 A fragment of the biography ofBu Zhi from theRecords of the Three Kingdoms, part of theDunhuang manuscripts | |
| Author | Chen Shou |
|---|---|
| Original title | 三國志 |
| Language | Classical Chinese |
Publication date | 280s or 290s |
| Publication place | China |
| Records of the Three Kingdoms | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Chinese name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 三國志 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 三国志 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Vietnamese name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vietnamese | Tam quốc chí | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hán-Nôm | 三國志 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Korean name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hangul | 삼국지 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hanja | 三國志 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Japanese name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kyūjitai | 三國志 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shinjitai | 三国志 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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TheRecords of the Three Kingdoms is a Chineseofficial history written byChen Shou in the late 3rd century CE, covering theend of the Han dynasty (c. 184 – 220 CE) and the subsequentThree Kingdoms period (220–280 CE). It is regarded as to be the authoritativesource text for these periods. Compiled following the reunification of China under theJin dynasty (266–420), the work chronicles the political, social, and military events within rival statesCao Wei,Shu Han andEastern Wu into a single text organized by individual biography.
TheRecords are the primary source of information for the 14th-century historical novelRomance of the Three Kingdoms, considered to be one of thefour classic novels emblematic ofwritten vernacular Chinese.
While large subsections of the work have been selected and translated into English, the entire corpus has yet to receive an unabridged English translation.
TheBook of Han andRecords of the Three Kingdoms join the original Han-era universal historyRecords of the Grand Historian to constitute the first three entries in theTwenty-Four Histories canon, with each work cementing the new genre's literary and historiographical qualities as established bySima Qian. TheRecords of the Three Kingdoms consist of 65fascicles divided into three books—one per eponymous kingdom—totaling around 360,000Chinese characters in length. TheBook of Wei,Book of Shu, andBook of Wu receive 30 fascicles, 15 fascicles, and 20 fascicles respectively. Each fascicle is organised in the form of one or more biographies.
The authorChen Shou was born in present-dayNanchong,Sichuan, then in the state ofShu Han. After theConquest of Shu by Wei in 263, he became an official historian under the government of theJin dynasty, and created a history of theThree Kingdoms period. After theConquest of Wu by Jin in 280, his work received the acclaim of senior ministerZhang Hua.
Prior to the Jin dynasty, both the states ofCao Wei and Wu has already composed their own official histories: theBook of Wei byWang Chen,Xun Yi, andRuan Ji; and theBook of Wu byWei Zhao,Hua He,Xue Ying, Zhou Zhao (周昭), and Liang Guang (梁廣). Additionally,Yu Huan had completed his privately compiled history of Wei, theWeilüe. Chen Shou used these texts as the foundation of theRecords of the Three Kingdoms. However, since the state of Shu lacked an official history bureau, theBook of Shu in theRecords was composed by Chen Shou himself based on his earlier personal notes about events in Shu and other primary sources he collected, such as his previously compiled writings ofZhuge Liang.[1]
TheRecords of the Three Kingdoms used the year 220 CE—when the last emperor of the Han dynasty was forced to abdicate to Cao Pi—as the year in which the Wei dynasty was established. TheRecords refer to the rulers of Wei as 'Emperors' and those of Shu and Wu as 'Lords' or by their personal names.
Due to the biographical rather than primarily annalistic arrangement of the work, assigning dates to the historical content is both imprecise and non-trivial. Certain fascicles contain background information about their subjects' forebears which date back centuries before the main record. For example, the biography ofLiu Yan begins with discussing his ancestorLiu Yu's enfeoffment at Jingling (present-dayTianmen,Hubei) in around 85 CE.[2] The first event to receive detailed description throughout the work is theYellow Turban Rebellion in 184. Many biographies make passing mention of the event, but more concrete information such as correspondence and troop movements during the uprising can be found in fragmentary form in at least four fascicles: the biographies ofCheng Yu,[3]Yu Jin,[4]Liu Bei,[5] andSun Jian.[6]
The three books in theRecords of the Three Kingdoms end at different dates, with the main section of theBook of Wei ending with the abdication ofCao Huan in February 266, theBook of Shu ending with the death ofLiu Shan in 271, and theBook of Wu ending with the death ofSun Hao in 284.[7]
One abstract regarding the chronology is translated as follows:
In the 24th year (of Jian'an), theFormer Lord became the King of Hanzhong, and he appointed(Guan) Yu as the General of the Vanguard. In the same year, (Guan) Yu led his men to attackCao Ren at Fan.Lord Cao sentYu Jin to aid (Cao) Ren. In autumn, great rains caused theHan River to flood. (Yu) Jin and all seven armies he oversaw were inundated.[8]
During the fifth century, theLiu Song dynasty historianPei Songzhi (372–451) extensively annotated Chen Shou'sRecords of the Three Kingdoms using a variety of other sources, augmenting the text to twice the length of the original. This work, completed in 429, became one of the official histories of theThree Kingdoms period, under the titleSanguozhi zhu (三国志注zhu meaning "notes"). Bibliographical records indicate that up until Pei's own Liu Song dynasty, Chen Shou's three books had circulated individually rather than as a single work.[9]
Pei collected other records to add information he felt should be added. He provided detailed explanations to some of the geography and other elements mentioned in the original. He also included multiple accounts of the same events. Sometimes, the accounts he added contradicted each other, but he included them anyway since he could not decide which version was the correct one. If Pei added something that sounded wrong, he would make a note or even offer a correction. In regard to historical events and figures, as well as Chen Shou's original text, he added his own commentary.[10] Crucially, he cited his sources in almost every case.
TheRecords of the Three Kingdoms was the main source of inspiration for the 14th centuryRomance of the Three Kingdoms, one of the four greatClassic Chinese Novels. As such the records is considered one of the most influential historical and cultural texts in Chinese history. In addition, the records provide one of the earliest accounts of Korea and Japan. Chen'sRecords set the standard for how Korea and Japan would write their official histories as well.[11]
Chen'sRecords is the chronologically final text of the "Four Histories" (四史), which together influenced and served as a model for Korean and Japanese official histories.[11]
TheRecords are important to the research of early Korean (삼국지Samguk ji) and Japanese history (三国志 Sangokushi). It provides, among other things, the first detailed account of Korean and Japanese societies such asGoguryeo,Yemaek andWa. The passages in Fascicle 30 about the Wa, where theYamatai-koku and its rulerQueen Himiko are recorded, are referred to as theWajinden inJapanese studies. The Japanese did not have their own records until more than three centuries later, with the earliest extant native record being theKojiki of 712.[12]
The text forms the foundation on which the 14th-century novelRomance of the Three Kingdoms byLuo Guanzhong is based. In addition, Chen Shou's literary style and vivid portrayal of characters have been a source of influence for the novel.[11]
TheRecords include biographies of historical figures such asCao Cao andGuan Yu who feature prominently in theRomance of the Three Kingdoms, though theRomance also includes a number ofcharacters andstories that are fictional. However, most of the historical facts were drawn from Chen'sRecords.[11]
TheRecords of the Three Kingdoms has not been fully translated into English. William Gordon Crowell alludes to a project to translate Chen Shou's work with Pei Songzhi's commentary in full, but it was apparently discontinued.[13] Parts of that project are published by Robert Joe Cutter and William Gordon Crowell under the titleEmpresses and Consorts: Selections from Chen Shou's Records of the Three States With Pei Songzhi's Commentary (University of Hawaii Press, 1999), which includes the translations for fascicles 5, 34, and 50.[14]
Other translations include Kenneth J. Dewoskin'sDoctors Diviners and Magicians of Ancient China: Biographies of Fang-Shih (Columbia University Press, 1983), which includes a full translation of fascicle 29.Rafe de Crespigny, in addition to his translation of Sun Jian's biography (Fascicle 46), also translated excerpts of theRecords of the Three Kingdoms in his translation of theZizhi Tongjian that deals with the last years of the Han dynasty, as doesAchilles Fang, who translated theZizhi Tongjian fascicles that deal with the Three Kingdoms period proper. TheZizhi Tongjian fascicles in question draw heavily fromRecords of the Three Kingdoms. Further excerpts of theRecords can be found in varioussourcebooks dealing with East Asian history.
Below is a table containing the known English translations of theRecords of the Three Kingdoms that have been published in academia:[15]
| Fascicle | Title of translation | Translator(s) | Publish year | URL/page numbers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 (Wei 5) | Empresses and Consorts: Selections from Chen Shou's Records of the Three States With Pei Songzhi's Commentary | Robert Joe Cutter and William Gordon Crowell | 1999 | pp. 89–114 | Lady Bian,Lady Zhen,Guo Nüwang,Empress Mao,Empress Guo |
| 8 (Wei 8) | Chinese Civilization: A Sourcebook, 2nd Ed | Patricia Buckley Ebrey | 2009 | pp.84–5 | The section titled "Heterodox Bandits" is an unannotated translation of theDianlüe footnote of theZhang Lu chapter, about Zhang Xiu (張脩) |
| 9 (Wei 9) | Early Medieval China: A Sourcebook | Timothy M. Davis | 2013 | pp. 135–46 | Translation of the correspondence betweenXiahou Xuan andSima Yi from the biography of Xiahou Xuan |
| 29 (Wei 29) | Doctors Diviners and Magicians of Ancient China: Biographies of Fang-Shih | Kenneth J. Dewoskin | 1983 | Entire book | Hua Tuo,Du Kui, Zhu Jianping, Zhou Xuan,Guan Lu |
| "The Biography of Hua-t'o from theHistory of the Three Kingdoms" inThe Columbia Anthology of Traditional Chinese Literature | Victor H. Mair | 1994 | pp. 688–696 | Hua Tuo | |
| 30 (Wei 30) | Sourcebook of Korean Civilization: Volume One: From Early Times to the 16th Century | Michael C. Rogers | 1993 | pp.13–24 | Buyeo,Goguryeo,Okjeo,Yemaek,Samhan (abridged,Yilou omitted) |
| "Chinese Accounts of Koguryŏ and its Neighbours" inThe Review of Korean Studies, Volume 15 Number 2 | Kenneth H. J. Gardiner | 2012 | pp. 91–113 | Buyeo,Goguryeo,Okjeo | |
| "The Account of the Han in theSanguozhi—An Annotated Translation" inEarly Korea Vol. 2 (The Samhan Period in Korean History) | Mark E. Byington | 2009 | pp. 125–52 | Samhan | |
| Japan in the Chinese dynastic histories: Later Han through Ming dynasties | Ryūsaku Tsunoda andLuther Carrington Goodrich | 1951 | pp. 8–16 | Wa (Japan) only (Wajinden) | |
| Himiko and Japan's Elusive Chiefdom of Yamatai: Archaeology, History, and Mythology | J. Edward Kidder Jr. | 2007 | pp. 12–18 | ||
| Treatise on the People of Wa in the Chronicle of the Kingdom of Wei: The World's Earliest Written Text on Japan | Arikiyo Saeki andJoshua A. Fogel | 2018 | Entire book | ||
| The Peoples of the West from the Weilüe 魏略 by Yu Huan 魚豢: A Third Century Chinese Account Composed between 239 and 265 CE. | John E. Hill | 2004 | [1] | Translation of the longXirong footnote from theWeilüe, includes descriptions of theWestern Regions including Rome | |
| 31 (Shu 1) | Record of The Three Kingdoms: The History of Shu – Fascicle One: "The Two Shepherds Liu" | William Gordon Crowell | 2005 | [2] | Liu Yan,Liu Zhang |
| 32 (Shu 2) | Record of The Three Kingdoms: The History of Shu – Fascicle Two: "The Former Lord" | William Gordon Crowell | 2006 | [3] | Liu Bei |
| 34 (Shu 4) | Empresses and Consorts: Selections from Chen Shou's Records of the Three States With Pei Songzhi's Commentary | Robert Joe Cutter and William Gordon Crowell | 1999 | pp. 115–21 | Lady Gan,Empress Wu,Empress Zhang (former),Empress Zhang (later),Liu Yong,Liu Li,Liu Xuan |
| 35 (Shu 5) | Zhuge Liang: Strategy, Achievements, and Writings | Ralph D. Sawyer | 2014 | Zhuge Liang (partial translation) | |
| 39 (Shu 9) | Record of The Three Kingdoms: The History of Shu – Fascicle Nine: Biographies of Dong He, Liu Ba, Ma Liang, Chen Zhen, Dong Yun, and Lü Yi | William Gordon Crowell | 2006 | [4] | Dong He,Liu Ba,Ma Liang,Ma Su,Chen Zhen,Dong Yun, Chen Zhi,Lü Yi |
| 42 (Shu 12) | Sanguo Zhi Fascicle 42: The Biography of Qiao Zhou | J. Michael Farmer | 2017 | [5] | Qiao Zhou only |
| 46 (Wu 1) | The Biography of Sun Chien: Being an Annotated Translation of Pages 1 to 8a of Chüan 46 of the San-kuo Chih of Ch'en Shou in the Po-na Edition | Rafe de Crespigny | 1966 | Entire book | Sun Jian only |
| 49 (Wu 4) | Men of Hu, Men of Han, Men of the hundred man: the biography of Sī Nhiêp and the conceptualization of early Vietnamese society | Stephen O'Harrow | 1986 | pp. 259–65 | Shi Xie only |
| 50 (Wu 5) | Empresses and Consorts: Selections from Chen Shou's Records of the Three States With Pei Songzhi's Commentary | Robert Joe Cutter and William Gordon Crowell | 1999 | pp. 122–36 | Lady Wu,Wu Jing,Lady Xie, Lady Xu,Bu Lianshi, Empress Dayi, Empress Jinghuai,Empress Pan,Quan Huijie,Empress Zhu,Empress Dowager He,Teng Fanglan |
