Laogan

Laogan

Lao Gan (January 13, 1907 - August 30, 2003), a historian, academician of Taiwan Academia Sinica, was born in Shanhua County, Hunan Province. Bachelor of Arts, Peking University. Later, he joined the Institute of history and language of Academia Sinica and became a researcher. He focuses on the history of Han Dynasty. He has taught in Peking University and Nanjing Central University.

He stayed in the United States after 1962. He devoted his whole life to the study of history and had profound attainments. He is a scholar of ancient Chinese history in Taiwan and has international academic influence. His works include the history of Qin and Han Dynasties, the history of Wei, Jin and southern and Northern Dynasties, the first edition of the collection of Laogan's academic papers, the textual research and interpretation of Juyan's Han bamboo slips, the textual research of Chaju system in Han Dynasty, and the collection of historical language research Institute.

Life of the characters

Lao Gan (1907-2003) was born in Shangxian County, Shaanxi Province in 1907. He graduated from Peking University in 1930. In 1931, some of Juyan bamboo slips were sorted out and studied in Beijing. In 1936, the former northwest scientific research group first printed some of Lao Gan's and Yu Xun's explanations on blue paper, which is known as "blue book". The simplified version of Han Dynasty accounted for one third of the total. This is the earliest manuscript of Juyan's bamboo slips.

After the outbreak of the Anti Japanese War, Lao Gan moved from Nanjing to Lizhuang Town, Yibin City, Sichuan Province, where he lived for 5-6 years. It was not until 1947 after the victory of the Anti Japanese war that they moved back to their original places.

In April 1942, the Institute of history and language of Academia Sinica, the Preparatory Office of the Central Museum, and the Institute of geography of China jointly formed a "Northwest historical and geographical investigation group" to conduct archaeological investigation in Dunhuang and the Heishui River Valley in Northwest China. Lao Gan, as a member of the group, mainly investigated the Yangguan and Yumenguan of Dunhuang and the great wall and beacon site of Han Dynasty in Ejina River Valley. He wrote down the ancient five character poem "the former site of Juyan": "the line of service has not yet been, the day and night of Juyan city. The abandoned base is high and heavy. I want to see the banners. Today, the sky and sea, but autumn clouds light. On the way home, the willows depend on each other. The river flows to the sky, and the setting sun sounds. There are many ancient roads. In the ruts of MOI, there were thousands of troops. It's better to return to the ancient times than to think peacefully. Who is the chief designer of the painting

This investigation was of great help to Laogan's research on Juyan bamboo slips, and laid the foundation for his future work. It also prompted him to write the military system of Han Dynasty and the military system in Han bamboo slips (1943), the economic life of Hexi in Han bamboo slips (1944), the research on Liangguan site (1944), the interpretation of Pavilion barriers and beacon towers of Han Dynasty (1948), and on the migration of Yumenguan in Han Dynasty (1963) And so on. These articles are based on the records of Han bamboo slips, combined with historical records and field investigation. They have made detailed textual research on the political, economic, military, historical and geographical issues of Han Dynasty from all-round and multi angle. The research results are the main reference materials for the study of history and culture of Han Dynasty.

In 1943, according to some of the preserved photos of Juyan bamboo slips, Lao Gan wrote the book "the interpretation of Juyan bamboo slips · the part of textual research", which was published in stone printing in Nanxi, Sichuan Province. The next year, the book "the interpretation of Juyan bamboo slips · the part of textual research" was also published in stone printing. This is the earlier interpretation and textual research of Juyan bamboo slips.

In 1949, Lao Gan went to Taiwan as a professor of Taiwan University and Taiwan Normal University. In 1960, according to the new photos of bamboo slips, he made a great revision to the book "research and interpretation of Juyan bamboo slips" and published the book "research and interpretation of Juyan bamboo slips".

In 1984, when Juyan Han bamboo slips were reprinted in Taiwan, Lao Gan wrote a preface: "it (Juyan Han bamboo slips) is the same as Dunhuang Han bamboo slips. It belongs to the records of Chinese frontier fortress, and also involves politics, economy and some life problems. Some of these records are trivial and irrelevant, while others are very important. Some can supplement the deficiencies in the literature, some can correct the mistakes in the literature, or make a better annotation for the incomprehensible parts in the literature. "

He was born in Shangxian County, Shaanxi Province in 1907.

He graduated from Peking University in 1930. He has been engaged in research work in Harvard University. He has been an assistant researcher, associate researcher and researcher of the Institute of history and language of Academia Sinica. In 1949, he went to Taiwan and served as a professor of Taiwan University and Taiwan Normal University. In 1958, he was elected to the Academia Sinica. He was a professor at the University of California in 1962. He retired from the University of California in 1975 and became an honorary professor. In 1982, he was employed as a visiting professor in the Institute of history, Taiwan University.

Research scope

The research scope of Laogan is centered on the Han Dynasty, upper and ancient times, lower and Northern Wei, Jin, southern and Northern Dynasties. When he worked in Academia Sinica, wooden slips of Dunhuang and Juyan had been found. Dunhuang wooden slips have been studied by Wang Guowei and Luo Zhenyu. Juyan bamboo slips is a larger part, which needs to be studied. In recent years, the new discovery is not only the Han bamboo slips, but also the Qin Bamboo Slips, which shows that it was insightful to start from the Han Dynasty. Lao Gan did a lot of research on the political system of Qin and Han Dynasties, and wrote a lot of papers, from the central official system to the local official system. For example, "on the internal and external dynasties of Han Dynasty" not only finds out the decision-making power of the central organs of Han Dynasty, but also finds out the key to the eunuchs and relatives of Han Dynasty. For example, the study of nine Qing in Qin and Han Dynasties shows the evolution of the system of nine Qing in Qin and Han Dynasties. After the discovery of Shuihudi Qin Bamboo Slips, it proved that his view was correct. In addition, he also wrote some important works, such as the research and interpretation of Juyan bamboo slips, the new research of wooden slips in the western border of Han and Jin Dynasties, the history of Qin and Han Dynasties, Dunhuang art, Chenglu poetry, the collection of Laogan academic papers, and the history of Wei, Jin and southern and Northern Dynasties. Many academic papers have been published in the journals of Academia Sinica, Academia Sinica and Tsinghua University, some of which have been published in mainland China. Hunan literature, published in Taiwan, introduces his academic experience and main achievements with the title of a visit to Mr. Lao Gan, a Hunan academician of Academia Sinica.

Outstanding contribution

Luo Zhenyu and Wang Guowei's "bamboo slips falling from quicksand" is the first study on bamboo slips. Later generations have constantly revised, supplemented and revised the Dunhuang wooden slips of Han and Jin Dynasties, such as the collection of wooden slips of Western Han and Jin Dynasties compiled by Zhang Feng in 1931. However, due to the original simple logistics scattered abroad, the research of Chinese scholars has great limitations. It was not until 1930-1931 that a large number of Juyan bamboo slips were discovered by the Sino Swiss northwest scientific expedition. These documents record the economic, political, military and other aspects of Juyan area, and provide valuable first-hand information for the study of the social history of Han Dynasty. Chinese scholars have made great achievements in the study of history, geography and other fields of Han Dynasty by using abundant materials of Han bamboo slips, among which Laogan's contribution is the most outstanding.

A study of Juyan bamboo slips

Master

Under the direct influence of the new historical trend, Lao Gan regarded the Han bamboo slips as complete historical materials, hoping to study the Han history from these "direct historical materials". He not only explained the Juyan bamboo slips, but also investigated the unique systems of border counties, such as beacon, official system, garrison soldiers, garrison troops, etc., which were not detailed in the literature, integrating the political, economic, military, cultural and other systems of the Han Dynasty The six volumes of Ju Yan Han bamboo slips and a series of later articles represent the highest level of bamboo slips research. Therefore, it can be said that Laogan is the master of Juyan bamboo slips.

Guide the way

Lao Gan participated in the collation of Juyan bamboo slips in 1934, and published the first interpretation and plates, which enabled him to use new materials in the study of Juyan bamboo slips and Han history, and solve many difficult problems that have not been settled for thousands of years. He is a pioneer in the study of Juyan bamboo slips and has a great influence on later generations. His related research and monographs opened a precedent for future related research, played a role of "guiding the husband and leading the way", and won high praise in the academic circles.

Gu Jiegang said in his Book Contemporary Chinese History: "in the study of the history of Qin and Han Dynasties, Mr. Lao GaN has made the greatest achievements, published papers All of them are very careful, and they have issued what their predecessors have not issued. "

Because Laogan's Juyan bamboo slips was published in the most difficult period of the Anti Japanese War, the poor conditions can be seen from the rough soil paper and stone printing method used in the book, and only 300 copies were printed, which did not spread much. In addition, the collected bamboo slips were incomplete, and there was no plate, which was not conducive to the further development of the research. Therefore, after the victory of the Anti Japanese War, Lao Gan rearranged the old version of the interpretation, checked it according to the photos, corrected it, and added the index of the simplified number, and published the lead print in Shanghai in 1949.

It was not until 1957 that all the plates of Juyan bamboo slips were published in Taiwan, that is, Laogan's "Juyan bamboo slips: the part of plates". This is the first time that more than 10000 copies of Juyan bamboo slips were made public. As a result, the photos and explanations of Juyan's bamboo slips have a more accurate book, which also reflects his latest research experience.

research method

Laogan's research method of Juyan bamboo slips is basically inherited from Wang Guowei's research of Han Jin wooden slips. In his preface, he said: "since Stein obtained the Han bamboo slips from the Great Wall site, Wang's Uighur work" bamboo slips falling from quicksand "has been published to the top, and many of them have been created. "His method of sorting out the bamboo slips according to the contents of the bamboo slips is a little modified from Wang Guowei's method of sorting out the bamboo slips.

Lao Gan's textual research in 1944 can be divided into five categories according to the nature and use of bamboo slips: (1) document declaration, seal and inspection, Fu Quan, criminal lawsuit; (2) book beacon, garrison, disease and death