An paleographic analysis of the Chu Bamboo slips of Warring States in Shanghai Museum (VIII) = "Shanghai bo wu guan cang Zhan guo Chu zhu shu (ba)" tan wei

Abstract

The bamboo slips of warring states, which emerged in the Hong Kong market of antiques and arts in 1994 and were later collected and named THE CHU BAMBOO SLIPS IN WARRING STATES by Shanghai Museum, have aroused intense discussion among scholars both from China and abroad for their excessiveness in quantity and comprehensiveness in content. Ever since the establishment of the earlier Guo Dian Bamboo Slips, the study of Chu Bamboo Slips has opened up a brand-new research area of ancient history and literature with a great vitality and value.

My research focuses on the eighth volume of the series published at the end of 2011 by Shanghai Ancient Books Publishing House. This volume consists of ten articles: Zi Dao E 〈子道餓〉，Yan Yuan Wen Yu Kong Zi 〈顏淵問於孔子〉，Cheng Wang Ji Bang〈成王既邦〉，Ming〈命〉，Wang Ju〈王居〉，Zhi Shu Nai Yan〈志書乃言〉，Li Song〈李頌〉， Lan Fu〈蘭賦〉， You Huang Jiang Qi 〈有皇將起〉，Liu Li 〈鶹鷅〉. These literatures contain a significant value for studying Pre-Qin history and culture, and Chu State in particular. Although the editor of this volume has provided complete transcriptions and full explanatory notes for the bamboo texts，some intricate textual issues still remain to be addressed.

The present thesis is intended not only to examine the elucidations and interpretations of the bamboo texts by using the methods of paleography, philology and literature science, but also to identify and screen out erroneous views in existence. Furthermore, investigation on some controversial issues has been conducted to determine and restore the original meaning of the bamboo texts.