CLASSICAL CHINESE LANGUAGE

The course aims at providing the methodological and linguistic tools and the cultural knowledge to study imperial historiographical texts.

Knowledge of the historiography of the Early Medieval period. Experience in reading early medieval historiography and biography.

The course involves knowledge of classical Chinese, because we want to read some chapters of the Hou Han shu 後漢書 in the original. The course is taught in English.

Telling the history of the Later Han dynasty

The Hou Han shu 後漢書 by Fan Ye 范曄 (398-446) is the standard history of the Later Han dynasty (25-220). It was compiled roughly 200 years after the fall of the Han and follows the model of historiography established by Ban Gu and Sima Qian. In the class, we well look at the contents and structure of the Hou Han shu and in particular read two chapters in the original language: The collective chapters of filial exemplars and on exemplary women that each contain about ten biographies. Reading the text will give a better idea of the tools and objectives of biographical writings. It will also help getting accustomed to the language of historical works and biography collections, which are important sources for the imperial history.

Bielenstein, Hans. 1954. “The Restoration of the Han Dynasty with Prolegomena on the Historiography of the Hou Hanshu.” BMFEA 26 (1954), pp. 5–209.
———. 1959. “The Restoration of the Han Dynasty, Vol. II: The Civil War.” BMFEA 31 (1959), pp. 1–287.
———. 1967. “The Restoration of the Han Dynasty, Vol. III: The People.” BMFEA 39 (1967), pp. 1–202.
———. 1979. “The Restoration of the Han Dynasty, Vol. IV: The Government.” BMFEA 51 (1979), pp. 1–300.
———. 1986. “Wang Mang, the Restoration of the Han Dynasty, and Later Han.” In: Twitchett – Loewe 1986, pp. 223–290.
Zhong Shulin 钟书林. 1991. Fan Ye zhi renge yu fengge 范晔之人格与风格. Beijing: Zhongguo shehui kexue chubanshe.

Written exam, translation from Chinese, interpretation, knowledge of secondary literature...........

The course is taught in presence. Individual and group reading, translation, discussion.

English

written