| WU DAI HUI YAO is a history book which records decrees and regulations of the Five Dynasties, and it was composed by Wang Pu who was a famous politician and historian in late Five Dynasties and early Song Dynasty. WU DAI HUI YAO specially records the decrees and regulations of the Five Dynasties and its development, and it is the basic materials to study the history of the Five Dynasties. The book is segmented into 30 volumes, including 279 projects, in which six of them can be classified into three projects, so there are 273 projects in fact. The book documents data of the Five Dynasties in detail, including central and local officials and other political systems; the numbers of households and total population, land, taxes and other financial systems; Buddhism, Taoism and other religious policies; it also records the association between governments in Central Plains and neighboring ethnic minorities. So the book is of highly historical value. This paper aims to explore the compilation process of the book and its versions, and to analyze its structure, academic value and related systems based on the previous research results.The body of the paper is divided into seven chapters:Chapterâ… focuses on Wang Pu's achievements in his official and academic career, including Wang Pu's life and family background, political career and academic achievements. Wang Pu was born in a high official's family; with outstanding talent he was highly regarded by his teacher, Mr. Wang Renyu. He passed the highest imperial examination in early Latter Han Dynasty and worked as an official of Latter Han, Latter Zhou and Northern Song Dynasties. For his foresight in politics and military, he was much appreciated by Latter Chou Tai Tsu, and was given high posts; In addition, Wang Pu was versed in history and literature, some of his poems and historical works spread far.Chapterâ…¡discusses the compilation and style of WU DAI HUI YAO, including the research of its compiling time, historical data sources, style and etc. Its compiling time was recorded differently and this chapter deduces that WU DAI HUI YAO should be completed in AD 963 based on analyzing the historical data. The "Five Dynasties Record" must have existed when Wang Pu compiled WU DAI HUI YAO, and he should have had access to it. We can deduce that the "Five Dynasties Record" is the main source of the WU DAI HUI YAO. The style of WU DAI HUI YAO is rearranged based on its content in this chapter, and its 279 projects are grouped under 13 categories, thus beneficial to the research of WU DAI HUI YAO.Chapter III analyzes the content and versions of WU DAI HUI YAO. Through statistical analysis, this chapter illustrates that in WU DAI HUI YAO a larger proportion is about the Latter Tang and Latter Zhou Dynasty, and analyzes the causes; the entries of WU DAI HUI YAO are mainly royal decree, many of which are original data and of high value. The versions of WU DAI HUI YAO vary. In Northern Song Dynasty, Wen Yanbo printed books with woodblock in Sichuan Province; detailed records in this field were lacked in Yuan and Ming Dynasty; the Song Dynasty version was still copied in Qing Dynasty. Many errors existed in the "Wu Dai Hui Yao" by the Wuying Palace Edition. In modern times, several versions have been published, among which the 2006 edition of WU DAI HUI YAO by Shanghai Ancient Books Publishing House is of the best quality. Appended with errata, it was based on the edition by Jiangsu Book Bureau in the 12th year of Guangxu Qing Dynasty, with reference to the edition of Wuying Palace, the edition of Shenzhen and the private copies collected in Shanghai Library and Fudan University, as well as the old and new "Five Dynasties". WU DAI HUI YAO was also published in Taiwan.Chapter IV is the study of the status and influence of WU DAI HUI YAO. This chapter focuses on the analysis of the influence of the compilation of "Wu Dai Hui Yao" on later generations, which was mainly reflected in the establishment of the historical book compilation style. Song Dynasty set up Hui Yao Agency dedicating to the compilation of Hui Yao and some of the Hui Yao compiled in Song Dynasty were lost. The existing "Song Dynasty Hui Yao Manuscripts" is of the most valuable historical materials in the study of a history of Song Dynasty. Later generations imitated the genre and compiled "West Han Dynasty Hui Yao" and others. The documental value of "Wu Dai Hui Yao" is also reflected in the supplement and collating new and old "Five Dynasties History". Since the "Old Five Dynasties History" series remain as drafts and the "New Five Dynasties" failed to record the laws and institutions in Five Dynasties, WU DAI HUI YAO is indispensable in the search of related materialChapter V analyzes the various political systems during the Five Dynasties according to the content of WU DAI HUI YAO. It covers the central and local political system. By analyzing the WU DAI HUI YAO documents this chapter claims that changes of central official system took place in Five Dynasties on the basis of succeeding that of the Tang Dynasty. The changes were embodied in the expansion of the power of the senator and its conflict with the imperial power, the establishment of three Divisions and its monopoly of financial power, the new development of the official department in charge of libraries and the compilation of historical books; in the local administrative system, the power of the military governors were further expanded to control local personnel and property rights, resulting in the weakening control of central government of local governments.Chapter VI analyzes the economic system in the Five Dynasties on the basis of the historical material in WU DAI HUI YAO. It contains the economic systems during the Five Dynasties, including the change of household and land system because of the wars; the salary system of the officials and its change; the evolution of the tax system, urban construction, water transport and warehousing as well as natural disaster and disaster relief acts of the governments.Chapter VII analyzes the religious and national policy of the Five Dynasties based on the historical material recorded in WU DAI HUI YAO. It includes the measures taken in the Five Dynasties to control the growth of the number of monasteries, monks and nuns, of which the most thoroughgoing one was carried out by Latter Chou Shi Zong; WU DAI HUI YAO records in detail political and economic exchanges between the Five Dynasties and the surrounding minority regime, which is of great historical value.In summary, WU DAI HUI YAO plays an important role in later historical studies in terms of its editing style and content. Wang Pu made a great contribution to the formation of the genre of historical records.
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