Study On Suishu Jingji Zhi

The Suishu jing ji zhi隋书经籍志(SSJJZ) is a bibliography included in the Suishu隋书(History of the Sui Dynasty) as one of the treatises(zhi志)It is a continuation of the Hanshu yiwen zhi汉书艺文志(Treatise on Literature included in the History of the Former Han Dynasty). Being the second bibliography of Chinese history, it is considered as one of the most synthetic and systematic catalogues extant in China. What is more important is that it was one of the extant catalogues which systematically included as many books as were available at the time. Thus, SSJJZ formed a connecting link between the preceding Han Dynasty and subsequent dynasties, bringing forth the new from the old.Thus, this thesis is divided into two parts:the first part deals with Treatise on Literature in Suishu in light of bibliography and scholarships. The second part illustrates the collation of SSJJZ.First of all, it is necessary to define the characteristics of the Treatise on Literature in Suishu in view of bibliographical studies. Using the method of contrastive studies, the author compares both The Treatise on Literature in Hanshu and The Treatise on Literature in Suishu. The author arrives at the conclusion that The Treatise on Literature in Suishu was a catalogue of both history and treatise designed by imperial decree and completed by collective work. Analyzing the contents of the treatise, the author believes that it is a catalogue with bibliographical features. After examining the catalogues on which bibliographers wrote the Treatise on Literature in Suishu, the author points out that this treatise is both a catalogue of book collections and a catalogue of books as read by scholars.Next, the author explores the stylistic rules and layout that the bibliographers compiled in the treatise. Then the author focuses on the works included in the treatise and stylistic rules in compilation, such as specific works, volumes and the rules that these works were included. The types of appendixes are carefully examined. Based on these and other studies, the author tries to summarize many features of how this treatise was compiled, such as the purposes, principles, methodologies, and records.Thirdly, the author taps the bibliographical values of the Treatise on Literature. The author hopes to set up a new branch of bibliography, determine the system of four classifications, and therefore provide important clues for further classification of ancient classics in the future.In view of academic history, the author points out the scholarship in the Treatise on Literature in Suishu contains philosophy, respecting the ancients, historiography, masters of philosophical schools, and literature, basing on an analysis of General Introduction, introductions to each section and introductions to each category.Next, the author compares a number of introductions to each section and to each category and the catalogues of books as recorded in both The Treatise on Literature in History of Former Han Dynasty and The Treatise on Literature in Suishu. Then the author dwells in detail upon the history of various branches as they developed from the Han Dynasty (206BCE-220CE) to the Sui Dynasty (581-618). The dissertation focuses on the tremendous impact of Suishu jingji zhi on identifying sources in academic studies.The author offers detailed descriptions on how various Confucian classics came into being, how they followed the sources and how they functioned in society. Basing on the information in the treatise, the author makes further contrastive analysis on the books as recorded both in The Treatise on Literature in History of Han Dynasty and The Treatise on Literature in Suishu. The author notices the development of both the Old Text School and the New Text School since the Han Dynasty (206BCE-25CE). More exegetics came into being, prompting new forms of works. The period witnessed the rise and fall of the studies of divination combined with mystical Confucian belief. Indeed, scholars on Confucian classics in this period were inclined to minute details.In historiography, the Treatise on Literature in Suishu tries to define various books on the topic of history. It illustrates how these books were written. The books as recorded in the Treatise demonstrate that historians after the Han Dynasty attached great importance to the summary of the rise and fall in historical vicissitudes. Thus, they made efforts to collect original materials in history. They made comments on historical figures. They also showed their interest in geography and other subjects.In the study of masters of philosophy, The Treatise on Literature in Suishu touches upon how and why these schools of philosophy came into existence. It traces their origin and social impact. Through comparative studies on both treatises in Hanshu and Suishu, it can be seen how these masters of philosophy and Confucian schools in early Warring States Period developed and declined. What was more was that Daoism boomed while other schools of thought declined. The Miscellaneous school became more miscellaneous. The scholars even showed interested in storytelling-there was such a trend of storytelling.New military treatises were written by militarist strategists. There were more annotations to the ancient military works and more treatises on practical experiences in the battlefields. More books on various arts were written, such as chess, games in throwing, recipes, prescriptions for fragrances, etc.Astronomy and the calendar were fully developed. People showed great interest in the study of the universe, constellations, planets, astrological divinations, an introduction to astronomy, and astronomical charts. This was greatly stimulated by the transmission of Brahmanical (or Indian) astronomy in China. These records in the Treatise on Literature in Suishu indicated the communications between Chinese astronomers and foreign astronomers. There were many treatises in astrology, such as divinations of stars, seven-stars, divinations of stars as observed at sea, miscellaneous stars, constellations, divination of wind and rain and clouds, constellation charts, divination charts, etc. In calendric and astronomic studies, there were treatises on theories of calendars and water clocks aside from the calendars designed by emperors of previous dynasties.In arithmetic, aside from the annotations to the ancient works, new treatises on arithmetic came into being in large numbers. Brahmanical arithmetic works were also introduced to China. The works of Yin-Yang and Five Elements and occult arts were quite popular at the time. Apart from the divinations as recorded in Treatise on Literature in Hanshu, such as Taiyi, the magic skills of being invisible, jiugong (nine-palace), fengjiao (wind divination), divination by milfoil stalks and turtle shell, the divination of earth and man, dream divination, body divination, divination for disasters and good fortune, and prayers. There were other divinations, such as birds' chirping divination, divination of good fortune for the new year and prediction of the destiny of the rise and fall, divination by anticipation, the five processes, magic words, physiognomy, etc.Great progress was made in the field of medicine:medical theories, prescriptions, clinics, pharmaceutics, veterinary medicine, medicines for longevity, and beauty treatment, etc. There were more treatises on arteries and veins, and acupuncture. Treatises recorded folk prescriptions, prescriptions composed of two or more recipes of herbal medicines. Also found were records on the achievements in clinical medicine, internal medicine, surgery, orthopedics, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, ENT and ophthalmology, etc. There were not only works on pharmacology, but also works on how to identify the property of medicines, how to process medicines, even how to collect medical herbs, and how to plant these herbs. In the field of veterinary science, works on how to treat horses, cows, camels, mules and other domesticated animals' diagrams were recorded. It is also worth noting that many works on longevity were documented in this Suishu jingjizhi. Many of them were concerned with drug ingestion, health preservation, and chamber arts. In addition, works on beauty health were noted in the record.In literature, the poetic genre fu (rhapsodies), which was started by Qu Yuan, was recorded in The Treatise on Literature in Hanshu. It was further developed into Chuci Category (Southern Poetry) in The Treatise on Literature in Suishu. The latter showed that the studies of Chuci became pluralistic in its development. More works of annotations, textual analysis, commentaries, philological and semantic studies came out. After the Han Dynasty (206BCE-220CE), more individual belles-lettres and collective belles-lettres appeared. The compilations of The Treatise on Literature in Suishu made great contributions by commenting how they came into being and how they were edited and compiled. From the works the compilers recorded in the treatise one can see the literary critique after the Han Dynasty. These critiques helped the creation of many literary genres, poetry works and the flourishing development in literature.Thus, one can see the vital and transitional role that The Treatise on Literature in Suishu played in the development of bibliography. It summarizes the scholarships before the Tang Dynasty (618-906CE). However, it has left many problems particularly in its records of various treatises, classifications, orders, the scope of collections, etc. Taking the punctuated Suishu published by Zhonghua shuju in1973as the hard copy, the author has made tremendous efforts to collate this work. The author has carefully examined many works, including Suishu jingji zhi (The Treatise on Literature in Suishu) engraved in the Song Dynasty (960-1297) and Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), Jiutangshu jingji zhi (The Treatise on Literature in Jiu tangshu), Xintang shu yiwen zhi(The Treatise on Literature in Xin tangshu), Ribenguo jian zai shumu(Chinese Books as Read in Japan), Songshi yiwen zhi(The Treatise on Literature in Song History), Chongwen zongmu(General catalogue of the Academy for the Veneration of Literature as compiled by the Northern Song), Zhi zhai shulu jieti(Library catalogue of the Suichu Hall), Junzhai dushu zhi(Record of Readings at the Prefect's Residence) and its Houzhi (supplement), Tongzhi yiwenlue (Essentials on the Arts of the Tongzhi), Bu hanshu yiwen zhi (Supplement to the Treatise on Literature in Hanshu), Bu sanguo yiwen zhi(Supplement to the Treatise on Literature in History of Three Kingdoms Period), Bu jinshu yiwen zhi (Supplement to the Treatise on Literature in the History of Jin (265-420CE).Having consulted scholarly works by Zhang Zongyuan,Yao Zhenzong, Qian Daxin and others, the author has made endeavors to sort out the all these sources. By pointing out the shortcomings in recording, classifying, ordering and the scope of collecting ancient treatises, the author aims to provide more facilities for better understanding The Treatise on Literature in Suishu for future readers.