Ming Veritable Records
The Ming Veritable Records[1] or Ming Shilu (traditional Chinese: 明實錄; simplified Chinese: 明实录; lit. 'Veritable Records of Ming'), contains the imperial annals of the emperors of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644). It is the single largest historical source for the dynasty. According to modern historians, it "plays an extremely important role in the historical reconstruction of Ming society and politics."[2] After the fall of the Ming dynasty, the Ming Veritable Records was used as a primary source for the compilation of the History of Ming by the Qing dynasty.[3]
Historical sources
The Veritable Records (shilu) for each emperor was composed after the emperor's death by a History Office appointed by the Grand Secretariat using different types of historical sources such as:[4]
- "The Qiju zhu (Chinese: 起居注; pinyin: qǐjūzhù), or 'Diaries of Activity and Repose'. These were daily records of the actions and words of the Emperor in court."
- "The 'Daily Records' (Chinese: 日曆; pinyin: rìlì). These records, established precisely as a source for the compilation of the Veritable Records, were compiled by a committee on the basis of the diaries and other written sources."
- Other sources such as materials collected from provincial centres and "culled from other official sources such as memorials, ministerial papers and the Metropolitan Gazette."
List of books
| Veritable Records | Emperor |
|---|---|
| Taizu Shilu (太祖實錄) | Emperor Taizu of Ming a.k.a. the Hongwu Emperor[3] |
| Taizong Shilu (太宗實錄) | Emperor Taizong of Ming a.k.a. the Yongle Emperor (including the preceding Jianwen Emperor's reign)[3] |
| Renzong Shilu (仁宗實錄) | Emperor Renzong of Ming a.k.a. Hongxi Emperor[3] |
| Xuanzong Shilu (宣宗實錄) | Emperor Xuanzong of Ming a.k.a. Xuande Emperor[3] |
| Yingzong Shilu (英宗實錄) | Emperor Yingzong of Ming (including the Zhengtong and Tianshun reigns, separated by the Jingtai reign) |
| Xianzong Shilu (憲宗實錄) | Emperor Xianzong of Ming a.k.a. the Chenghua |
| Xiaozong Shilu (孝宗實錄) | Emperor Xiaoping of Ming a.k.a. the Hongzhi |
| Wuzong Shilu (武宗實錄) | Emperor Wuzong of Ming a.k.a. the Zhengde Emperor |
| Shizong Shilu (世宗實錄) | Emperor Shizong of Ming a.k.a. the Jiajing Emperor |
| Muzong Shilu (穆宗實錄) | Emperor Muzong of Ming a.k.a. the Longqing Emperor |
| Shenzong Shilu (神宗實錄) | Emperor Shenzong of Ming a.k.a. the Wanli Emperor |
| Guangzong Shilu (光宗實錄) | Emperor Guangzong a.k.a. the Taichang Emperor |
| Xizong Shilu (熹宗實錄) | Emperor Xizong of Ming a.k.a. the Tianqi Emperor |
See also
References
Citations
Sources
- Works cited
- Dreyer, Edward L. (2007). Zheng He: China and the Oceans in the Early Ming Dynasty, 1405–1433. New York. NY: Pearson Longman. ISBN 9780321084439.
- Wade, Geoff (2005). "The Ming Shi-lu as a source for Southeast Asian History" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 May 2005. provides detailed and extensive background information on how the Ming Shi-lu was composed and the rhetoric that it uses.
Further reading
- Wade, Geoff. tr. (2005). Southeast Asia in the Ming Shi-lu: an open access resource. Singapore: Asia Research Institute and the Singapore E-Press, National University of Singapore.
External links
- "Veritable Records of the Ming Dynasty, Joseon Dynasty & Qing Dynasty". sinica.edu.tw (in Traditional Chinese). Academia Sinica.
- "Veritable Records of the Ming, Veritable Records of the Qing". history.go.kr (in Korean and Traditional Chinese). National Institute of Korean History.
- Interactive scholarly edition, with critical English translation and multimodal resources mashup (publications, images, videos) Engineering Historical Memory.