Ping Bo shimo 平播始末

Ping Bo shimo 平播始末 "History of the pacification of Bozhou" is a book on the suppression of a rebellion of native tribes (Miao 苗) in Guizhou. The 2-juan long book was written by the Ming period 明 (1368-1644) writer Guo Zizhang 郭子章 (1543-1618), courtesy name Xiangkui 相奎, style Qingluo 青螺 or Pinyisheng 蠙衣生, who was grand coordinator (xunfu 巡撫) of Guizhou at that time. Guo Zizhang is also the author of the books Pinyisheng jianji 蠙衣生劍記 (on sword fighting), Qianji 黔記, Qian xiaoji 黔小志, and many other historiographical and literary works.

The rebellion was initiated by the chieftain Yang Yinglong 楊應龍 who had the official title of pacification commissioner (xuanweishi 宣慰使) of Bozhou 播州 (today's Zunyi 遵義). The book describes the origin and course of the rebellion, as well as the process of its suppression under Li Hualong 李化龍 (1554-1611) and the restructuring of the local administration afterwards (in the official language shanhou 善後). The text quotes from memorials (zouzhang 奏章) to the throne and imperial edicts (yuzhi 諭旨), but also from literary evidence (wendu 文牘) and correspondence between the local units. It is very rare that private writers used official material to that extent, and the Ping Bo shimo is therefore of great value for the study of that particular rebellion that can thus serve as a model case to known more about Ming period bureaucracy and administration. Even the course of the war itself was seen as an official model (shiyi 事宜) for such occurrences.

In the catalogue Qianqingtang shumu 千頃堂書目 the book is called Qianzhong ping Bo shimo 黔中平播始末, with 3 juan. It is recorded in the descriptive catalogue Siku quanshu zongmu tiyao 四庫全書總目提要.