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Chapter O Negotiating Chines e Identit y i n Fiv e Dynasties Narratives : From th e Old History t o th e New History Billy K. L. So \—1|—^ hi s chapte r explore s historica l idea s o f Chines e (huaxia) identity through a n examinatio n o f ethni c concept s implie d i n historica l writings o n th e Fiv e Dynasties , complete d i n th e lat e tent h an d early eleventh centuries . Its empirical focus is on the Old History of the Five Dynasties (Jiu Wudai Shi, hereafte r Old History) b y Xu e Juzheng, an d th e New History of the Five Dynasties (Xin Wudai Shi, hereafter New History) b y Ouyang Xiu. The chapte r approaches the main theme o f Chinese identit y through a textual analysi s o f comment s i n thes e writing s o n th e ruler s o f non-Han origin . I t explore s th e concep t o f Chinesenes s wit h specia l reference t o th e comple x definitio n o f ethnicit y a t th e time . I n th e firs t section I offe r a genera l accoun t o f thes e tw o text s an d som e o f thei r characteristics, drawin g mainly o n Professor Wan g Gungwu's contributio n to thi s field.1 Th e secon d an d third section s deal with comment s o n non Han rulers in the two works that may have an ethnic implication. The last section relate s th e ide a o f Chinesenes s implie d i n th e commentarie s t o a broader contex t o f Chinese identit y i n historical perspective. The Characteristic s o f th e Old History an d th e New History The Old History was compiled betwee n 97 3 and 97 4 by a group o f seven compilers, togethe r wit h thei r superviso r Xu e Juzheng, o n th e order s o f the founder o f the Son g dynasty, Son g Taizu. Th e declare d intention wa s 224 Billy K. L So not onl y t o preserv e historica l record s but als o to establis h standard s o f righ t and wron g fo r late r times , a s the relate d edic t stated : Ever sinc e th e en d o f th e Tan g dynasty , ther e hav e bee n regime s that rose and fell. Without historical records, how can our descendants understand thi s period? Earlier we ha d critical and urgent matter s t o handle and were not abl e to spare the time to compile history. No w it i s time t o se t standard s fo r th e comin g on e hundre d generation s and we mus t establis h the historica l moral judgment o f our time. 2 It i s clea r tha t th e foundin g empero r ha d initiate d thi s histor y projec t wit h a vie w t o positionin g th e fiv e regime s precedin g hi s own , fro m th e las t o f which h e ha d usurpe d th e Mandat e o f Heaven . An d th e narrativ e suc h a project provide d woul d reflec t th e concept s an d ideas the thron e endorsed . The Old History containe d 15 0 volume s (zhuan) bu t wa s complete d i n less than tw o years . I t wa s possible becaus e th e historiograph y it s compiler s had i n min d whil e undertakin g th e projec t stresse d preservatio n o f sourc e materials. Thi s le d the m t o incorporat e int o th e Old History larg e amount s of original text s fro m th e majo r governmen t document s availabl e t o them , namely th e authenti c record s (shilu) o f th e fiv e succeedin g dynastie s fro m the Late r Lian g t o th e...

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