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Jingshi minshi lu 經世民事錄

Mar 3, 2022 © Ulrich Theobald

Jingshi minshi lu 經世民事錄 is a book on agriculture written during the mid-Qing period 清 (1644-1911) by Gui E 桂萼 (jinshi degree 1511), courtesy name Zishi 子實, from Anren 安仁, Hunan. His posthumous title is Duke Wenxiang 文襄公.

Gui's career saw the post of district magistrate (zhixian 知縣) of Dantu 丹徒, Wukang 武康 and Cheng’an 成安, then secretary in the Southern Ministry of Justice (Nanjing xingbu zhushi 南京刑部主事), whereafter he was made Minister of Rites (libu shangshu 禮部尚書) and Grand Academician of the Hall of Military Glory (Wuyingdian daxueshi 武英殿大學士).

The book of 12 juan length was written during his time as magistrate of Wukang. Because Gui was familiar with agricultural practice, his book is just a summary of quotations from traditional texts without any contributions of their own.

The edition described in the book catalogue Siku quanshu zongmu tiyao 四庫全書總目提要 was based on a print from 1528 produced by Jiang Yu 蔣瑜 in Poyang 鄱陽, Jiangxi. The edition in the series Gezhi congshu 格致叢書 is divided into 2 fascicles. The author of this edition is called Gui Jianshan 桂見山 (Jianshang was perhaps Gui's style), and Hu Wenhuan 胡文煥 (fl. 1596) is listed as having corrected the text.

Sources:
Li Xueqin 李學勤, Lü Wenyu 呂文郁, ed. (1996). Siku da cidian 四庫大辭典 (Changchun: Jilin Daxue chubanshe), Vol. 2, 1648.
Wang Yuhu 王毓瑚, ed. (1964). Zhongguo nongxue shulu 中國農學書錄 (Beijing: Nongye chubanshe), 137.