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San Chu xinlu 三楚新錄

May 21, 2011 © Ulrich Theobald

San Chu xinlu 三楚新錄 "New record of the three kingdoms of Chu" is a history of the short-lived empire of Chu 楚 (926-951), one of the Ten States 十國 (902-979) in southern China during the 10th century, and competitors for the political power of this region written by the Northern Song period 北宋 (960-1126) scholar Zhou Yuzhong 周羽𣶴 (also written 周羽翀).

The 3-juan long book narrates the history of three different warlords that proclaimed themselves king of Chu after the demise of the Tang dynasty 唐 (618-907), namely Ma Ying 馬殷 (in Changsha 長沙), Zhou Xingfeng 周行逢 (in Wuling 武陵) and Gao Jixing 高季興 (in Jiangling 江陵). Each "state" is dealt with separately, and the book thus does not give an impression that that Ma Ying eventually overcame his rivals as ruler of Chu. There are also a lot of contradictions caused by Zhou's sources which were more of oral nature than of archival nature.

His book, nonetheless, contains a lot of important information not recorded in the official histories of that time, the Jiu Wudaishi 舊五代史 and Xin Wudaishi 新五代史.

The Sanchu xinlu is included in the series Gujin shuohai 古今說海, Lidai xiaoshi 歷代小史, Shuofu 說郛, Yihai zhuchen 藝海珠塵, Mohai jinhu 墨海金壺, Xuehai leibian 學海類編 and Siku quanshu 四庫全書.

Sources:
Bian Xiaoxuan 卞孝萱 (2003). "Sanchu xinlu 三楚新錄", in Bian Xiaoxuan 卞孝萱, ed. Tangdai wenxue baike cidian 唐代文學百科辭典 (Beijing: Hanyu da cidian chubanshe), 1123.
Li Xueqin 李學勤, Lü Wenyu 呂文鬰, eds. (1996). Siku da cidian 四庫大辭典 (Changchun: Jilin daxue chubanshe), Vol. 1, 1045.