Research Articles

 

Historical Studies (Chinese Edition)

No.3, 2017

 

Streamlining the Complex, Mastering the Simple: The Compilation of History in the Warring States Period as Seen in Xinian

(Abstract)

 

Yang Bo

 

The Tsinghua Bamboo Slips’ Xinian was compiled in the Warring States period, a time when history writing flourished. As an independent work of history in the “event-based style”(jishi benmo ti), it draws on Western Zhou records, records of the official historians of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, and popular stories from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, with a focus on the Jin, Chu, and Zheng kingdoms. The narration adheres to the principle of “straightforward writing with no concealment” (zhishu buhui), with the intentions of the compiler(s) incorporated in the text through shifts in narrative stance and viewpoint. Xinian presents the idea of “the lessons of history” (jianjie), reflecting a strongly didactic aim. An analysis of the relationship between Xinian and other histories helps us sum up the features of Warring States historical writing: historical narratives were not completely dominated by chronology, but show selective emphasis on specific states and key figures. Iconic figures marked the ending of each period, suggesting the shared recognition of a division into the three periods of the Western Zhou → Spring and Autumn → Warring States. The compilation of the Xinian shows that the “event-based style” had become a basic narrative tool in Warring States histories, and also reveals the historical position of Warring States historiography.