History of the Northern Dynasties facts for kids

The History of the Northern Dynasties (Chinese: 《北史》; pinyin: Běishǐ; literally "'North History'") is a very important Chinese history book. It is part of a collection called the Twenty-Four Histories. This book has 100 parts, called volumes. It tells the story of China from the year 386 to 618. This time included several different kingdoms and empires. These were the Northern Wei, Western Wei, Eastern Wei, Northern Zhou, Northern Qi, and Sui dynasty.

The book was started by a historian named Li Dashi. He used information from older books like the Book of Wei and Book of Zhou. After Li Dashi passed away, his son, Li Yanshou, finished the book. He worked on it between 643 and 659. Unlike many other books in the Twenty-Four Histories, this one was not ordered by the government.

What's Inside the Book?

The History of the Northern Dynasties is organized into different sections. These sections help readers find specific information.

Rulers and Their Stories

The first 12 volumes of the book are about the emperors. These sections are called "annals."

• Volumes 1 to 5 cover the emperors of the Wei dynasties. This includes the Eastern Wei and Western Wei rulers.
• Volumes 6 to 8 tell the stories of the Northern Qi emperors.
• Volumes 9 and 10 focus on the Northern Zhou emperors.
• Volumes 11 and 12 describe the emperors of the Sui dynasty.

Biographies of Important People

Many volumes in the book are dedicated to biographies. These are life stories of different people.

• Volumes 13 and 14 share the lives of empresses and royal wives.
• Volumes 15 to 19 contain biographies of the imperial families from the Wei dynasties.
• Volumes 20 to 50 include other important people from the Wei period.
• Volumes 51 to 79 feature biographies of figures from the Northern Qi, Northern Zhou, and Sui dynasties.

Special Sections and Topics

The last part of the book, from volumes 80 to 100, covers many different topics.

• Volume 80 talks about the families of royal wives.
• Volumes 81 and 82 are about Confucian scholars. These were thinkers who followed the teachings of Confucius.
• Volume 83 focuses on literature and writers.
• Volume 84 describes people known for their filial acts. This means they showed great respect and care for their parents.
• Volumes 85 and 86 highlight loyal and righteous people, and virtuous officials.
• Volume 87 talks about officials who were cruel.
• Volumes 88 and 89 mention recluses, who were people who lived away from society.
• Volumes 89 and 90 discuss divination, which was a way to predict the future.
• Volume 91 features stories of exemplary women.
• Volume 92 describes favorites of nobles.
• Volumes 93 to 99 talk about foreign states and peoples.
• Volume 100 is an introduction to all the biographies.