Sanshiliuji 三十六計

Sanshiliuji 三十六計 "Thirty-six stratagems", also called Sanshiliu ce 三十六策, is a military primer of obscure origin. The expression sanshiliu ji is first mentioned in Wang Jingze's 王敬則 (435-498) biography in the official dynastic history Nanqishu 南齊書, where Dao Daoji's 檀道濟 (d. 436) methods to defeat his enemy are described. The strategies of the ancient master Zhuge Liang 諸葛亮 (181-234) inspired him. The concept of 36 stratagems is older than that period and might have been inspired by statements from the famous military classic Sunzi bingfa 孫子兵法. Some people therefore believe that Sun Wu 孫武 was the author of a text called Sanshiliu ji. Yet other scholars, like Zhang Jingxuan 張敬軒 and his father Zhang Lianjia 張聯甲, held that the "Classic of Changes" Yijing 易經 provided a model for some aspects of the book.

The oldest editions of the Sanshiliu ji date from the late Ming (Ji 2022) or even the late Qing period (Li 2018). In 1961, an early copy was found by Shu He 叔和 in Chengdu 成都, Sichuan, but this copy, printed by the Xinghua Press 興華印刷廠, is based on a find from 1941 in Binxian 邠縣, Shaanxi. The text was commented on by Yao Wei 姚煒, and was in this version widely circulated.

The book is divided into six parts, each part including six stratagems. Each stratagem is designated with a four-character headline (those of the last part only three characters), giving it the character of a proverb. This fact contributed to the popularity of the Sanshiliu ji, in spite of its quasi non-canonical status. The stratagems are formulated concisely and oversimplified and seem to be compiled based on proverbs with universal validity mixed with cryptic statements. Many examples are derived from statements in the divinatory classic, while others quote historical examples. The text consists of thoughts from literature, military books, and popular sayings. The stratagems are much more abstract than the teachings of the Sunzi bingfa and can thus more easily be applied to various fields, from sports to management, medicine, and science. The Sanshiliu ji is also often taught in schools to prepare young persons for challenging disciplines.

A modern print was published by the Jiefangjun Zhengzhi Xueyuan Tushu Ziliao Guan 解放軍政治學院圖書資料館 in 1962 with the title Sanshiliu ji xinbian 三十六計新編. In 1981, the Zhanshi Press 戰士出版社 published another edition with the same title. Like the Sunzi, the "rules" of the Sanshiliuji are applied to many fields of human activities, and science.