Mashi jingji kao 馬氏經籍考

Mashi jingji kao 馬氏經籍考 is the bibliographical chapter (174-249 Jingji kao) in Ma Duanlin's 馬端臨 (c. 1254-c. 1323) statecraft encyclopaedia Wenxian tongkao 文獻通考, therefore normally called Wenxian tongkao jingji kao 文獻通考經籍考.

In comparison to other bibliographies, Ma's is relatively long. It is arranged according to the four traditional categories of Confucian Classics (jing 經), historiography (shi 史), "Masters and philosophers" (zi 子) and belles-lettres (ji 集), with 58 sub-categories. The style of the catalogue imitated that of two earlier ones, namely Junzhai dushu zhi 郡齋讀書志 by Chao Gongwu 晁公武 (c. 1105-1180) and Zhizhai shulu jieti 直齋書錄解題 by Chen Zhensun 陳振孫 (c. 1183-1262).

The Classics section includes, except commentaries on the Classics, texts on state ceremonies (Yizhu 儀注), posthumous titles (Shifa 謚法), apocryphal texts (Chenwei 讖諱) and on elementary learning (Xiaoxue 小學).

The historiographical category includes official dynastic histories (Zhengshi 正史), annals (Biannian 編年), imperial diaries (Qijuzhu 起居注), miscellaneous histories (Zashi 雜史), biographies (Zhuanji 傳記), histories of "illegal" dynasties (Weishi 偽史), history of independent dynasties (Bashi 霸史), historical critique (Shiping 史評), excerpts of history books (Shichao 史鈔), old regulations (Gushi 故事), texts on state offices (Zhiguan 職官), jurisdiction (Xingfa 刑法), geography (Dili 地理), edicts related to the seasons (Shiling 時令), genealogies (Pudie 譜牒) and bibliographies (Mulu 目錄).

The "Masters" section includes the sections on Confucians, legalists, dialecticians (Mingjia 名家), Daoists, Mohists, coalition advisors, syncretists (Zajia 雜家), story-tellers, texts on agriculture, astronomy, calendar, astrology (Wuxing 五行), divination with hexagrams (Zhanshi 占筮), geomancy (Xingfa 形法), military, medicine, the "art of the bedchamber" (Fangzhong 房中), religious Daoism (Shenxianjia 神仙家), Buddhism, encyclopaedias (Leishu 類書) and "miscellaneous skills" (Zayi 雜藝).

The belles-lettres section includes the sub-categories rhapodies and poems (Fushi 賦詩), collections of individual writings (Bieji 別集), collections of poems (Shiji 詩集), of lyric-meter poems (Geci 歌詞), of memorials to the throne (Zhangzou 章奏), and general collections and anthologie (Zongji 總集).

Each sub-category is introduced by a preface, and exact bibliographic data are recorded for each text, using many different sources. The Mashi jingji kao is the most detailed catalogue on the existence of pre-Song and Song-period texts and was imitated in the catalogues of Zhu Yizun 朱彝尊 (1629-1709) in his Jingyikao 經義考 and Zhang Xuecheng 章學誠 (1738-1801) in his Shijikao 史籍考. The Mashi jingji kao was therefore sometimes published as a separate text, for instance, in 1901 by the Tushu Jicheng Ju 圖書集成局 in Shanghai. It is also included in the series Zhongguo lidai yiwen zhi 中國歷代藝文志 from 1936, and in the Lidai jingji kao 歷代經籍考, published in 1959 by the Xinxing Shuju 新興書局 in Taibei. It is also included in the series Baojingtang congshu 抱經堂叢書 and Congshu jicheng chubian 叢書集成初編.