"Book of Zhou", one of the "Twenty-Four Histories", the official history of China, was edited by Linghu Defen of the Tang Dynasty. Cen Wenwen and Cui Renshi also participated in the compilation. It was written in the tenth year of Zhenguan (636). There are 50 volumes in total, including 8 volumes of chronicles and 42 volumes of biographies. This book records the biographical history of the Zhou Dynasty (557-581) established by the Yuwen clan of the Northern Zhou Dynasty. In addition, there was a character named Zhou Shu in the Qing Dynasty. Although "Book of Zhou" is titled "Zhou", it actually records the history of the Western Wei and Northern Zhou for forty-eight years from the split of the Eastern and Western Wei in 534 AD to the time when Yang Jian replaced the Zhou Dynasty. "Book of Zhou" is based on scant information, and the characters it records are mostly ancestors of prominent officials in the dynasty, so it appears to be thin and not entirely factual. But it basically reflects the establishment of the Yuwen regime, the wars between the three feudal regimes after its establishment, and the internal struggles of the upper class of the Yuwen regime. It is the most basic and original history book for studying and understanding the history of the Western Wei and Northern Zhou Dynasties today.
Reader comments
This "Book of Zhou" records the history of the Northern Zhou Dynasty and reminds me of a friend of mine who is very fascinated by history. The book mentioned the origin and development of the Yuwen family, which reminded me of the family stories he once told me. Although some of the content in the book may not be entirely true, it is still an important source of information for understanding the history of the Northern Zhou Dynasty. I think this book is worth reading as it gives us a deeper understanding of the politics, war, and social conditions of that era.
This "Book of Zhou" records the history of the Northern Zhou Dynasty and reminds me of a friend of mine who is very fascinated by history. The book mentioned the origin and development of the Yuwen family, which reminded me of the family stories he once told me. Although some of the content in the book may not be entirely true, it is still an important source of information for understanding the history of the Northern Zhou Dynasty. I think this book is worth reading as it gives us a deeper understanding of the politics, war, and social conditions of that era.