A Study On Compilation Of Official Documents Of Tang And Five Dynasties

The development of compilation of official documents in Tang and the Five Dynasties is in a transition and development stage in the whole compilation history of official documents. Compilation during the period principally involves two main types including individual works and sylloge. Individual behavior related to compilation prevails. The typical characteristic is that monographs like imperial edicts and memorials spring up. Compilation form and compilers’ identity are also enriched. The development of official writ and the swelling of literati’s creative consciousness provided conducive internal conditions for the prosperous development of compilation in that period, while the historical background of politics, economy and culture, etc. constructed favorable external factors for the maturity of compilation.Subjective diversity of compilation is an important part of the study on official writ compilation in Tang and Five Dynasties. There are multiple relevancies between compilers of compilation collection and the authors, which directly result in various compiling purposes of compilers revealed in compilation activities. Differences in compiling purposes also led to the differences in the creating themes and overall structures of official writ compilation in Tang and Five Dynasties. Gradual enriching of compilation forms is a forceful proof for the growing maturity of official writ compilation. In Tang and Five Dynasties, compiling system began to present dual-level or even multilevel development, and the basis of classification also made breakthrough from the original one. Classification manner of this period was not perfect enough compared with that of Ming and Qing Dynasties, but its diversified development trend did lay the foundation for the epitomizing of official writ in Ming and Qing Dynasties.Official writ compilation in Tang and Five Dynasties made effective integration of materials, and at the meantime, it also had inherent pursuit of its own. Implicitly running through the entire compilation activity were four guiding ideologies:emphasizing on literary form and practicality, taking people as the priority and the emperor as the supreme, which enabled official writ compilation in this period to have diversified forms and abundant connotation and had great significance in the studies on specific history, philology and official writ, etc.