Guoshi jingji zhi 國史經籍志

Guoshi jingji zhi 國史經籍志 "Bibliographic treatise of the dynastic history [of the Ming]" is a book catalogue written by Jiao Hong 焦竑 (1540-1620), who also wrote the Jiaoshi leilin 焦氏類林, an encyclopaedia on etiquette and ceremonials. His collected writings are called Yiyuan ji 漪園集.

In 1594 Grand Academician Chen Yubi 陳于陛 (1545-1597) suggested to the throne compiling of an official dynastic history, and prosed Jiao Hong, who was senior compiler (xiuzhuan 修撰) of the Hanlin Academy 翰林院, as chief editor. The history book was never finished, but only the single bibliographic chapter, with a length of 5 juan.

The catalogue is divided into the traditional four categories of Confucian Classics, historiography, "Masters and Philosophers", and belles-lettres, but follows the system of the bibliographical chapter in the history Tongzhi 通志 (Tongzhi yiwen lüe 通志藝文略) by Zheng Qiao 鄭樵 (1104-1162).

The Classics section includes a sub-category of commentaries on the whole Classics corpus (Jing zongjie 經總解), and one on lexicography (Xiaoxue 小學).

The historiography section includes official dynastic histories (Zhengshi 正史), annals and chronicles (Biannian 編年), histories of regional states (Bashi 霸史), "miscellaneous histories" (Zashi 雜史), imperial diaries (Qijuzhu 起居注), old regulations (Gushi 故事), books on state offices (Zhiguan 職官), edicts concerning the seasons (Shiling 時令), food and commerce (Shihuo 食貨), state ceremonies (Yizhu 儀注), jurisdictional matters (Faling 法令), biographies (Zhuanji 傳記), geography (Dili 地理), genealogies (Pudie 譜牒), and registers (Bulu 簿錄).

The "Masters" section covers the themes Confucians (Ru 儒), Daoists (Dao 道), Buddhists (Shi 釋), Mohists (Mo 墨), dialecticians (Ming 名), legalists (Fa 法), coalition advisors (Zongheng 縱橫), syncretists (Za 雜), agricultural treatises (Nong 農), novellists (Xiaoshuo 小說), military treatises (Bing 兵), books on astronomy and astrology (Tianwen 天文), the Five Agents (Wuxing 五行), medicine (Yishu 醫術), various skills (Yishu 藝術), and encyclopaedias (Leishu 類書).

The section on belles-lettres includes more sub-categories than is custom: imperial edicts (Zhizhao 制詔), memorials to the throne (Biaozou 表奏), rhapsodies and hymns (Fusong 賦頌), collections of individual writers (Bieji 別集), general collections and anthologies (Zongji 總集), and literary critique (Shiwen ping 詩文評).

For each sub-category, an introduction is given. Unfortunately the compiler did not mark whether a text was still existing, or already lost, but the other bibliographic data are very exact. The book ends with an "errata" appendix (jiumiu 糾繆) that lists errors in all important earlier bibliographies, officials as well as private ones. The compilers of the imperial series Siku quanshu 四庫全書 admired the system of the catalogue, but criticized it for its many inconsistencies.

Song Dingguo 宋定國 and Xie Xingchan 謝星纏 compiled a supplement called Guoshi jingji zhi bu 國史經籍志補.

The catalogue was printed in 1590, and then again a few years later (by Xu Xiangsong's 徐象松 Yanshan Studio 晏山館 in Qiantang 錢塘, Zhejiang), and at the end of the Ming period (by Chen Ruyuan 陳汝元). A moveable-letter print was produced during the Qing period. In 1959 a modern edition was published by the Commercial Press (Shangwu Yinshuguan 商務印書館), with the title Mingshi yiwen zhi 明史藝文志.

Jiao Hong's catalogue must not be confounded with the bibliographical chapter of the realized Mingshi 明史 (96-99 Yiwen zhi 藝文志) which was compiled under the supervision of Zhang Tingyu 張廷玉 (1672-1755). The introduction to the Minshi bibliography explains that Jiao did not have access to some holdings of the imperial palace, and his catalogue included some inconsistencies.