I. Reference Notes 1 - References for the Zhong Ren-jie Documents

The Imperial Communications System

• 1.1 John K. Fairbank and Ssu-yü Teng, Ch'ing Administration: Three Studies (Cambridge, Mass., Harvard University Press, 1960). See especially

a) "On the Transmission of Ch'ing Documents" (How documents were handled enroute, and how much time elapsed between sending and receiving)

b) "On the Types and Uses of Ch'ing Documents" (Some of the information in this article is superseded by Wu and Bartlett, below. However, the list of documentary types pp. 72-106 is an essential reference.

• 1.2 Beatrice S. Bartlett, "Ch'ing Palace Memorials in the Archives of the National Palace Museum," National Palace Museum Bulletin 13.6 (Taipei, 1979). This is the best concise introduction to the "secret memorial" system.

• 1.3 Silas H.L. Wu, Communication and Imperial Control in China: Evolution of the Palace Memorial System, 1693-1735 (Cambridge, Mass., Harvard University Press, 1970). Especially valuable for the political context in which the system developed. See also his "The Memorial Systems of the Ch'ing Dynasty (1644-1911)" Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies 27, 7-75 (1967).

• 1.4 Susan Naquin, "True Confessions: Criminal Interrogations as Sources for Ch'ing History," National Palace Museum Bulletin 11.1 (Taipei, 1976).

• 1.5 Zhuang Ji-fa 莊吉發, Qing-dai zou-zhe zhi-du 清代奏摺制度 (The secret memorial system of the Qing period; Taipei, National Palace Museum, 1979).

• 1.6 Chang Chung-li and Stanley Spector, comps., Guide to the Memorials of Seven Leading Officials of Nineteenth-Century China (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1955).

• 1.7 Beatrice S. Bartlett, Monarchs and Ministers: The Grand Council in Mid-Ch'ing China,s 1723-1820. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1991.

Biographical References

• 2.1 Arthur W. Hummel, ed., Eminent Chinese of the Ch'ing Period (1644-1911) 2 Vols., Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1943. This is your court of first resort for Qing biography. It is an important guide to bibliography as well.

• 2.2 San-shi-san zhong Qing-dai zhuan-ji zong-he yin-de 三十三種清代傳記綜合引得 (Tokyo: Tôhôgaku kenkyû nihon iinkai, 1960) Harvard-Yenching Sinological Index Series, No.9. An index to 33 major Chinese collections of Qing biographies, this is the first place to go if your subject is not in Hummel. Note that the biographies in the Treatise on the Eight Banners (Ba-qi tong-zhi are not indexed here. Instead see Hakki tsûshi retsuden sakuin (Tokyo: Tôyô Bunko, 1965).

• 2.3 Chen Nai-qian 陳乃乾 Qing-dai bei-zhuan-wen tong-jian 清代碑傳文通檢 (Beijing: Zhong-hua shu-ju, 1959). This supplements 2.2 with biographies from literary collections (wen-ji), of which 1025 are indexed. Locate the Wei Yuan biography of Shi Chang-zhi in this collection. This is also an excellent guide to Qing bibliography.

• 2.4 See 3.6, which is also important for biographical reference.

The Official System

• 3.1 Hsieh Pao-chao, The Government of China (1644-1911), Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1925. This is still a useful overview of the Qing official system.

• 3.2 H.S. Brunnert and V.V. Hage1strom, Present Day Political Organization of China, Shanghai, 1912. The basic guide to functions of government units, this work includes reforms of the early 20th century. Though it is not as comprehensive as 3.3, especially for lower-level posts, it has the advantage of portraying the whole Qing system in outline form.

• 3.3 Charles O. Hucker, Dictionary of Official Titles in Imperial China, Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1985. Chiefly useful for the pre-Qing background.

• 3.4 Li Peng-nian 李鵬年, et al., Qing-dai zhong-yang guo-jia ji-guan gai-shu 清代中央國家機關概述. Heilongjiang: Ren-min chu-ban-she, 1983. The most comprehensive recent Chinese monograph, written by a team of historical-archival experts.

• 3.5 Zhang De-ze 張德澤, Qing-dai guo-jia ji-guan kao-lüe 清代國家機關考略, Beijing: Xin-hua shu-ju, 1981. A more concise work than 3.4. Both should be consulted.

• 3.6 Qian Shi-fu 錢實甫, Qing-dai zhi-guan nian-biao 清代職官年表 4 Vols., Beijing: Zhong-hua shu-ju, 1980. To determine who served where, and when, this is the ultimate chart. It covers official posts from the Grand Council down to provincial judges, treasurers, and commanders-in-chief, as well as examination supervisors and special imperial commissioners. In volume four is an index of persons, which includes thumbnail sketches of their careers.

Geography: Gazetteers and Maps

• 4.1 Zhu Shi-jia 朱士嘉, Zhong-guo di-fang-zhi zong-lu 中國地方志綜錄, Revised ed., Shanghai: Commercial Press, 1958. A union list covering 22 collections in Mainland China. Titles are arranged according to the hierarchy of administrative units, with many helpful annotations. This is the most convenient reference guide to gazetteers.

• 4.2 Zhong-guo ke-xue-yuan, Beijing tian-wen-tai, 中國科學院，北京天文臺 comp., Zhong-guo di-fang-zhi lian-he mu-lu 中國地方志聯合目錄, Beijing: Zhong-hua shu-ju, 1985. Contains more than 8200 titles referenced to 190 depositories on the China mainland. Although the arrangement and indexing are somewhat inconvenient, this is the most comprehensive union list of gazetteers.

• 4.3 Guo-li zhong-yang tu-shu-guan 國立中央圖書館, comp., Tai-wan gongcang fang-zhi lian-he mu-lu 台灣公藏方志聯合目錄. This union list supplements 4.2, which lists titles included in it, but only under the general designation "Taiwan."

• 4.4 Tôyôgaku bunken sentâ, comp., Chûgoku chihôshi rengo mokuroku mokuroku. Tokyo, 1964. Covers holdings of four major Japanese libraries.

• 4.5 Zhong-guo li-shi di-tu bian-ji-zu 中國歷史地圖編輯組, comp. Zhong-guo li-shi di-tu ji 中國歷史地圖集, 8 vols., Beijing, 1975. The last volume covers the Qing period. A map of each province, with insets of important urban areas. Volumes indexed separately. For old place-names and administrative seats, this is the most convenient atlas.

• 4.6 G. William Skinner, "Cities and the Hierarchy of Local Systems,” The City in Late Imperial China (Stanford University Press, 1977) 275-351. See 314-321 on "post designations.”

• 4.7 G.M.H. Playfair, The Cities and Towns of China: A Geographical Dictionary (second ed., Shanghai, Kelly and Walsh, Ltd., 1910; Taiwan reprint, 1965). This basic handbook gives latitude and longitude, as well as place in the administrative hierarchy, for each entry.

Calendar Concordances

There are a number of usable concordances for converting lunar, solar, and cyclical-character dates. The following is the handiest:

• 5.1 Zheng He-sheng 鄭鶴聲, Jin-shi zhong-xi shi-ri dui-zhao-biao 近世中西史日對照表, Taipei: Shang-wu yin-shu-guan, 1962. Covers the period 1516-1941, with a supplement for the Taiping calendar. Each day is aligned with solar and lunar calendars, plus the Chinese cyclical ideographs and western days of the week.

Social and Economic Institutions

• 6.1 Hoshi Ayao 星斌夫, Chugoku shakai keizaishi goi 中國社會經濟史語彙, 2 Vols., Tokyo: Toyo bunko kindai Chugoku senta, 1966 and 1975. These essential guides to social-economic terms and institutions index 51 Japanese monographs up to 1972. Besides pointing back to the original monograph, each entry gives a short summary of the facts.

• 6.2 The Ming Tribute-Grain System, translated by Mark Elvin; Ann Arbor, Michigan: Center for Chinese Studies, 1969.

• 6.3 Harold C. Hinton, The Grain Tribute System of China, 1845-1911, Harvard University Press, 1956.

Official Historiography

• 7.1 Charles S. Gardner, Chinese Traditional Historiography, Harvard University Press, 1938 (see pp. 88-93 on the Shi-lu and the Imperial Diaries) .

• 7.2 Zhuang Ji-fa 莊吉發, Gu-gong dang-an shu-yao 故宮檔案述要, Taipei: Guo-li gu-gong bo-wu-yuan, 1983 (see pp. 317-341 for a detailed bibliographic treatment of the QSL).

• 7.3 Beatrice S. Bartlett, "The Secret Memorials of the Yung-cheng Period: Archival and Published Versions," National Palace Museum Bulletin 9.4, (Taipei, 1974). This traces how Qing editors altered archive documents for publication, a study to be borne in mind when using any documents (including QSL) issued under Qing official sponsorship.