Li Xinchuan

Li Xinchuan (Chinese: 李心傳; pinyin: Lǐ Xīnchuán, 1167–1244) was a Chinese historian during the Southern Song dynasty. Born to a prodigious scholar-official in southern Sichuan, Li gained an interest in history as a teenager and sought to create a set of annals covering the history of the Southern Song.

Failing the jinshi imperial examinations in 1196, he began private scholarship in Sichuan, compiling historical texts. He became well known for his historical studies, and was appointed as the proofreader of the Imperial Library in Lin'an (modern Hangzhou) in 1226, where he began compiling a state history of the Southern Song. He was granted an honorary jinshi degree in 1229, but censured in 1233 and forced to return to Sichuan, where he worked for the provincial government. Forced to return to Lin'an by the Mongol invasions in 1237, he became the director of the Imperial Library in 1238 and resumed work on his state histories. He was censured again for criticizing the state response to the wartime famine and forced to move to Huizhou, Anhui, where he died in 1244.

Li's most famous work is his Jianyan Yilai Xinian Yaolu (建炎以來繫年要錄), chronological annals of the Southern Song from 1127 to 1162. His other surviving works include a supplementary guide to the chronology titled Jianyan Yilai Chaoye Zaji (建炎以來朝野雜記), a short history of the Neo-Confucian movement titled Daominglu, and Jiuwen Zhengwu (舊聞證誤), a partially-surviving set of notes on Song history.

In 1167, Li Xinchuan was born in Jingyan County, situated within the salt-producing region of Longzhou in southern Sichuan. He was the eldest of three brothers.^[1] His father, Li Shunchen, was a prodigious scholar who had obtained the jinshi degree (the highest rank in the imperial examination system) in 1166. Although he alienated the Southern Song court officials through his advocacy of a warlike policy towards the Jin dynasty and the reclamation of northern China, he gained a position at the Court of the Imperial Clan in 1179. This was likely due to the advocacy of Grand Chancellor Zhao Xiong, who was also from Sichuan. Li moved to Lin'an (now Hangzhou) with his three sons–Li Xinchuan, Daochuan, and Xingchuan.^[1][2]

Li Xinchuan later recalled developing an interest in history while accompanying his father to the imperial archives in Lin'an; he wrote that he had overheard ministers there lamenting the lack of annals since 1127, when the Jin invasion pushed the Song south. Li Shunchen died in 1182, and his sons returned to Sichuan.^[1][2] The Li brothers studied for the imperial examinations over the next fifteen years, seeking to obtain the jinshi rank themselves. Two of them took the exams in 1196; Li Daochuan passed and became an official, while Li Xinchuan failed. After this, Li Xinchuan returned to Longzhou and in 1197 began working as a private scholar, compiling historical texts over the following decades.^[3] In 1200, Li completed his first book, the now-lost Dushi Kao.^[4]

Li's reputation as a scholar grew across the Song empire. Following the ascension of Emperor Lizong in 1224, a group of 23 officials—including Neo-Confucian scholar Wei Liaoweng—petitioned for him to be appointed to an official position. In 1226, he came to Lin'an and was appointed to be the proofreader for the Imperial Library, where he was commissioned to work on official histories of the Southern Song. Still a commoner at the time of his appointment, he was granted officialdom in 1227, and two years later was granted the jinshi degree; imperial records state that this was conferred due to the emperor's appreciation for one of his memorials to the throne.^[5]

In 1233, Li was indicted by the Censorate and forced to return to Sichuan. This was possibly due to his advocacy for Neo-Confucianism;^[5] according to the History of Song, Emperor Lizong asked Li in 1232 to recommend scholars who had previously declined offers of court positions. He recommended Li Fan, whom Li saw as the greatest living Neo-Confucian scholar. As Li Fan had left his administrative posts in protest against Councillor Shi Miyuan's administration, the suggestion may have been interpreted as a protest against Shi. Although the Emperor reportedly approved of Li Xinchuan's suggestion, it was not acted upon, and Li Fan died shortly after.^[6] Soon after returning home, Li was ordered to the Sichuan capital of Chengdu to assist the provincial government in compiling a state compendium.^[5]

Li was recalled to court in 1236, possibly to allow him to leave Sichuan, which had become the front-line of the Mongol invasion.^[7][8] He returned to Lin'an in 1237 as part of a wave of Sichuan scholar-officials fleeing the conflict. He was appointed as the assistant director of the Imperial Library the following year and resumed work on the state histories. He was promoted to the director of the library later in 1238.^[7][8] In the fifth month of 1239, during his work on the state histories, he completed his largest work, the Jianyan Yilai Xinian Yaolu (建炎以來繫年要錄; 'Chronological Record of Important Events since 1127').^[9]

In 1240, famine struck Lin'an, exacerbated by the Mongol invasions, resulting in widespread death and cannibalism. Li wrote another memorial, blaming the famine on a lack of war preparations and incompetence by self-serving officials, and advocating that the emperor fire many of his advisors. For this, Li was again censured and sent to Huizhou, Anhui, where he was given a sinecure (a salaried position without official duties). Li's successor as compiler of the state histories, Gao Dingzi, submitted them to the court at the request of chancellor Shi Songzhi. Shi censored portions of the text relating to his uncle Shi Miyuan's installment of Emperor Lizong as heir to the throne. Several officials, including Li, opposed this change. After this, Li had his sinecure removed and was sent into official retirement. He died in Huizhou in 1244.^[7]

Li's most famous work is the Jianyan Yilai Xinan Yaolu, a chronological annals of the Song dynasty from its flight south in 1127 to the abdication of Emperor Gaozong in 1162. This book is one of the most widely-referenced primary sources for the Southern Song by historians, described by historian John C. Chaffee as a "detailed and authoritative history".^[4][10] The Jianyan Yilai Xinan Yaolu is supplemented by a topical index and guide entitled Jianyan Yilai Chaoye Zaji (建炎以來朝野雜記; 'Diverse Notes on Court and Province since 1127'), which was published in two installments (the first in 1202, the second in 1216).^[4][10] While employed by the Song court in Lin'an, he worked on an official history entitled Zhongxing Sichao Guoshi (中興四朝國史; 'Four Restoration Courts State History').^[7] Another of his surviving works is the 1239 Daominglu (道命錄; 'Records of the Mandate of the Way'), a short history of the Neo-Confucian movement from 1084 to 1224.^[11]

Li's lost works include his first book, Dushi Kao,^[4] as well as his 1221 Xichui Taiding Lu (西陲泰定錄; 'An Account of the Western Frontier from 1201 through 1221'), which gave a chronology of contemporary events in Sichuan during the period, including the 1205–1207 Jin–Song war and Wu Xi's defection to the Jin.^[12][4] In 1219, alongside Zhu Xi's student Huang Gan (考鮮), he produced an edited volume of Zhu's sayings entitled Zhuzi Yulu (朱子語錄; 'Records of Master Chu's Conversations') and edited his commentary on the I Ching, Zhouyi Benyi (周易本義; 'The Original Meaning of the Book of Changes') In 1223, Li published a collection of miscellaneous notes on Song history entitled Jiuwen Zhengwu (舊聞證誤; 'Errors in Old Accounts'), which partially survives.^[2][4]