Basic Data on Reign-Dates and Local Government

Abstract

T'ang Studies 5 (1987) Basic Data on Reign-Dates and Local Government PAUL W. KROLL UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO, BOULDER 1. The True Dates of the Reigns and Reign-Periods ofT'ang Western-language studies on T'ang China published during the last two decades often reveal a surprising carelessness with regard to both dates ofT'ang reign-periods (nien-hao ~ M) and the regnal dates of the T'ang rulers themselves. One of the more commonly encountered inaccuracies is, for instance, the notation that Hsiian Tsung ~ ~ ruled from u713-755," although a simple checking of the sources will show that he ascended the throne on 8 September 712 and formally abdicated on 12 August 756. More embarrassing is the frequently seen dating of the dynasty itself as lasting from u618-906," despite the fact that it was not until 5 June 907 that the last sovereign of T'ang was in fact dethroned. One suspects that, all too often, the reason for such errors stems from uncritical reliance on the information found in Appendix A.1 of Mathews' Chinese-English Dictionary. Many of the accession dates (the year only) of emperors given there are incorrect and some nienhao are overlooked altogether. These problems are again compounded by the unfortunate practice of many users of that table, in apparently assuming that if, for example, the Chen-kuan ~ ft period began in 627, then the preceding Wu-te :Jit t\t\ period must have ended in 626; thus reign-periods and regnal dates are both regularly shortened by a year in the citations of many scholars. Precisely accurate information on these dates is of course ready to hand in volume 1, T6dai no koyomi 1!f ft (J) M (Kyoto, 1954), of the magnificent T6dai kenkyll no shiori 1!f ft liJf j'E (J) L E IJ, published by the Jimbunkagaku Kenkyusho of Kyoto University. But it would seem that most Western students of the T'ang either do not have access to this work or, if they do, prefer willful neglect and error to taking the few minutes needed to consult it. In any case, I think the point is hardly debatable that we all should The first part of this article originally appeared in TS 2 (1984), 25-30. As copies of that issue of the journal have been exhausted and the editor has received numerous requests for (non-existent) offprints of this piece, it has been thought appropriate to reprint it. The opportunity has also been taken to correct the error in the accession date of Shun Tsung. 95 Basic Data on Reign-Dates and Local Government PAUL W. KROLL UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO, BOULDER T'ang Studies 5 (1987) 1. The True Dates of the Reigns and Reign-Periods of T'ang Western-language studies on T'ang China published during the last two decades often reveal a surprising carelessness with regard to both dates ofT'ang reign-periods (nien-hao 年號） and the regnal dates of the T'ang rulers themselves. One of the more commonly encountered inaccuracies is, for instance, the notation that Hsiian Tsung 玄 宗 ruled from "713-755," although a simple checking of the sources will show that he ascended the throne on 8 September 712 and formally abdicated on 12 August 756. More embarrassing is the frequently seen dating of the dynasty itself as lasting from "618-906," despite the fact that it was not until 5 June 907 that the last sovereign of T'ang was in fact dethroned. One suspects that, all too often, the reason for such errors stems from uncritical reliance on the information found in Appendix A.1 of Mathews'Chinese-English Dictionary. Many of the accession dates (the year only) of emperors given there are incorrect and some nienhao are overlooked altogether. These problems are again compounded by the unfortunate practice of many users of that table, in apparently assuming that if, for example, the Chen-kuan 貞觀 period began in 627, then the preceding Wu-te 武徳 period must have ended in 626; thus reign-periods and regnal dates are both regularly shortened by a year in the citations of many scholars. Precisely accurate information on these dates is...