Wang Xianqian Of Foreign History And Geography Book Dynasty

The study of foreign countries has become an important trend in late Qing dynasty. In his later years,Wang Xianqian completed three books on foreign history and geography,viz.A Study of the Origin and Development of Japan,Short Records of Geography of Five Continents,and Comprehensive Mirror to Foreign States.First of all,a meticulous counting of A Study of the Origin and Development of Japan reveals that there is 3205 citations in total,involving 111 titles and 39books.In which five of them,History of Great Japan,A Chronicle of Japanese and Chinese History(The Annales of China and Japan),Unauthorized History of Japan,Records of State of Japan,Chronology of Ethnic Groups Surrounding China,constitutes the main reference source of A Study of the Origin and Development of Japan.Therefore the author comes to a conclusion that A Study of the Origin and Development of Japan has chiefly based upon the historical materials from Japan.Then the author discusses the relationship between A Study of the Origin and Development of Japan and Records of State of Japan.Secondly,the author probes into the making of the unpublished manuscript of Comprehensive Mirror to Foreign States.The author names the 22 volume facsimile edition of Manuscript of Comprehensive Mirror to Foreign States 'the preliminary draft', the 33 volume edition of Second Manuscript of Comprehensive Mirror to Western States which is conserved in Library of Beijing University 'the mature draft'.The author has put the 2800 new entries appeared in the 33 volume edition in order and find that the more than 60 states was added to the new edition.The author then does a comparative research among the relationship of A Study of the Origin and Development of Japan, Manuscript of Comprehensive Mirror to Foreign States,and Second Manuscript of Comprehensive Mirror to Western States and points out that these three books serve as a series of Wang Xianqian's study of foreign history.Furthermore,the author focuses on the source material of Short Records of Geography of Five Continents.The author discusses its characteristic narration and arrangement,emphasizes that the book has an inner sequence of narration of 'state',it describes the course of evolution in detail,it enumerates comprehensive economic data such as import and export and has a especially minute record of China.The source material consists of four aspects.The author compares the similarities and differences of Short Records of Geography of Five Continents and its main reference New Geographical Records of All Nations.The author thinks that the historical merit of Short Records of Geography of Five Continents mainly consist of its translated names and explanatory notes.Finally,according to the timely sequence of Wang Xianqian's three books on foreign history and geography,the author can state that Wang Xianqian's study of foreign countries followed the course of'Japan—Asia—Asia-Europe-Africa—the World'.Wang Xianqian's writings of foreign history and geography accompanied the widening of his vision.His understanding of the world was also a process of changing thought.His research has several features:a long time duration,the formation of a series of study,source materials based on one or several books,excellent explanatory notes, combination of history and geography,emphasis on comprehensive study,gradual extension of field,etc.