclipses ................................................................................ 158 Natural Disasters ......................................................................... 162 Portents as a Source of Criticism ........................................... 163 The Critics...................................................................................... 165 The Influence of Portents on Political Decisions .............. 168 Comparison with the Earlier Han Treatises ....................... 170 Subjects for Further Study ....................................................... 173 IX..ADMINISTRATIVE GEOGRAPHY....................................................... 175 The Model in H S ......................................................................... 175 Structure and Outline of the Treatise.................................... 177 Editorial Changes......................................................................... 181 Accuracy to the Treatise............................................................. 183 Date and Authorship.................................................................... 187 Additions by Sima Biao............................................................. 189 Anachronisms in the Treatise.................................................... 192 Concluding Remarks .................................................................. 194 X..THE BUREAUCRACY........................................................................... 196 The Model in H S ......................................................................... 196 The Preface .................................................................................... 197 Outline of the Treatise and Eulogy......................................... 199 Method of the Treatise ............................................................. 202 Editorial Mistakes and Changes............................................. 203 Systematic Silences in the Treatise......................................... 205 Non-systematic Omissions in the Treatise........................... 210 The Description of Two High Offices .................................. 211 Earlier Theories about the Sources of the Treatise ......... 214 The Tables of the Hundred Officials.................................... 216 A Theory about Imperial Decline in the Treatise........... 220 The Old Text and the Original Notes.................................. 221 The Prefect Grand Astrologer.................................................. 223 Parallels with the Original Notes ........................................... 225 Concluding Remarks .................................................................. 226 XI. CARRIAGES AND ROBES .................................................................. 227 Structure of the Treatise, Outline and Eulogy.................. 227 Editions and Secondary Literature ....................................... 230 The Prefaces .................................................................................. 231 Dates and Datable Parts of the Treatise................................ 236 Authorship of the Treatise......................................................... 242 X CONTENTS The Root of G old......................................................................... 244 Further Influences on the Treatise......................................... 248 Imperial Processions as Described by the Treatise........... 254 History in the Treatise................................................................ 258 Poetry in the Treatise ................................................................ 262 Visits to the Imperial Mausolea ............................................. 263 Observance of the Rules ........................................................... 265 Concluding Remarks .................................................................. 266 conclusion ............................................................................................. 269 Summary of the Findings ......................................................... 269 The Tendency toward Systematisation ................................ 270 The Purpose of Treatises ........................................................... 271 BIBLIOGRAPHY AND LIST OF ABBREVIATED TITLES ......................... 274 conversion table.................................................................................. 279 INDEX........................................................................................................... 281 TABLES I. Previous Histories.................................................................... 17 II. The Development of DGHJ.................................................. 24 III. Later Han Treatises................................................................ 42 IV. Ceremonies in the Treatise on Ceremonial.................... 66 V. Works on Later Han Ceremonial .................................... 83 VI. Comets in SJ and HS ........................................................... 113 VII. Starfield Equations in the Treatise on the Heavens .. 124 VIII. Unique Persons in the Treatise on the Heavens ......... 127 IX. Completeness of a Few Lists in the Treatise on the Five Phases.................................................................... 149 X. Extra Interpretations in the Treatise on the Five Phases.................................................................... 150 XI. Starfield Equations in the Five Phases Treatise........... 152 XII. Commandedes and Kingdoms according to the Treatise on Administrative Geography....................... 179 XIII. Commanderies and *Kingdoms Established in the Period 146-184 ....................................................... 180 XIV. Senior Offices Not Mentioned in the Treatise on the Bureaucracy ........................................................... 210 XV. Parallel texts in Section 13 of the Treatise on Carriages ......................................................................... 256 map ............................................................................................................. 178