史漢比較研究之一例

An Example of the Comparative Study on the Historian Record (Shiji) and the History of the Han Dynasty (Hanshu)

徐復觀(Hsu Foo-kuan)

《新亞學報》 13卷 (1980/06) Pp. 1-79+ap1

並列摘要

The article is divided into 9 chapters with emphasis on four important points. (1) The first emphasis deals with earlier critical arguments on the merits of the two books in detail, stressing in particular comparing and criticising the general history and the dynastic history with a view to clarifying certain clarifying certain doubts by historians throughout thousands of years. (2) The article also touches upon the special sentiment of Ban Biao and his son towards the Han House as a result of their being members of the consort family. This special sentiment led to the compilation of Ban Biao's doctrine on sovereignty by mandate with its denial of the ideals of 'Rule by the sage' by the Confucianists of the West Han. According to him, sovereignty by mandate should automatically fall upon the Liu Family. The motives of Ban Gu who wrote the History of the Han Dynasty (Hanshu) in praising the Han differed greatly from Sima Qian's Historian's Records (Shiji) aiming at seeking security of the human destiny. These different motives accounted for different evaluations of the emperors and officials of the early Han as well as the arrangements and selections of the relative historical facts of the period. Under pressure from Emperor Ming of the Eastern Han, Ban Gu had no other alternative but to resort to a chronological form where he did not depict the life history of Emperors, thus making them assume the image of abstract figure; this form was followed by later historians. This purposeful distortion was indeed a misfortune in Chinese history. The above summarizes the differences between the two books often much neglected. From Chapter 2 and the later parts, detailed comparisons will be listed out. (3) Chapter 3 depicts the compilation of the Hanshu noted for its great ingenuity and coverage. It further points out that the Ban's were in line with Confucian thought in that they still believed in justice and righteousness within the Han rule. With the exception of the chapters on the early Han. Hanshu on the whole gave an unbiased criticism of the period, thus qualified to be used as a supplement to the Shiji. This explains the reason why it is a great work along-side the Shiji. The above points are contained from Chapter five to eight. (4) The Historian Record (Shiji) has been elevated by virtue of its literary merits and historical value. A comparison of writing techniques is purposefully arranged in Chapter 9. It is noticed that Ban Gu emphasized simplicity and authentic nature, thus lacking in historical facts which are better in the Shiji. This point is also often neglected.