云梦秦简《编年记》初步研究

STUDIES ON THE CH’IN DYNASTY BAMBOO BOOK "CHRONICLE" UNEARTHED AT YUN-M(?)NG COUNTY, HUPEH PROVINCE

湖北云梦睡虎地11号秦墓出土秦简《编年记》,起秦昭王元年,止秦始皇三十年,共九十年;逐年简括地记载:(1)秦统一六国的历次战争所攻打城邑,(2)其它大事,(3)喜的生平经历及其亲属的生卒等。它对于研究战国和秦的历史、地理和制度等都有非常重要的价值。本文主要就地理、年代、大事、制度等四个方面试加探讨。讨论的问题着重在:(1)

Inscribed on Ch'in Dynasty bamboo slips unearthed from Tomb No. 11 at Shui-hu-ti in Yun-meng County, Hupeh Province, the 'Chronicle' under discussion embraces a period of ninety years starting from the first year of the reign of King Chao of the Ch'in State (306 B. C.) through the thirtieth year of the reign of Ch'in Shih-huang, the first emperor of the Ch'in Dynasty (217 B.C.). Apart from a biographical sketch of Hsi, presumably the owner of the tomb, and the dates of births and deaths of his relatives, it contains a concise year-by-year list of the cities attacked by the Ch'in State in its wars of conquest against the other six states, and other major events of this period. It is, therefore, of great significance to the study of the history, geography and institutions of both the late Warring States period and the Ch'in Dynasty Although this chronicle is not an official history of the Ch'in Dynasty and the facts given by it are very sketchy, a careful examniation of its text against those of the Shih Chi (Historical Record) by Ssuma Ch'ien shows that most of the events related by it can find their counterparts in the latter. Moreover, about three fifths of the facts related in the former are identical with those given in the latter, while the other two fifths are either missing or different from the relevant texts of the latter. Generally speaking, the value of the present chronicle as historical source may be summed up as follows: first, it serves to supply the facts missing from historical records; second, it rectifies the errors contained in the Shih Chi; and third, it can further resolve the conflicting accounts of events given in different parts of the Shih Chi.. For instance, thanks to the discovery of the present chronicle, we now know that the founding of the city of An-lu dates from the Warring States period and that the city of Tz'u-shih belonged definitely to the State of Chao. The facts related in the present chronicle also throw much new light on such problems as the registration of adult males, conscription, institution of local officials and the calendrical system of the Ch'in Dynasty. The present chronicle also offers a keener insight into the class struggle of the time, particularly that revolving around the issue of national unity, and the rule of law practised in the Ch'in state.