The historiography of Ch'uan Tsu-Wang

Abstract

The scope and breadth of this thesis are designed to give the reader a general understanding of the life and thought of the Ch'ing historian Ch'üan Tsu-wang (1705-1755). An analysis of his contribution in the field of literature and history constitutes a significant portion of this paper, not because the author wishes to place inordinate emphasis on this aspect of Ch'üan's life, but rather because he wished to allow Ch'iian to reveal himself naturally, through his own prose and poetry, onto the pages of this work. The numerous poems and essays of Ch'üan's friends add dimension to almost every aspect of our study. They praise, tease, and record unvarnished facts about a complex personality. To these friends, students, and admirers we offer our thanks, for without their assistance verification of dates, places, and events would be an insurmountable problem. Show more