History of Jin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids History of Jin |
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The History of Jin (also known as Jin Shi) is a very important Chinese history book. It's one of the Twenty Four Histories, which are a collection of official histories of China's past dynasties. This book tells the story of the Jin dynasty, a powerful empire founded by the Jurchens in northern China. A historian named Toqto'a from the Yuan dynasty put it all together.
Contents
How the History of Jin Was Written
Even though the Jin dynasty ended in 1234, the idea of writing its history didn't start right away. It was Kublai Khan, a famous leader who founded the Yuan dynasty, who decided to follow ancient Chinese traditions. These traditions said that after a dynasty ended, its history should be written down.
In 1261, people first talked about writing histories for both the Jin and Liao dynasties. Later, after the Yuan dynasty conquered the Southern Song dynasty, the plan grew bigger. They decided to write the histories of all three dynasties.
Challenges in Writing the History
Writing these histories faced some problems. People disagreed on how the books should be organized and what rules to follow. Because of these issues, the project didn't really get going until 1343.
Finally, a special team was put together. Toqto'a was in charge, and six main writers, including a scholar named Ouyang Xuan, helped him. Amazingly, they finished the entire book in just over a year!
Sources Used for the Jin History
The History of Jin used many old records from the Jin dynasty itself. For the last years of the dynasty, the writers also looked at private writings and notes from scholars. These scholars included people like Yuan Haowen, Liu Qi, and Yang Huan.
The book was also translated into the Manchu language. Later, the Qianlong Emperor of the Qing dynasty tried to "correct" some of the Jurchen language names in the book. He used the Manchu language to do this. However, these "corrections" sometimes made the names even harder to understand.
What's Inside the History of Jin Book
The History of Jin is a very long book with 135 scrolls, or chapters. It's divided into different sections to make it easier to read and understand.
Sections of the Book
- 19 Annals (or Imperial Biographies): These chapters tell the stories of the Jin emperors. They describe their lives and what happened during their rule.
- 39 Treatises: These sections explain important facts about daily life, the economy, and society during the Jin dynasty.
- 4 Chronological Tables: These are like timelines that show important events in order.
- 71 Biographies: These chapters tell the life stories of important people from the Jin dynasty who were not emperors.
Exploring the Annals Section
The first chapter of the Annals describes the history of the Wanyan clan, who founded the Jin dynasty. It talks about where they came from, the Heishui Mohe people, and important ancestors like Hanpu and Aguda (who became Emperor Taizu). Chapter 19 mentions some early Jin figures who were given special titles after they died.
Understanding the Treatises Section
The Treatises section covers many interesting topics. Chapters 25-26 describe the different regions and areas of the Jin empire. Chapters 46–50 are about the economy and how people made a living. Chapters 51–54 discuss how officials were chosen for government jobs. Chapters 55–58 explain the different official positions in the government.
Chapter 57 describes a special social system of the Jurchen people called Miŋgan Moumukə. This system was unique to them. The book also mentions that Aguda was the supreme chief in this system.
Unique Features of the Book
One interesting thing about the History of Jin is that it includes special tables. These tables, found in chapters 60–62, describe how the Jin dynasty communicated with its neighboring countries. This is not something you find in many other historical books.
You can also find a list of 125 Jurchen language words in the book. These words were written using Chinese characters. This list is in an appendix called the "Explanation of the national language of the Jin" (金國語解), which is part of Chapter 135.
