Old History of the Five Dynasties

Old History of the Five Dynasties
Name	Old History of the Five Dynasties
Original title	舊五代史
Author	Xue Juzheng
Country	Song dynasty
Language	Classical Chinese
Subject	Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period
Genre	Chinese historiography
Release date	974

Old History of the Five Dynasties is a thirteenth-century Chinese dynastic history compiled under the Song dynasty that records the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. Commissioned by Emperor Taizu of Song and completed under Emperor Taizong of Song, it was principally compiled by Xue Juzheng with contributions from Song Qiqiu and other Song dynasty officials. The work became one of the standard Twenty-Four Histories and served as an official account of the succession from Tang dynasty collapse to Song dynasty establishment.

Background and Authorship

The compilation was ordered by Emperor Taizu of Song following the consolidation of the Later Zhou realm and the creation of the Song dynasty. Principal compiler Xue Juzheng drew upon the official records of the Later Liang, Later Tang, Later Jin (Five Dynasties), Later Han (Five Dynasties), and Later Zhou. Court patrons included Wang Pu and Liu Zhiji figures in Song historiography, while bureaucratic backing involved the Hanlin Academy and provincial archival offices in Kaifeng. The project incorporated materials from archivists connected to Guo Wei and administrative networks tied to Zhao Kuangyin and Zhao Guangyi.

Historical Context and Scope

The narrative covers the period from the end of the Tang dynasty through the foundation of the Song dynasty, focusing on the sequence of regimes labelled Later Liang, Later Tang, Later Jin (Five Dynasties), Later Han (Five Dynasties), and Later Zhou. It addresses interactions with neighboring polities such as the Khitan Liao dynasty, the Shatuo Turks, and the Tangut. The text situates events like the An Lushan Rebellion aftermath, the rise of regional jiedushi including figures like Zhu Wen and Li Cunxu, and key military episodes such as the Battle of Hulao and the politics around Shi Jingtang and An Chongrong.

Content Overview and Structure

The Old History is structured in annal-biography format typical of Sima Qian and Ban Gu models, comprising imperial annals, treatises, and biographies. Sections include imperial chronologies for Later Liang, Later Tang, Later Jin (Five Dynasties), Later Han (Five Dynasties), and Later Zhou; biographies of ministers like Cui Yin, generals like Zhao Dejun, and cultural figures such as Li Siyuan. The work contains monographs on rites associated with Confucian rites practices, calendrical matters influenced by the Tang calendar, and accounts of rebellions involving Wang Chongrong and Li Keyong.

Sources and Methodology

Xue Juzheng relied on official court documents from the archives of Later Liang, Later Tang, Later Jin (Five Dynasties), Later Han (Five Dynasties), and Later Zhou, memorials petitioned to emperors like Emperor Zhuangzong of Later Tang, eyewitness accounts from officials such as Fu Yanqing, and regional gazetteers produced in Kaifeng and Luoyang. The compiler used genealogical registries, military rosters tied to commanders like Kong Xun, and epitaphs recovered from tomb inscriptions referencing Li Cunxu and Zhao Kuangyin. Methodological influences included the historiographical standards set by Sima Qian and the evaluative techniques of Liu Zhiji.

Historical Significance and Reception

As one of the Twenty-Four Histories, the Old History shaped later perceptions of legitimacy regarding Zhao Kuangyin's accession and the mandate narratives involving Shi Jingtang and Liu Zhiyuan. The work informed later compilations such as the New History of the Five Dynasties by Ouyang Xiu and influenced scholars in the Song dynasty and Ming dynasty historiographical tradition. It framed military reputations for figures like Guo Wei and diplomatic relations with the Khitan Liao dynasty and the Tangut polity, affecting subsequent chronicles and imperial edicts.

Textual Transmission and Editions

Manuscript circulation involved court copies preserved in Kaifeng and later in Hangzhou repositories following the Jurchen Jin dynasty capture of northern capitals. Surviving versions include Song royal library editions, Yuan dynasty reprints, Ming woodblock prints, and Qing collated editions held in collections such as those of Siku Quanshu compilers. Annotated editions by scholars like Zhou Mi and catalog entries in the Imperial Archives helped preserve variant readings; fragments were also cited in works by Su Shi and Wang Anshi.

Scholarly Criticism and Debates

Scholars debate the Old History's treatment of succession legitimacy between Later Tang and Later Jin (Five Dynasties), the portrayal of rebel leaders such as Zhu Wen and Li Keyong, and Xue Juzheng's reliance on partisan memorials from figures like Wang Pu. Critics from the Ming dynasty and modern historians question accuracy on battles like Battle of Hulao and administrative reforms under Guo Wei, while defenders cite corroboration from epitaphs and material evidence recovered in Henan and Shaanxi. Comparative studies with the New History of the Five Dynasties, archaeological finds from Kaifeng strata, and textual criticism in Qing dynasty scholarship continue to refine understanding of the period.

Category:Chinese history Category:Chinese historiography Category:Song dynasty literature