Autobiography Of A Chinese Historian Excerpt

Excerpt from The Imperial History of China: Being a History of the Empire as Compiled by the Chinese Historians History of China, as it has been written, during successive ages, by the authorized historians of the Empire. This work, together with the writings Of Confucius and Mencius, are the only truly authentic sources from which the story of this long-lived nation can be obtained. During the past there have been many writers of note who have professed to give a history of their times, but their works have been so interlarded with manifestly fabulous stories and incredible statements that they could not possibly be accepted as genuine history. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from The Imperial History of China: Being a History of the Empire as Compiled by the Chinese Historians The Imperial History of China is neither more nor less than the History of China, as it has been written, during successive ages, by the authorized historians of the Empire. This work, together with the writings of Confucius and Mencius, are the only truly authentic sources from which the story of this long-lived nation can be obtained. During the past there have been many writers of note who have professed to give a history of their times, but their works have been so interlarded with manifestly fabulous stories and incredible statements that they could not possibly be accepted as genuine history. It may seem strange to some of the readers of this History that the critical faculty has not been exercised more fully than it might have been in the preparation of the book. The fact is the author could only give what the Chinese historians supplied, and as historical criticism was a science that they had never studied, he did not dare to attempt what the ancient scholars of China had never dreamed of doing themselves. Besides, the materials for doing so do not now exist. China is a country that has taken scarcely any pains to preserve the books or monuments of the far-off past. The author consequently has simply been shut up to those documents that China has always considered to be authentic. In point of fact there are no others to be consulted, for any records outside of these are so few and so unreliable that to use them would land one in the region of fiction and romance. That the authorized documents are on the whole to be relied upon, we have no reason whatever to doubt, especially when we consider the system that was adopted to protect the writers of them, when they had to record facts that might have been unpleasant to the Emperor and high officials of the time. Ever since the Han dynasty (B. C. 206 - A. D. 25) historians have been appointed by royal edicts to write the history of their times, and no one but themselves has ever been allowed to look upon what they have written. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from An Outline History of China The consequence is that, to the best of the writer's knowledge, there is no work in English giving the student such a sketch of pre-Manchu times as will enable him to grasp the singular continuity of Chinese political and social life. It is too much for the writer to suppose that he has completely filled the gap, but it is hoped that he has made some such contribution as will bring home to many in our schools and colleges some part of the interest which lies behind the veil. It is impossible here to mention all the sources to which this book is indebted. Most of them will appear from the notes and from the attached bibliography. Special acknowledgment, however, should be made to the writings of Professor Hirth of Columbia, G. Pauthier, Abel Remusat, Chavannes, Legge, Williams, Giles, Mayers, Douglas and D. C. Bougler. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from History of China, Vol. 1 IT is unnecessary for me to detain the reader with any lengthy remarks by way of introduction to this history. The Chinese Empire presents for our con sideration one of the most complicated of existing problems; and the subject is of growing rather than waning importance. In 'dealing with its history we are not discussing the fortunes of some Empire that has long disappeared, nor are we seeking to discern the future of a race that has lost or forgotten the capacity of government; but we are treating of a stat-e and a people that apparently were never, during the long course of their national existence, more powerful and flourishing than they are at this very day. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from A Sketch of Chinese History The present volume is written to meet a practical need. The author has long felt in his work as a teacher the want of a short history of China. Of larger histories, and of monographs treating fully of some one period, there is no lack, but a concise outline of Chinese history accenting the turning points in the life of the nation has not yet been produced. To reduce the voluminous native histories of China to a small compass is undoubtedly an ambitious undertaking, but yet it is a task that someone must attempt. The average student has not the time nor the inclination to wade through the cumbrous volumes which exist at present, and when he ventures to do so, he often becomes discouraged because of the impossibility of remembering the strange and difficult names of the persons and places with which the pages are crowded, and so perhaps lays down the book without having gained any very clear impression of the history as a whole. It is hoped that this brief survey of the entire field may be of service in making it easier for the reader to fix in his mind the salient points of the long story. In the spelling of the names of persons we have followed as far as possible one system throughout, namely, that of Professor Giles of Cambridge University. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from A Sketch of Chinese History A Sketch of Chinese History was written by Rev. F. L. Hawks Pott in 1903. This is a 242 page book, containing 67616 words and 10 pictures. Search Inside is enabled for this title. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from History of China, Vol. 1 It is unnecessary for me to detain the reader with any lengthy remarks by way of introduction to this history. The Chinese Empire presents for our consideration one of the most complicated of existing problems; and the subject is of growing rather than waning importance. In dealing with its history we are not discussing the fortunes of some empire that has long disappeared, nor are we seeking to discern the future of a race that has lost or forgotten the capacity of government; but we are treating of a state and a people that apparently were never, during the long course of their national existence, more powerful and flourishing than they are at this very day. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.