Book of Documents

The Book of History ( Chinese 書經 / 书经 , Pinyin Shujing ), also shangshu (尚書) called that since the Han Dynasty to the Five classics ( 五經 , wǔjīng ) belongs, served more than 2,000 years of Chinese political philosophy as Base. The compendium itself contains, among other things, texts that were written 1000 years ago when the book of documents was made a "classic". Most of the chapters, however, date from later times, around half of the texts were systematically forged in the 4th century. Due to its heterogeneity, the Shàngshū has long been the focus of great philosophical debates.

Form and content

The Shàngshū is available in two different formats, which depend on the time the edition was written and the position of the editor in the debate about the authenticity of the text. In the so-called orthodox arrangement there is a longer preface (actually Great Foreword , 大序 , dàxù ), which is also generally referred to as the preface to Kong ( 孔序 , kǒngxù ) and probably from Kong Anguo ( 孔安國 ; died about 100 bc) Z.) in the 2nd century BC d. Z. was written. In this Kong Anguo describes how the shangshu along with a number of other books, also in "old document" (aka "AltText."; The 古文 , gǔwén ) written and allegedly even before the book burning Qin Shihuangdis written, in a wall of Confucius ' house was found. The preface is followed by 50 separate documents, which are divided into 58 chapters, with the four chapters Tài Jiǎ ( 大甲 ), Pán Gēng ( 盤庚 ), Yuè Míng ( 說命 ) and Tài Shí ( 泰誓 ) each in three sections shàng ( 上 ) / zhōng ( 中 ) / xià ( 下 ), which in turn are counted as separate chapters. Each of these chapters is preceded by a short foreword (actually the preface to the document ; 書序 , shūxù ), which is traditionally assumed to have been written by Confucius. According to the same tradition, Confucius originally selected 100 documents for the Shangshu ; the chapters that are no longer preserved are still represented by their foreword. In addition, the Orthodox edition of the Shàngshū includes a commentary, probably written by Kong Anguo ( 孔安國 ), known as the Kong Commentary ( 孔傳 , kǒngchuán ).

The second arrangement of the work, which can be seen for the first time in the Shàngshū zuǎnyàn ( 尚書纂言 ) by Wu Cheng ( 吳澄 , 1247–1331) and made available to the Western readership through the translation by Bernhard Karlgren, contains only 28, sometimes also 29 "New text" ( 今文 , jīnwén ) chapters that are believed to be authentic from today's perspective. The arrangement of the text differs from the Orthodox in that the forewords to the individual documents have been combined in a single chapter that can be found at the beginning or at the end of the entire text. In addition, both the Kong's preface and the Kong comment have been removed.

Both editions have in common the chronological order in which the texts are arranged, which is based on the four earliest periods of Chinese history .

No	chapter	German	Alttext edition	New text edition	Legge transl. page	Karlgren
No	chapter	German	Alttext edition	New text edition	Legge transl. page	Translated from S.	Glosses S.
虞書 ( Yu shu ) Documents from Yu
1	堯典 ( Yao dian )	The statutes of the Yao			15th	1	I: 44
2	舜典 ( Shun dian )	The statutes of the Shun			29	1	I: 44
3	大禹謨 ( Da Yu mo )	The consultations of the great Yu			52	-	-
4th	臯陶謨 ( Gao Yao mo )	The consultations of the Gao Yao			68	8th	I: 106
5	益稷 ( Yi Ji )	Yi and Ji			76	8th	I: 106
夏書 ( Xia shu ) Documents from the Xia Dynasty
6th	禹貢 ( Yu gong )	The Tributes of the Yu			92	12	I: 145
7th	甘誓 ( Gan shi )	The speech in Gan			152	18th	I: 167
8th	五子之歌 ( Wu zi zhi ge )	The songs of the five sons			156	-	-
9	胤征 ( Yin zheng )	The punitive expedition of the Yin			162	-	-
商書 ( Shang shu ) documents from the Shang Dynasty
10	湯誓 ( Tang shi )	The speech of the tang			173	20th	I: 171
11	仲虺之誥 ( Zhong Wei zhi gao )	Zhong Wei's address			177	-	-
12	湯誥 ( Tang gao )	The speech of the Tang			184	-	-
13	伊訓 ( Yi xun )	The instructions of the Yi			191	-	-
14th	大甲上 ( Tai Jia shang )	Tai Jia I.			199	-	-
15th	大甲中 ( Tai Jia zhong )	Tai Jia II			205	-	-
16	大甲下 ( Tai Jia xia )	Tai Jia III			209	-	-
17th	咸有一徳 ( Xian you yi de )	Both have pure virtue			213	-	-
18th	盤庚上 ( Pan Geng shang )	Pan Geng I			220	20th	I: 174
19th	盤庚中 ( Pan Geng zhong )	Pan Geng II			233
20th	盤庚下 ( Pan Geng xia )	Pan Geng III			243
21st	說命上 ( Yue ming shang )	The commissioning of the Yue I			248	-	-
22nd	說命中 ( Yue ming zhong )	The commissioning of Yue II			254	-	-
23	說命下 ( Yue ming xia )	The commissioning of the Yue III			259	-	-
24	高宗肜日 ( Gaozong rongri )	Day of Additional Sacrifice for Gaozong			264	26th	I: 214
25th	西伯戡黎 ( Xi bo kan Li )	The leader of the west threw Li down			268	26th	I: 218
26th	微子 ( Wei zi )	The Baron von Wei			273	27	I: 220
周書 ( Zhou shu ) Documents from the Zhou Dynasty
27	泰誓上 ( Tai shi shang )	The great declaration I.			281	-	-
28	泰誓中 ( Tai shi zhong )	The great declaration II			289	-	-
29	泰誓下 ( Tai shi xia )	The great declaration III			294	-	-
30th	牧誓 ( Mu shi )	The speech in Mu			300	29	I: 228
31	武成 ( Wu cheng )	The successful ending of the war			306	-	-
32	洪範 ( Hong fan )	The grand plan			320	29	I: 231
33	旅獒 ( Lü ao )	The dogs from Lü			345	-	-
34	金縢 ( Jin teng )	The metal band			351	35	I: 248
35	大誥 ( Da gao )	The great speech			362	36	I: 258
36	微子之命 ( Wei zi zhi ming )	The appointment of the Baron von Wei			376	-	-
37	康誥 ( Kang gao )	The appointment of the (Prince of) Kang			381	39	I: 278
38	酒誥 ( Jiu gao )	Notice of intoxication			399	43	I: 296
39	梓材 ( Zi cai )	The wood of the zi tree ( catalpa ovata )			413	46	I: 307
40	召誥 ( Shao gao )	The appointment of the (Duke of) Shao			420	48	II: 62
41	洛誥 ( Luo gao )	The announcement regarding Luo			434	51	II: 74
42	多士 ( Duo shi )	The numerous officials			453	55	II: 94
43	無逸 ( Wu yi )	Avoid comfort			464	56	II: 105
44	君奭 ( Jun Shi )	The nobleman Shi			474	59	II: 114
45	蔡仲之命 ( Cai Zhong zhi ming )	The appointment of the "Zhong of Cai"			487	-	-
46	多方 ( duo catch )	The numerous regions			492	62	II: 133
47	立政 ( Li zheng )	Establishment of a government			508	67	II: 145
48	周官 ( Zhou guan )	Zhou officials			523	-	-
49	君陳 ( Jun Chen )	The nobleman Chen			535	-	-
50	顧命 ( Gu ming )	The testamentary instruction			544	70	II: 156
51	康王之誥 ( Kang wang zhi gao )	The speech of King Kang			562	70	II: 156
52	畢命 ( Bi ming )	The commissioning of the (Duke of) Bi			569	-	-
53	君牙 ( Jun Ya )	The nobleman Ya			578	-	-
54	冏命 ( Jiong ming )	The appointment of Jiong			583	-	-
55	呂刑 ( Lü xing )	(The Prince of) Lü on punishments			588	74	II: 174
56	文侯之命 ( Wen hou zhi ming )	Commissioning Prince Wen			613	78	II: 194
57	費誓 ( Fei shi )	The speech in Fei			621	80	II: 198
58	秦誓 ( Qin shi )	The speech of the (Duke of) Qin			626	81	II: 200

Most of the chapters are in the form of talks given by either kings or ministers. In general, all chapters are divided into five different types:

Consultations ( 謨 , mó ), which are dialogues between the king and his high officials.
Instructions ( 訓 , xùn ), advice of high officials to the king.
Decrees ( 誥 , gǎo ), declarations of the king to the whole people.
Declarations ( 誓 , shí ), royal speeches on the battlefield.
Orders ( 命 , míng ), appointments, granting of privileges, etc. Ä.

Origin and authenticity

Since it is generally assumed that the old text chapters were deliberately falsified in the 4th century, scholars focus primarily on the remaining 28 or 29 new text chapters. But here, too, recent research has shown that many of the chapters were written down some time after the reported event.

It is assumed that the chapters The Statutes of Yao ( 堯典 , Yáo diǎn ) and The Consultations of Gao Yao ( 臯陶謨 , Gāo Yao mó ) of the documents from Yu ( 虞書 , Yú shū ), as well as from the Documents of the Xia dynasty ( 夏書 , Xià shū ) do not date the chapters The Tributes of Yu ( ǔ , Yǔ gòng ) and The Address in Gan ( 甘誓 , Gān shí ) from the time they report, but rather in the last century of the Zhou dynasty or perhaps only around 221 BC. d. Z. as in the case of Yǔ gòng ( 禹貢 ).

Of the five documents from the Shāng shū ( 商書 ), the speech of the Tang ( 湯誓 , Tāng shí ) seems to be the oldest and is generally believed to date from the Zhou period . Although no unanimity of conquest over the exact date when this justification Xia by Shang is, some researchers believe because of the subject matter that it by the founders of the Zhou Dynasty was written in order to justify their own conquest of Shang. The next chapter, Pan Geng ( 盤庚 , Pán Gēng ), in which King Pan Geng calls on the unwilling population and respected families to follow him to the new capital Yin ( 殷 ), today's Anyang ( 安陽 ), is shared by many Regarded by scholars as the oldest document in Chinese history, even the oracle bone inscriptions from the Shang period are outdated . But there are also indications that this chapter was also only written at the beginning of the Zhou dynasty, on the one hand to explain the conquest of Shanghai by the Zhou and on the other hand the associated involuntary migration of the Shang population. The remaining chapters, Day of the Additional Sacrifice for Gaozong ( 高宗肜日 , Gāozōng róngrí ), The Leader of the West Put Li Down ( 西伯戡黎 , Xī bó kān Lí ) and The Baron of Wei ( 微子 , Wēi zǐ ) probably come from the Warring States Period .

The section Documents from the Zhou Dynasty ( 周書 , Zhōu shū ) contains chapters that were written at the same time as the events they report on took place. However, some of these chapters are not considered to be authentic. The first chapter The great declaration ( 泰誓 , Tài shí ), which is only available in some new text editions (keyword: 29th chapter), was reconstructed in the Han dynasty on the basis of quotations in older scripts and differs in considerable extent from the alttext version. The chapters The Speech in Mu ( 牧誓 , Mù shí ), The Great Plan ( 洪範 , Hóng fàn ) and The Metal Band ( 金縢 , Jīn téng ) are all written during the time of King Wu (武, reigned 1045–1043 BC) Z.), but were created much later, but long before the Tài shí ( 泰誓 ).

With the 12 following chapters, which are assigned to the time of the reign of King Cheng (reigned 1042 / 35–1006 BCE), especially the first seven years of his reign in which the Duke of Zhou acted as regent, we have the authentic Part of the book of documents is available. These are the chapters The Great Speech ( 大誥 , Dà gào ), The Appointment of (Prince of) Kang ( 康誥 , Kāng gào ), Notice of Drunkenness ( 酒誥 , Jiǔ gào ), The Wood of the Zi Tree ( 梓材 , Zǐ cái ), The appointment of the (Duke of) Shao ( 召誥 , Shào gào ), The announcement regarding Luo ( 洛誥 , Luò gào ), The numerous officials ( 多士 , Duō shí ), Avoiding comfort ( 無逸 , Wú yí ), The Nobleman Shi ( 君奭 , Jūn Shí ), The Numerous Regions ( 多方 , Duō fāng ), Establishing a Government ( 立政 , Lí zhèng ) and The Testamentary Instruction ( 顧命 , Gù míng ). Although some scholars object to the time when certain chapters were written, such as Wú yí ( 無逸 ) or Lí zhèng ( 立政 ), almost all scholars do not question the authenticity of the five Gào chapters, even if their time of writing is certainly a cause Discussions there. At the beginning of the Song dynasty, scholars such as Su Shi (1036–1101) and Zhu Xi (1130–1200) are of the opinion that the chapters Kāng gào ( 康誥 ) and Jiǔ gào ( 酒誥 ) were not in the time of the king Cheng ( 成 ), but describe events that took place during the reign of King Wu ( 武 ).

The remaining four chapters of the new text edition of Shàngshū s, (The Prince of) Lü on Punishments ( 呂刑 , Lǚ xíng ), The Commissioning of Prince Wen ( 文侯之命 , Wén hòu zhī míng ), The Address in Fei ( 費誓 , Fèi shí ) and The Address of the (Duke of) Qin ( 秦誓 , Qín shí ), are a mixture of texts from the Chunqiu period . Only the Lǚ xíng ( 呂刑 ), which claims to be from the time of the reign of King Mu (ruled 956–918 B.C.), really seems to be of an older date. The question of when the Wén hòu zhī míng ( 文侯之命 ), which has remarkable similarities with investiture inscriptions from the time of the Western Zhou dynasty, has already been the focus of numerous debates. The preface of the new text edition and most of the early commentators state that the order of King Ping ( 平 , reigned 770–720 B.C.) was given to the prince of Jin , whereas Sima Qian reports in Shiji ( 史記 ) that the order of King Xiang ( 襄 , ruled 651–619 B.C.) was given to Chonger, the prince of Jin. The time given in the foreword is accepted by the majority of experts as the correct one.

Translations

Antoine Gaubil , Joseph de Guignes : Le Chou-king, un des livres sacrés des Chinois qui renferme les fondements de leur ancienne histoire, les principes de leur gouvernement & de leur morale . Paris: 1770.
Walter Henry Medhurst: Shu ching, Ancient China; the Shoo King, or the Historcal Classic; being the most ancient authentic record of the annals of the Chinese Empire, illustrated by later commentators . Shanghai: 1846.
Séraphin Couvreur: 書經 Chou King . Texts chinois avec une double traduction en français et en latin, des annotations et un vocabulaire . Imprimerie de la Mission Catholique, Ho Kien fou, 1897. Facsimile published by Cathasia, Paris / Leiden, 1950.
James Legge : The Chinese Classics , Vol.III: The Shoo King or The Book of Historical Documents . Trübner, London 1861, digitized , reprinted by SMC Publishing, Taipei 1994, ISBN 957-638-040-5
Bernhard Karlgren : The Book of Documents , in: BMFEA 22 (1950), 1-81.
Bernhard Karlgren: Glosses on the Book of Documents I , in: BMFEA 20 (1948), 39-315.
Bernhard Karlgren: Glosses on the Book of Documents II , in: BMFEA 21 (1949), 63-206.

literature

Martin Kern, Dirk Meyer (ed.): Origins of Chinese Political Philosophy. Studies in the Composition and Thought of the Shangshu (Classic of Documents) . Leiden / Boston: Brill, 2017.
Paul Pelliot : Le Chou King en caractères anciens et le Chang Chou che wen. In: Mémoires concernant l'Asie Orientale 2 (1916): 123-177.
Edward L. Shaughnessy: Shang shu. In: Michael Loewe (Ed.): Early Chinese texts: a bibliographical guide. Berkeley, California: The Society for the Study of Early China & the Institute of East Asian Studies, University of California, Berkeley, 1993 (Early China special monograph series; no. 2), ISBN 1-55729-043-1 , pp. 376-389.

Web links

Chinese Text Project: Shangshu incl. Engl. Translation by James Legge