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Primary sourceBook1904

The Shu King, or Chinese Historical Classic

Confucius · 1904

An English translation of the Book of History, a Chinese classic traditionally compiled by Confucius recording early government and morality.

Confucius is traditionally credited with compiling this classic, showing his role as an editor and transmitter of early Chinese history and morality.

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The Shu King, or Chinese Historical ClassicPDF · 328 pages
Walter Gorn Old (translator), The Shu King, or Chinese Historical Classic, 1904. Scanned volume, Internet Archive.

About this source

What it is

This is a 1904 English translation, by Walter Gorn Old, of the Shu King (Book of History), an ancient Chinese classic traditionally compiled by Confucius around 500 BCE. The book records the religion, philosophy, customs, and government of early China. The scanned volume is held by the Internet Archive.

Why it matters

The Shu King is one of the Chinese classics Confucius is said to have edited and preserved, showing his role in passing down earlier historical and moral traditions to later generations. Its survival, despite later events like the burning of books under a hostile emperor, shows the importance placed on preserving Confucian learning.

Look closer

  • What does the introduction say about how Confucius worked with earlier Chinese texts?
  • Why might rulers after Confucius have wanted to destroy or revive this kind of literature?
  • Since this is an English translation made centuries later, how might translation affect what we understand about the original text?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Confucius on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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