Mirroring the Past: The Writing And Use of History in Imperial China

by On-Cho Ng, Q. Edward Wang

China is known for its deep veneration of history. Far more than a record of the past, history to the Chinese is the magister vitae (teacher of life): the storehouse of moral lessons and bureaucratic precedents. Mirroring the Past presents a comprehensive history of traditional Chinese historiography from antiquity to the mid-Qing period. Organized chronologically, the book traces the development of historical thinking and writing in Imperial China, beginning with the earliest forms of historical consciousness and ending with adumbrations of the fundamentally different views engendered by mid-nineteenth-encounters with the West. The historiography of each era is explored on two first, the gathering of material and the writing and production of narratives to describe past events; second, the thinking and reflecting on meanings and patterns of the past. Significantly, the book embeds within this chronological structure integrated views of Chinese historiography, bringing to light the purposive, didactic, and normative uses of the past. Examining both the worlds of official and unofficial historiography, the authors lay bare the ingenious ways in which Chinese scholars extracted truth from events and reveal how schemas and philosophies of history were constructed and espoused. They highlight the dynamic nature of Chinese historiography, revealing that historical works mapped the contours of Chinese civilization not for the sake of understanding history as disembodied and theoretical learning, but for the pragmatic purpose of guiding the world by mirroring the past in all its splendor and squalor. Mirroring the Past critically reviews the Chinese historiographical traditions as it seeks to understand imperial China through the lens of history. Well informed and rich in insight, it will be especially welcomed by students of Chinese history as well as comparativists in intellectual history.

Genres: History, China, Nonfiction

306 pages, Hardcover

First published September 6, 2005

Reviews

[Reagan Kuennen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5! I think my rating may be lower than others because of my personal interests and being pretty uneducated on Chinese history to begin with. I really liked most of the chapters in this book and found it easy to navigate as a non-Chinese historian, however, there are numerous times I found myself getting lost in the text. Too many name drops that were insignificant to the overall argument of sections.

[Owen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really thorough and helpful overview of the historiographical trends and innovations throughout the practice of historical writing in China. I’m not very well versed in Chinese history, yet I was able to somewhat follow most of the explanations in this work. At times it is a little dull and dense but a good resource for understanding the evolution of historical writing in a non-Western context.

[Johanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Based book but confusing when you have never learned anything on Chinese history. Some parts were repetitive, very repetitive. I think I would enjoy this more if I wasn’t forced to read it.

[Olivia Ramsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was an interesting book, and certainly well written. i’m very unfamiliar with ancient chinese history, and even less familiar with the history of ancient chinese HISTORIOGRAPHY, so it was pretty hard to digest at times. despite that, i’ll always remember liu zhiji and zhishu (straight writing!! suck it, ranke). this book also had the fortune of being read at the same time as another, much more annoying book (looking at you, daniel woolf), which improved its rating for me.

read for school, theories of history

[Jessica Zu · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best book on historiograhpy, ever. The fact that it's only one of the few on Chinese historiography makes it scholarly more valuable. If you want to understand the ancient and modern China, this is a must read. Popular books on China is way too cheesy and misrepresenting for anyone who aspires for deeper understanding and thinking. In this book, not only will you learn how ancient Chinese think, but also will you understand the scholarship and philosophical system of China.



At the same time, it is also a very enjoyable read. It takes you on a tour of 5000 years of Chinese history and historiography. It' also demonstrate the plurality of different styles of Chinese history writing and scholarship. It's an exploration of the Chinese mind and spirit. Understanding history will make you less afraid of the future. Because you will have a storehouse of all the accumulated wisdom which can best prepare you for the y uncertainty of the unknown.adn discovdery.