Fozu lidai tongzai 佛祖歷代通載

Fozu lidai tongzai 佛祖歷代通載 or Fozu tongzai 佛祖通載 "Comprehensive record of the Buddhas and Patriarchs through the ages" is a work of Buddhist historiography compiled during the Yuan period 元 (1279-1368) by Nianchang 念常 (1282-1341). It is written in annalistic format and consists of 22 juan. The work was completed in 1341.

Fascicle 1 contains the "Verses of the Seven Buddhas" (Qifo ji 七佛偈) and the chapters "On the physical world" (Qi shijie pin 器世界品) and "On the sentient world" (Qing shijie pin 情世界品) from the work Zhang suo zhi lun 彰所知論, written by the Imperial Preceptor (dishi 帝師), ʼPhags-pa (Ch. Basiba 巴思巴, 1235-1280).

Beginning with fascicle 2, the text proceeds in chronological order. The narrative starts with the Chinese legendary rulers of remote antiquity and continues through history until 1333. Its contents include the genealogies of rulers before the birth of Gautama Buddha, the life events of the Buddha, accounts of the twenty-eight Indian patriarchs (Xitian ershiba zu 西天二十八祖) of the Chan (Zen) tradition (Chanzong 禪宗), and historical records of Buddhism in China from its introduction onwards through successive dynasties.

Some parts of Nianchang's book copy the chapters of an earlier work, Zuxiu's 祖琇 Longxing biannian tonglun 隆興編年通論 (X1512), which focuses on the spread of Buddhism in China from the Later Han 後漢 (25-220 CE) to the early Song period 宋 (960-1279). However, Nianchang gave his book a Buddhist, non-worldly touch by replacing the dating by Chinese reign-era (nianhao 年號) by the sexagenary cycle. He also rearranged historical material of Zuxiu's book and supplemented additional information on Buddhism, Daoism, political affairs, and supernatural phenomena.

Apart from Zuxiu's book, similar works on the history of Buddhism in China had been compiled by Benjue 本覺 (Shishi tongjian 釋氏通鑒, X1516) and Xizhong 熙仲 (Lidai shishi zijian 歷朝釋氏資鑒, X1517). Both imitated the eminent chronicle Zizhi zongjian 資治通鑒 but had only a narrow scope of content. For this reason, the comprehensive Fozu lidai tongzai had a significant historical impact. It is included in the "Buddhist Category" (Shija lei 釋家類) of the imperial series Siku quanshu 四庫全書, despite some errors in dates and cumbersome quotations from other works like Mingdaoji 鳴道集, Bianweilu 辨偽錄 and Hongjiaoji 弘教集.