Wujing Zongyao - History

History

Under the imperial order of Emperor Renzong of Song (r. 1022–1063 AD), a team of Chinese scholars compiled the treatise of the Wujing Zongyao from 1040 to 1044, in order to improve the knowledge of all the known martial techniques used in warfare. Its chief editor was Zeng Gongliang, while he was assisted by the prominent astronomer Yang Weide and the scholar Ding Du. The Wujing Zongyao was one of 347 military treatises listed in the biographical chapters of the Song Shi (1345 AD), the historical work that embodied part of the Twenty-Four Histories. Of these 347 different military treatises from the Song Dynasty period, only the Wujing Zongyao, the Huqianjing (Tiger Seal Manual) of Xu Dong in 1004 AD, and fragments of similar works found in the later Yonglo Datian have survived. The original text of the Wujing Zongyao was kept in the Imperial Library, while a number of hand-written copies were distributed elsewhere, including a copy given to Wang Shao by Emperor Shenzong of Song in 1069 AD. However, with the sacking of the capital Kaifeng by the invading Jurchens in 1126 AD, the enormous amount of prized literature found in the Imperial Library was lost, including the original copy of the Wujing Zongyao. After the original was lost, there was only a scarce amount of surviving copies rewritten by hand. There was a scarcity because the book was meant to be kept a secret amongst a few trustees of the government, as publishing and printing many copies using woodblock printing would have allowed the possibility of it falling into enemy hands. Nevertheless, from a remaining copy of the Wujing Zongyao, it was remade into a newly published edition in 1231 AD during the Southern Song Dynasty era. Then, during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644 AD), a book published in 1439 AD featured fragments of the original Wujing Zongyao edition of 1231 while omitting some material and combining it with two other books, the preface of this book written by Li Jin. Then there was a reprinted edition of the entire Wujing Zongyao in 1510 AD, this complete version being the oldest extant copy available. Furthermore, the historian Joseph Needham asserts that this edition of 1510 AD is the most reliable in its faithfulness to the original version, since it was printed from blocks that were re-carved directly from tracings of the edition made in 1231 AD.

After the edition of 1510 was printed, other Ming Dynasty copies were made. This included the Jiajing edition (1522–1566 AD), the Wanli edition (1573–1619 AD) of Quanzhou, and the Wanli edition (1573–1619) of Jinling by Tang Xinyün (preserved by Cunjingge). During the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911 AD) it was also reprinted in two different editions during the 18th century, and again in 1934 with the Shanghai edition.