Shishi 事始

Shishi 事始 "The origin of things" is a kind of encyclopaedia compiled by an unknown person during the Tang period 唐 (618-907).

The book of 1 juan length primarily seeks to trace the origins of various things, citing a mixture of classics and histories to discuss each topic. Many of the origins it records can serve as valuable references, but there are also occasional errors.

The book catalogue Junzhai dushu zhi 郡齋讀書志 records a three-juan Shishi compiled by Liu Jiangsun 劉將孫, said to be divided into twenty-six sections. It also lists a continuation called Xu shishi 續事始 in 10 juan, compiled by Feng Jian 馮鑒 (馮鑑), who hailed from the Former Shu empire 前蜀 (907-925). Both statements differ from the transmitted single-juan edition of the book. The bibliographical chapter in the official dynastic history Jiutangshu 舊唐書 also attributes authorship of the Shishi to Liu Jiangsun. It is found there in the section of miscellaneous writings (zajia lei 雜家類. In contrast, the bibliographical chapter in the Xintangshu 新唐志 classifies it as a story collection (xiaoshuojia lei 小說家類), and names Fang Demao 房德懋 as the compiler.

The Junzhai dushu zhi explains that Emperor Tang Taizong 唐太宗 (r. 626-649) ordered the functionaries of all princely establishment (zhu wangfu guan 諸王府官), represented by Liu Xiaosun 劉孝孫 and others, to compile this encyclopaedia as instructive material for the imperial princes. However, the catalogue Zhizhai shulu jieti 直齋書錄解題 tells the story of how the Prince of Wu 吳王 consulted with Liu Cun 劉存, Academician in the Hall for the Advancement of Literature (Hongwenguan xueshi 宏文館學士), perhaps ordering him to compile the book. In the bibliographical chapter of the Songshi 宋史, Liu Cun is also named the author of a 3-juan version of the Shishi.

The descriptive bibliography Siku quanshu zongmu tiyao 四庫全書總目提要, under the heading "Miscellaneous masters, titles preserved" (zajia lei cunmu 雜家類存目), notes that all the sources cited in this book are from before the Tang period, and suspects that it is a later compilation, pieced together from quotations of Liu Jiangsun's work found in various encyclopaedias. Although it is a spurious attribution, the accounts of the origins of multiple things it contains still have reference value and may serve as corroborative material for those engaged in literary and historical studies.

The text is preserved in the collections Leishuo 類說 and Shuofu 說郛 (Wanwei Shantang 宛委山堂 edition, as Liu-Feng shishi 劉馮事始). In the Shangwen Yinshuguan edition 上海商務印書館 of the Shuofu, Feng Jian's Xu shishi is separated from Liu's Shishi.

A 3-juan-long, perhaps different, Xu shishi, compiled by Liu Rui 劉睿, is mentioned in the bibliographical chapters of the Xintangshu and the Songshi.