Researcn On Tne Tendency And Characteristics Of The Confucian Classics’ Explanation In Early Tang Dynasty Seen From The Annotations Of Hou Han Shu And Han Shu

The annotations of Han shu written by YAN Shigu and the annotations of Hou Han shu (Book of the Later Han) written by LI Xian published in early Tang Dynasty represented the highest achievement of the study at that time. The contents of the two annotations which refers to the explanation of the Confucian classics provides a new perspective for us to research the history of the study of Confucian classics.This article consists of three parts.In the first place, I would contrast the annotations related to the Confucian classics with the old annotations for Confucian classics before Tang Dynasty item by item and have a definition for the relationships which will be classified statistic between the annotations for history records and Confucian classics. By the contrast analysis, I found that it was totally different on the selection with the annotations for Confucian classics in YAN Shigu’s anno tation and LI Xian’s. Involved in the explanation of I Ching, YAN Shigu preferred to the annotations written by WANG Bi, while the annotations from WANG Bi and ZhENG Xuan were involved in LI Xian’s. Involved in the explanation of Shoo King, YAN was inclined to believe in Pseudo Kong Chuan, while the annotations of ZHENG Xuan and Pseudo Kong Chuan all appeared in LI Xian’s. Involved in the explanation of the Book of Songs, YAN preferred to the Annotation on Mao’s Comment on the Book of Songs, while the Annotation on Mao’s Comment on the Book of Songs, Hanshi and Xuejunzhangju all appeared in LI Xian’s. Involved in the explanation of Hsiao Ching, YAN’s annotations focused on Xiaojingkongshizhuan while LI’s focused on Xiaojingzhengshizhu. Involved in the explanation of the Analects of Confucius, YAN’s annotations focused on the Lunyujijie written by HE Yan, while LI’s referred to both Lunyujijie and Lunyuzhengshizhu.On account of the contrast above, the second part of this article would investigate the annotations of YAN and LI in the sight of the history of the study of Confucian classics during Han to Tang Dynasty. The YAN’s annotation identified more with the annotations which were popular in the Southern Dynasties while the LI’s annotation inherited both the annotations prevailed in the Southern Dynasties and the Northern Dynasties to some extent. The LI Xian’s annotation apparently adopted the theory of ZhENG Xuan while the study of Confucian classics in the Northern Dynasties took ZHENG Xuan as a sovereign. As oppose to that, the YAN’s annotation excluded the ZHENG Xuan’s theory and praised highly the study of WANG Su which was really different from the opinion of ZhENG Xuan. The quote from Hanshi and Confucianist Divination as well as the marshalling sequence of the six classics agreed with Confucian classis in current calligraphy. While the opposed attitude to the Hsiao Ching from FU Sheng, Confucianist Divination and the theory of correspondence between man and heaven was in keeping with classics in ancient script by which show the support tendency to classics in ancient script.In the third part of this article, I would explore and analyze the reason which made the difference of the explanation of the Confucian classics in the annotations of Han shu and the annotations of Hou Han shu. The family that YAN Shigu came from had resided in northern China a long time and came into being characteristic clan culture for which set the seal on the animus referred to the explanation of the Confucian classics in YAN’s annotation. The unadorned political environment and the ethos of esteeming the Confucianism and repressing Buddhism as well as the favor in northern theory in the Zhenguan period also provided the political reference for the choice in YAN’s annotation. However the teachers and staffs of Zhanghuai Crown Prince LI Xian as well as the participators in the noting work of the annotations of Hou Han shu were almost northerners or the persons concerned with the north. That’s the primary cause for which LI Xian’s annotation expressed the peculiarity of northern study to some extent. In the reign of emperor Gaozong of Tang Confucianism was in a dismal period while the Taoism and studies on Ying Yang were strongly recommended. Therefore the northern theory also attached importance to the Confucianist Divination and studies on Ying Yang. It was related to the quote from Confucianist Divination and the books like Dlwangshiji in LI Xian’s annotation. In the creation period of YAN’s annotation, YAN Shigu had plenty of time to finish his annotation due to the stabilization of LI Chengqian’s position of crown prince, so the quality of YAN’s annotation was really complete and perfect. Yet when writing the annotation, LI Xian was faced the hugely political pressure from the Empress WU Zetian so that the annotation was finished hurriedly. It had some minor flaws though deserved to be called integrated in general.