Research On Qianlong’s Preface And Postscript

Qianlong’s preface and postscript refer to the prefaces,postscripts,inscriptions,annotations,idioms,postscripts,and post-reading articles written by Qianlong.As the fourth monarch of the Qing Dynasty,Qianlong was good at writing poetry and prose.He received Confucian education focusing on classics and history when he was young.After taking the throne,he carried out a large-scale cultural practice.He used literature as a bridge connecting Manchu and Han cultures and shape himself to the successor of Confucian orthodoxy.His personal will,governance thought and literature are closely related.The preface and postscript of the Qianlong imperial system is a reflection of the emperor’s will and state governance in the heyday of the Qing Dynasty.Qianlong had a clear understanding of the definition and function of the preface and postscript.He believed that the preface and postscript was an overview of the contents of the literature,and he attached great importance to the function of the preface and postscript.He wrote nearly 200 prefaces and postscripts from the time of the prince to the time of the Emperor Taishang,covering the types of prefaces,postscripts,epigraphs,commentaries,idioms,postscripts,postscripts,books,and readings.However,there is no unified formula for the types of documents,the structure of writing,and the attitude of praise and criticism.The writing of Qianlong’s preface and postscript was influenced by the previous imperial preface and postscript.The creation of imperial prefaces had already begun during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Wei Dynasty,and imperial prefaces developed from the preferences of individual emperors to become the norm.The Qing Dynasty inherited the old example of the Ming Dynasty.First,the imperial order was used as a fixed method in the record documents.After the compilation of other types of documents,there were often orders for ministers to request.During the Kang-Yong period,he advocated the reading of scriptures and history in Manchuria,and improved the education system of the prince,cultivated Qianlong’s reading ability and preference,and promoted the creation of his prefaces and postscripts.From the perspective of the preface objects,Qianlong prefaces and postscripts can be roughly divided into three categories.One is the preface and postscript documents under the style of imperial studies.Qianlong was fond of the The Book of Songs,The Book of History and The Spring and Autumn Annals in the Classics.The Ministry of History preferred to read and comment on the histories of the Han,Tang,Song and Ming Dynasties.Among the eight great masters,Han Yu and Ouyang Xiu were the most important.The second is the preface specially made for imperial documents.The imperial order is mainly based on the documents of the history department and the sub-department,and the type of the imperial documents of Qianlong is the same,which reflects the focus and governance needs of Qianlong.The third is the preface and postscript reflecting Qianlong’s personal interests and hobbies.In order to consolidate his rule before and after he ascended the throne,Qianlong wrote many prefaces to the collections of his predecessors,courtiers,relatives and friends,and also had a clear preference for calligraphy and painting literature.With the establishment of political authority and the combination of personal orientation and political needs,Qianlong edited and adjusted the preface and postscript.Judging from the text of the preface and postscript,it can be found that Qianlong used the preface to review the literature,refuting the content of the literature that did not conform to the orthodox,in order to establish the legitimacy of the Manchu regime.Qianlong’s preface and postscript also examined the source of the literature,praised the literature to revive the thought of the sages,His achievements in governance and modelling for future generations affirm the value of documents.In his preface and postscript,Qianlong also reviewed the work of document editing,boasting that he surpassed the sages’ cultural governance thought and practice,in order to achieve the unity of political and cultural leaders.