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Suichutang shumu 遂初堂書目

May 28, 2011 © Ulrich Theobald

Suichutang shumu 遂初堂書目 "Library catalogue of the Suichu Hall" is a private bibliography written during the Southern Song period 南宋 (1127-1279) by You Mao 尤袤 (1127-1194), courtesy name Yanzhi 延之, style Suichu Jushi 遂初居士, Lexi 樂溪 or Mushi Laoyi Ren 木石老逸民, from Wuxi 無錫, Jiangsu.

You Mao once hold the position of Minister of Rites (libu shangshu 禮部尚書). He was a poet and possessed a large private library in his mansion in Jiulongshan 九龍山 near Wuxi, the Suichu Hall 遂初堂 "Hall of the Fulfilment of the Natural Bent". Emperor Guangzong 宋光宗 (r. 1189-1194) in person wrote the name tablet (bian'e 匾額) of the building.

The bibliography includes more than 3,000 titles arranged in 44 categories which are divided into the four traditional sections of Confucian Classics (jingbu 經部), historiography (shibu 史部), masters and philosophers (zibu 子部), and belles-lettres (jibu 集部).

The catalogue includes numerous contemporary writings, especially histories, and is therefore an important document about Southern Song-period sources. Of special interest are the categories Xiaoshuo 小說 "Novellas", Leishu 類書 "Encyclopaedias" and Yuequ 樂曲 "Songs and arias", three genres flourishing during the the Song period. You Mao also introduced the category of scientific writings (pulu 譜錄).

The section of the Confucian Classics includes 357 books, the historiography section 793 books, the masters and philosophers section 926 books, and the belles-lettres section 779 books.

It is a pity that You Mao did not provide information about the authors of the books and only lists the titles for most of the works. For a few books he also provides information about different editions, like the Sichuan version 川本 and the Yanzhou version 嚴州本 of the history Shiji 史記.

Figure 1. Beginning of the Suichutang shumu 遂初堂書目
The list gives information on editions, like the "Book of Changes" from Hangzhou (or of Master Hang? Hangben Yi 杭本易), the ancient version of the "Book of Documents" from the Directorate of Education (jiu jianben Shangshu 舊監本尚書), Master Jing's version of the Book of Songs (Jingben Maoshi 京本毛詩), a Korean version of the "Documents" (Gaoliben Shangshu 高麗本尚書), or Master Zhu's newly arranged "Changes" (Zhushi xinding Yi 朱氏新定易), etc. Siku quanshu 四庫全書 edition.

Of the Suichutang bibliography itself, more than ten different editions are available. Because the catalogue does not include a lot information on the authors and the juan-size of the books, it might not have been very widespread. It is, moreover, not possible to give a concrete date of the first print.

The Suichutang shumu it is included in the series Siku quanshu 四庫全書, Shuofu 說郛, Haishanxianguan congshu 海山仙館叢書 and Xianzhe yishu 先哲遺書.

Table 1. Contents of the Suichutang shumu 遂初堂書目
經部 Jingbu Confucian Classics
經總 Jingzong General books about the Classics
周易 Zhouyi Commentaries on the Book of Changes
尚書 Shangshu Commentaries on the Book of Documents
Shi Commentaries on the Book of Songs
Li Commentaries on the ritual books
Yue Books on music
春秋 Chunqiu Commentaries on the Spring and Autumn Annals
論語孝經孟子 Lunyu Xiaojing Mengzi Commentaries on the Confucian Analects, the Classic of Filial Piety, and the book Mengzi
小學 Xiaoxue Elementary learning and lexicography
史部 Shibu Historiography
正史 Zhengshi Official dynastic histories
編年 Biannian Annals and chronicles
雜史 Zashi Miscellaneous histories
故事 Gushi Old regulations
雜傳 Zazhuan Miscellaneous biographies
偽史 Weishi Histories of usupatorious states
國史 Guoshi Official histories of the Song dynasty
本朝雜史 Benchao zashi Miscellaneous histories of the Song dynasty
本朝故事 Benchao gushi Regulations of the Song dynasty
本朝雜傳 Benchao zazhuan Miscellaneous biographies of the Song dynasty
實錄 Shilu Veritable records
職官 Zhiguan Books on state offices
儀注 Yizhu Books on state rituals
刑法 Xingfa Books on penal law
姓氏 Xingshi Books on eminent families
史學 Shixue Theories of historiography
目錄 Mulu Bibliographies
地理 Dili Books on administrative geography
子部 Zibu Masters and philosophers
儒家 Rujia Confucian treatises
雜家 Zajia Miscellaneous treatises
道家 Daojia Writings of Philosophical Daoism
釋家 Shijia Buddhist writings
農家 Nongjia Agricultural treatises
兵家 Bingjia Military treatises
數術家 Shushujia Books on divination
小說家 Xiaoshuojia Novellas and stories
雜藝 Zayi Miscellaneous arts and skills
譜錄 Pulu Scientific treatises
類書 Leishu Encyclopaedias
醫書 Yishu Medical treatises
集部 Jibu Belles-lettres
別集 Bieji Collected writings of individual persons
章奏 Zhangzou Memorials to the throne
總集 Zongji Anthologies and collective belles-lettres
文史 Wenshi History of literature, literary critique
樂曲 Yuequ Songs and arias
Sources:
Cui Guoguang 崔國光 (2001). "Suichutang shumu de muluxue jiazhi 《遂初堂書目》的目錄學價值", Shandong Tushuguan jikan 山東圖書館季刊, 2001 (9).
Di Xinmin 翟新明 (2019). "Suichutang shumu leishu lei wei zhulu Wenyuan yinghua kao 《遂初堂書目》類書類未著錄《文苑英華》考", Wenxian 文獻, 2019 (7).
Huang Qiangqi 黃強祺 (1988). "Suichutang shumu chutan 《遂初堂書目》初探", Guangdong Tushuguan xuekan 廣東圖書館學刊, 1988 (4).
Huang Yansheng 黃燕生 (1983). "Suichutang shumu zai muluxue shang de gongxian 《遂初堂書目》在目錄學上的貢獻", Beijing Shifan Daxue xuebao 北京師範大學學報, 1983 (8).
Li Xueqin 李學勤, Lü Wenyu 呂文鬰, ed. (1996). Siku da cidian 四庫大辭典 (Changchun: Jilin daxue chubanshe), Vol. 1, 1464.
Ma Xian 馬嫻 (2012). "You Mao Suichutang shumu muluxue tanxi 尤袤《遂初堂書目》目錄學探析", Lantai shijie 蘭台世界, 2012 (1).
Meng Zhaojin 孟昭晉 (1993). "Suichutang shumu 遂初堂書目", in Zhongguo da baike quanshu 中國大百科全書, Tushuguanxue qingbaoxue dang'anxue 圖書館學•情報學•檔案學 (Beijing/Shanghai: Zhongguo da baike quanshu chubanshe), 406.
Tang Guirong 唐貴榮, ed. (1997). Zhongguo shumu jiansuo cidian 中國書目檢索辭典 (Zhengzhou: Zhongji guji chubanshe), 251.
Tian Mengmeng 田萌萌 (2015). "Yao Mao Suichutang shumu yanjiu zongshu 尤袤《遂初堂書目》研究綜述", Cangzhou Shifan Xueyuan xuebao 滄州師範學院學報, 2015 (9).
Pan Yinsheng 潘寅生, Gui Jiankui 郭建魁, ed. (1993). Zhonghua shehui kexue gongjushu cidian 中華社會科學工具書辭典 (Lanzhou: Gansu renmin chubanshe), 738.
Wang Jingui 王錦貴 (1992). "Suichutang shumu 遂初堂書目", in Zhongguo da baike quanshu 中國大百科全書, Vol. Xinwen chuban 新聞出版 (Beijing/Shanghai: Zhongguo da baike quanshu chubanshe), 307.
Wei Xiaoshuai 魏曉帥 (2017). "You Mao zu nian ji Suichutang shumu chengshu xiaokao 尤袤卒年及《遂初堂書目》成書小考", Guji zhengli yanjiu xuekan 古籍整理研究學刊, 2017 (3).
Wuxi cidian bianweihui 《無錫詞典》編委會, ed. (1990). Wuxi cidian 無錫詞典 (Shanghai: Fudan daxue chubanshe), 483.