Zongshi wanggong gongji biaozhuan 宗室王公功績表傳

(Qinding) Zongshi wanggong gongji biaozhuan (欽定)宗室王公功績表傳 "(Imperially endorsed) Hereditary tables and biographies of the meritorious princes and dukes of the imperial house" is a collection of biographies of members of the imperial house compiled during the late Qianlong reign-period 乾隆 (1736-1795) of the mid-Qing dynasty 清 (1644-1911).

The 12-juan long book, finished in 1781, was based on biographies whose compilation had been begun in 1764 on order of the Court of the Imperial Clan (zongrenfu 宗人府). The collection consisted of 6 juan of main biographies and an appendix of 21 persons. The final version was a revision of these forerunners. The first three scrolls consist of hereditary tables (xishi biao 世襲表). The prose biographies are arranged according to the proximity of the noble families to the imperial house.

Figure 1. Beginning of the Zongshi wanggong gongji biaozhuan 宗室王公功績表傳

First chapter, genealogy of Hošoi Doronggo Cin Wang 和碩禮親王, Prince Daišan 代善 (1583-1648, second son of Nurhaci, Emperor Taizu 清太祖, r. 1616/1626), with the first invested prince and seven generations (of which Yunggen 永恩, 1727-1805, was the then-incumbent holder of the title). The second person, seen on the left page, is Hosoi Baturu Cin Wang 和碩英親王, Prince Ajige 阿濟格 (1605-1651, Nurhaci's twelfth son), who was executed because of attempted usurpation of the position of regent. His sons were deprived of the title (yi zui xiao jue, chu 以罪削爵除).

The biographies were based on the so-called "veritable records" (shilu 實錄), the official version of the history of the dynasty (guoshi 國史) as compiled by the Historiogrpahy Institute (guoshiguan 國史館), the official treatise collection on the Eight Banners (baqi 八旗), the Baqi tongzhi 八旗通志, and various documents for the individual families and personalities.

The book is included in the imperial series Siku quanshu 四庫全書.