Book of Chen

The Book of Chen or Chen Shu (Chén Shū) was the official history of the Chen dynasty, one of the Southern Dynasties of China. The Book of Chen is part of the official Twenty-Four Histories of imperial China. It was compiled by the Tang dynasty historian Yao Silian and completed in 636 AD (Zhenguan 10th year). The Chen Shu is a biographical history book with thirty-six volumes, recording the historical facts of 33 years from the accession of Chen Baxian (Emperor Wu of Chen) to the last emperor Chen Shubao (Emperor Houzhu of Chen).^[1][2]

Synopsis[]

Chen Shu consists of 36 volumes, including 6 volumes of biographies of emperors and 30 volumes of other biographies. In addition to the national history of the Chen Dynasty and the old draft compiled by Yao's father and son, the historical sources of Chen Shu include eight volumes of Yongding Residence Note (《永定起居注》), twenty-three volumes of Tianjia Residence Note (《天嘉起居注》), ten volumes of Tiankang Everbright Residence Note (《天康光大起居注》), fifty-six volumes of Taijian Residence Note (《太建起居注》), four volumes of Zhide Residence Note (《至德起居注》) and other historical materials and books written by others.^[1]

The Chen dynasty revitalized the economy of Southern China and was a metropolis for traders and Buddhists from as far as India and Southeast Asia.^[1] Although the Book of Chen is brief compared to the Book of Liang or Book of Sui,^[1][3] much of the Chen dynasty history is also included in other books like the Book of Sui. Moreover, the Chen royal family continued to hold high political office, prestige, and power within the subsequent Tang dynasty of China, for example with officials such as Chen Shuda and Xuanzang (Chen Yi) holding high favor with Tang emperors and many other Chen family members being married into the Tang royal family.^[2] Xuanzang is known for his pilgrimage to India and features in China's epic novel Journey to the West. Xuanzang / Chen Yi was also the "sworn brother" (义兄) of Emperor Taizong of Tang and was bestowed the name Tang Sanzang. Thus, much of the history of the Chen royal family continued after the Chen dynasty and featured in China's subsequent dynasties and golden ages.

Sources[]

It heavily relied on Yao Silian's father 's original manuscript. The book is one of the more complete extant records of the Chen dynasty. There are also alternate commentaries, including one by Tang prime minister Wei Zheng, which is also included in the book.

In addition to his use of Yao Cha's previous works, Yao Silian relied by contemporary court diaries by Gu Yewang 顧野王 (519-581) and Fu Zai 傅縡 (531-585) and an earlier text also named Chen shu 陳書, compiled by Lu Qiong 陸瓊 (537-586).^[4]

There are other histories, including the Zizhi Tongjian written during the Song dynasty.

Writing the Book of Chen[]

Yao Cha (533-606), born in Wu Kang, Xing Wu (now Deqing County, Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province), was a historian of the Southern Dynasties.

Yao Silian (557 ~ 637), whose real name is Jian, was born in Yongzhou Wannian (now Xi'an, Shaanxi Province) during the Chen dynasty. During the Chen dynasty, he was an official minister and writer. During the Sui dynasty, he was a secretary and was ordered by the Sui emperors to continue writing the histories of the Liang and Chen dynasties. History has called Yao Silian an esteemed Confucian scholar who had seen the accomplishments of three generations of China (Chen, Sui, Tang).

In 606, Yao Cha died, and Silian continued writing these books. After the Tang destroyed the Sui, Yao Silian was appointed as a writer of the Hongwen Museum (弘文馆学). In 629, under imperial edict, Yao worked to finish the Book of Liang and Book of Chen, which was completed in 636.

Although Yao Cha and Yao Silian are historians, they both have profound literacy in writing. In terms of writing history, their writing is concise and simple, and they are forbidden to pursue the magnificence and superficiality of rhetoric. They inherit the style and style of writing of Sima Qian and Ban Gu, and their writing is valuable in the history of Southern Dynasties. As for when Yao Silian wrote the essay, Liu Zhiji's "Shi Tong" refers to the beginning of Zhenguan, when Silian was written into two histories by imperial edict, which lasted for nine years before he finished his work. Ceng Gong's Preface to Collation refers to Yao's investigation of Liang and Chen's affairs, but his book is not finished, which belongs to Zi Silian's inheritance.^[5]

Brief chronology[]

In 557 AD, the Liang dynasty was succeeded by the Chen dynasty. By 589 AD, the Chen dynasty, Northern Zhou, and Northern Qi were succeeded by the Sui dynasty. In 618 AD, the Sui dynasty was destroyed by the Tang dynasty, which would rule China for around three centuries. It was in 636 AD, during the Tang dynasty, under the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang that Yao Silian, a former Chen dynasty official, wrote the Book of Chen.

Contents[]

Annals (紀)[]

Biographies (列傳)[]