The Study On The Historical Essays Of Book Of Jin

Eighteen kinds of books about the history of Jin Dynasty disappeared after Book ofJin published by the officials in Tang Dynasty. Consequently, Book of Jin turned to themain references of the history of the Western Jin Dynasty&the Eastern Jin Dynastywhich we are studying now. The rulers of successive feudal dynasties of China attachedgreat importance to historical reference in order to take history as a mirror. Thus they takethe history of former dynasty very seriously, especially for the rulers in early TangDynasty. Emperor Taizong of Tang had written four historical essays on Book of Jin,which is unique in all official history. Combined with historical materials, this papermakes a deep and specific study on the historical essays of Book of Jin based on thepredecessors’ research results. This paper mainly includes the following several parts:The first part is the introduction. The author mainly explains the researchachievements of scholars of all through the ages about the history of Book of Jin publishedby the officials in the Tang Dynasty, makes generalization and summary based on theresearch result of the predecessors, summarizes the deficiencies, and points out thepurpose, significance, and innovation of this study.In the second part, the author summarizes the structure of historical essays of Book ofJin (through the conclusion of historical essays)with overview of the historical essays,dividing the essays into Former Comment, Latter Comment, Zhi Yue and Zan Yue, andconcludes the main contents to provide a basic and brief introduction of the historicalessays of Book of Jin.In the third part, the author tries to analyze the linguistic features of the historicalessays through analyzing the characteristics of Book of Jin in facet of antithesis, allusionand affection. The historical essays are in parallel prose. Its language is featured in antithesis, neat and beautiful; its contents indicate ideas through historic story correctlyand ingeniously. In affection, the essays propose political view frankly. However, as inparallel prose, the language is inevitably obscure. Hence a comprehensive and perspectivehistorical view is needed..In the fourth part, the author mainly analyzes the relationship between the rise&fallof the dynasties and the factors reflected in the historical essays, such as heaven-humanrelationship, monarch, enfeoffment and rise&fall of Confucianism. The advocating ofheaven-human relationship and Confucian orthodoxy is a tool of feudal rulers to controlpeople and appears in the historical essays unavoidably. In addition, the historical essaysrefer to the influential factors of the rise&fall of the dynasties, such as individual talent ofmonarch, promoting talent based on capabilities, and the enfeoffment of imperial clan soas to take history as a mirror.In the fifth part, the author discussed the national view of the historical essays ofBook of Jin and points out its ascensive national view such as “all the nations as a family”.In a word, this paper summarize and analyze the structure, language feature,historical view and national view in different methods and facets based on thesummarization of previous research results, and strive to make a deep and comprehensiveresearch on the historical essays of Book of Jin.