Barry B Blakeley
Seton Hall University
Discontinuities in Accounts of Chu History
Panel: Center and Periphery in Shr Ji Historiography
AAS Convention, San Diego, 4-7 March 2004

Abstract

While Sima Qian clearly drew principally on the Zuozhuan for his accounts of Spring and Autumn period history, it is clear from cases in which the two works offer contrasting pictures of the same incidents or personalities that other sources were available as well. By way of illustration, this paper examines several such cases concerning the southern state of Chu, and argues that while variant narrative views or interpretations of the past help to eludicate the historiographical tradition of ancient China, they also complicate the historian's task of finding "historical truth."

This panel was rejected by the AAS Program Committee, and never took place. This page is preserved as a record of work done, rather than work presented. We are grateful to our colleagues for their interest, and hope that a proper venue can eventually be found for sharing their results with the field.

 

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30 July 2003 / Contact The Project / Conferences Page