Pre-Modern Chinese Literature: Reference Histories

When studying Chinese literature it is helpful to get an idea of the development of different forms across the swath of its history. This collection is a series of essays, arranged by form, that illuminates the arc of Chinese literary history through examination of particular works, eras, and permutations of forms. This work is intended as a companion to the Columbia anthology in the previous tab.

Published in fifteen volumes across seventeen books, this is the most complete and authoritative history of China available to English readers. Volumes are generally arranged in a series of chronological essays, though there are often studies that fall outside of the continuous timeline. For understanding the events, political and socio-cultural, that inform Chinese literature there is no better resource.

Serving as a complement to Cambridge's history is Harvard's six volume series on the different dynastic periods. Some volumes treat multiple dynasties, while others, such as those on the Tang and Song Dynasties, handle one. The usefulness of this series is in its focus on different subjects with respect to their importance and function during different dynastic periods. For example, you may have an entry that traces agricultural developments in the Qin and Han dynasties or a study of the imperial court during the Qing dynasty.