Research About The Original Historical Materials Of Tang Ji In The Zi Zhi Tong Jian

Tang Ji is an important part of Zi Zhi Tong Jian,and the outcome that Sima Guang has re-established compiling theories of chronicles history,on the basis of the historic theories and related achievements in the Tang Dynasty and Five Dynasty.As a result,Tang Ji has finished the Song dynasty people's tasks that summarize the historical experience and lessons of Tang dynasty.The editing of Tang Ji is a process that Sima Guang and his assistant manage original historical materials by the new way.In this book,Sima Guang has researched two hundred and ten six reference books,adding forty-two article which are unable to determine the source temporarily.These more than two hundred books consist of the paper literature that include the classics,history,hundred schools of thought and anthology,as well as the inscriptions on tablet and the epitaph that combine official records,private document.For the original historical materials of Tang Ji,Sima Guang had paid out the following efforts:textual research,judgment,clipping and processing.He read extensively but select reductively,seek truth from facts:giving the same attention to official records and private document;underlining primary sources and not underestimating the second-hand materials;attaching great importance to victims' information but not neglecting latest achievements;analyzing and using the various types of the original historical materials with the scientific attitude.In terms of historical textual research and judgment,Sima guang consulted a variety of reference books.He integrated used the method of combining internal evidence and external evidence,carried out a detailed textual research for the following aspects:when,where,who,what etc.Further,Sima guang also explained the situation about opting historical data,and discussed of the reasons for choosing one rather than another.In terms of pruning historical materials,Sima guang not only selected the important figures and events which are relating to the rise and decline of nations and the people's livelihood;extracted the government documents,poetry and essay with the reference value.But also deleted tedious or duplicate contents.In terms of processing historical records,Sima Guang has done the following works:Fristly,unifying narrative style,emphasizing the periodic changes and paying attention to the care of before and after;Secondly,in the narrative process,Sima Guang added the evaluative words,suppled the relevant context,correctted the mistakes,and changed its narrative pattern;Thirdly,deleted the content of the ideographic unclear,backed to the change of taboo words,and emphasied on the accuracy and the elegance of language.In the end,Sima Guang also evaluated the relevant facts with impartial and innovative standards.With the following means for relevant historical documents:collecting,dressing and textual criticism,numerous unfaithful records and errors of the region of the historical materials had been corrected.So,the substance of Tang Ji is more truthful than former.Because of selecting and processing the historical data which are related to national economy and people's livelihood,Tang Ji has the following characteristics:proper order,general appropriate.Integrating the moral judgment and the author personal opinions based on reality into the historical data choice,clipping,processing and historical review.So,Tang Ji better achieve its function in historiography.