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An Encyclopaedia on Chinese History and Literature
Qunshu kaosuo 群書考索 "Investigative guide to the numerous books" (also written 羣書考索), also with under the name Shantang kaosuo 山堂考索 "Investigative guide from the Shantang Studio", is a political encyclopaedia compiled during the Southern Song period 南宋 (1127-1279) by Zhang Ruyu 章如愚 (early 13th cent.), courtesy name Junqing 俊卿, whose style was Master Shantang 山堂先生.
The book was finished in 1224 and had a length of 100 juan, divided into ten fields of study. Prints from the Yuan 元 (1279-1368) and Ming 明 (1368-1644) periods include supplements by later, unknown scholars. The first collection or series (qianji 前集) is 66-juan-long, the second (houji 後集) one 65, the third collection (xuji 續集) 56 juan, and the fourth (bieji 別集) 25 juan, making a total size of 212 juan, divided into 53 fields of study. The series Siku quanshu 四庫全書 contains this enlarged version.
The main content of the encyclopaedia are topics on statecraft, and it is therefore of great importance for the study of the Song-period administration. Because of the compilation history, some matters are dealt with in two places, and some similar themes are included in different sections.
There is the original print from the Song period with 100 juan, a print from the Yanyou reign-period 延祐 (1314-1320), a print from 1508 by Liu Hong's 劉洪 Shenzhai Studio 慎齋, and the print as part of the Siku quanshu.
| 前集 First collection | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1-8 | 六經門 | The Six Classics |
| 9 | 經史門 | History of the Classics |
| 10-11 | 諸子百家門 | The hundred schools and masters |
| 12-17 | 正史門 | Official historiography |
| 18 | 聖翰門 | The sacred brush |
| 19 | 類書門 | Encylcopaedias |
| 20-22 | 文章門 | Literature |
| 23-39 | 禮門 | Rites |
| 40 | 儀衞門 | The Procession Guard |
| 41-56 | 禮器門 | Ritual objects |
| 47-52 | 樂門 | Music |
| 53 | 律曆門 | Pitch pipes and calendar |
| 54-57 | 曆數門 | Calendar |
| 58 | 天文門 | Astronomy |
| 59-66 | 地理門 | Geography |
| 後集 Second collection | ||
| 1-25 | 官制門 | The administrative system |
| 26-34; 36-42 | 士門 | The scholars (state examinations) |
| 35 | 姓門 | Families |
| 38-40; 44-50 | 兵門 | The military |
| 41-43 | 兵制門 | Military administration |
| 51 | 民門 | The common people and governance |
| 52 | 財門 | Price adjustment and taxation |
| 53 | 賦稅門 | Field tax |
| 54-57 | 財賦門 | Grain transport, labour corvée, and government monopolies |
| 58-64 | 財用門 | Money, and government revenue and expenditure |
| 65 | 刑門 | Penal law |
| 續集 Third collection | ||
| 1-12 | 經籍門 | The Classics and other writings |
| 13-16 | 諸史門 | Historiography |
| 17-18 | 文章門 | Literature |
| 18 | 翰墨門 | Brush and ink |
| 19 | 律曆門 | Pitch pipes and the calendar |
| 20-21 | 律門 | The pitch pipes |
| 22-23 | 曆門 | Calendar and time measuring |
| 24 | 五行門 | The Five Agents |
| 25-27 | 禮樂門 | Music |
| 28 | 封建門 | Investiture of imperial relatives and other dignitaries |
| 29-39 | 官制門 | The administrative system |
| 40-44 | 兵制門 | The military system |
| 45-46 | 財用門 | State revenues and grain transport |
| 47-52 | 輿地門 | Administrative geography |
| 53-54 | 君道門 | The way of the ruler |
| 55 | 臣道門 | The way of the minister |
| 56 | 聖賢門 | Saints and worthies |
| 別集 Fourth collection | ||
| 1 | 圖書門 | Charts related to the Changes |
| 2-11 | 經籍門 | The Classics and other writings |
| 12 | 諸史門 | Historiography |
| 13-15 | 禮樂門 | Rites and music |
| 16-17 | 曆門 | Calendar and time measuring |
| 18 | 人臣門 | Ministers and officials (central government) |
| 19 | 士門 | The scholars (state examination) |
| 20 | 財用門 | Government revenue and price adjustment |
| 21 | 兵門 | The military system |
| 22 | 夷狄門 | The barbarians |
| 23-25 | 邊防門 | Border defence |