A Study On The Leilin Seen In Dunhuang Manuscript

Leilin is a small-scale encyclopedia in Tang Dynasty written by personal author. Unfortunately, the original edition was lost. but there are some different editions which could provide the opportunity for our study. Many predecessors have made a lot of achievements on the study of encyclopedia. and this thesis will be set on one edition among the different editions of Linlin. that is another edition published in Dunhuang. Through the annotator and systemize on the scrapped abridged Dunhuang Leilin, I will pay more attention on Dunhuang-Leilin and the others, which concerns with the author of Leilin, including his personal experiences, family backgrounds, when Leilin was written, social background, books referred by Leilin and the circulation, etc.Although Leilin was a lost book of Tang Dynasty, there are still many reasons for our study on it:First, its literature value and significance. The Leilin's two editions-Xixia edition and Dunhuang edition were founded by archaeology, which still keep their original looking after a thousand year's time, and the most important is that they were not modified. These precious documents keep much information and features of their time, and they could provide us with real and vivid original information. Second, during the history evolution of encyclopedia, small-scale is an important category of large -scale. As the condition of conservation, natural and artificial reasons were not good, so we only have few full-formed Leilin written by personal authors, especially form the early Tang Dynasty. Sui-Tang Dynasties were the important ages during the development of encyclopedia, especially the Leilin written in early Tang Dynasty provides the original information for the study of writing style, material source, and circulation of small-scale which mainly consist of biography stories. Third, Zengguangleilin is one edition of Leilin, which was edited by descendants who mainly added materials in it instead of cutting off, that could keep the original contents. The extant edition shows that in past times this book was a popular and influential encyclopedia. Fourthly, the study among the three extant editions could not only give back the edition which is closed to the original Leilin, but also could provide the information for the studying of its broadcasting through the advantage and inadequate of these three editions. By this study, we can know much about the circulation of the small-scale.. and also to know its important role in broadcasting and popularization during ancient time.This thesis includes two apartments:part one is the study of edition published in Dunhuang and reversion edition of Leilin. Part two is the collation of Dunhuang Leilin. The following is the main contents of Part One:Chapter one is the basic study of Leilin. including naming, author, and his family background,. Through this research, we can have a comprehensive minute knowing of Leilin.Chapter two is mainly about the social background, academic background, political background of Leilin. and the inherit fine tradition and usher in the future mission of encyclopedia.Chapter three is the classication research of Leilin. Through the categories of encyclopedia, the main feature and properties of Leilin to analyze its category and significance.And about the relationship between Leilin and history-ancient literature, also with the development of the codification style of encyclopedia.Chapter four is the research of the books mentioned in Leishu. According the manner and number of the ancient books to study the continuation and broadcasting of ancient classical text.Chapter five contents the circulation of extant three editions of Leilin. Through the different circulation situation and variation of cut down time and space to study the education function of Leilin.We could have a more intensively and minute comprehension through the six chapters. And this research will be helpful in the literature studies, encyclopedia studies, and the circulation of ancient document, the broadcasting of knowledge.