Quick Answer: What Are the Twenty-Four Histories?
The Twenty-Four Histories (二十四史, Èrshísì Shǐ) is a conventional collection of twenty-four Chinese historical works, covering narratives from legendary antiquity through the end of the Ming period. It is a library of separate histories, not one book written by one author.[1]
- Scope: Political events, people, institutions and other subjects, arranged within different histories.
- Organization: Ruler-centered annals and biographies are central; tables and institutional treatises appear where the particular work includes them.
- Starting point: Choose one question and one history, then identify the relevant section and textual layer.[2][3]
The number counts books, not dynasties. Revisions and overlapping historical coverage are part of the collection.
Looking up a ruler, an official and a tax system can send you to different parts of a Chinese history. The Twenty-Four Histories rewards that kind of targeted reading. This guide identifies the books and shows how their organization and commentaries affect what you find.
A Canon Formed Over Time, Not One Writing Project
The collection took shape over a long period. Earlier groupings expanded as more histories were recognized. In 1739, under the Qing (清, Qīng) emperor Qianlong (乾隆, Qiánlóng), the twenty-four were designated together. That date concerns the canon’s formation, not the composition of all its books.[2]
They are often called zhengshi (正史, zhèngshǐ), or standard histories. The designation expresses recognized historical authority. It does not imply that every work had the same authorship, sponsorship, structure or editorial history.
Keep the period described separate from the time of compilation. A history can preserve earlier records while arranging them through a later author’s selection and interpretation. Later annotations and textual editions add further layers. Start by asking whose words you are reading, not merely which dynasty appears in the title.
Which Twenty-Four Works Are Included?
These are the twenty-four titles in the standard list. Romanization can vary between catalogues; the Chinese characters help establish which work is meant.[1]
| No. | Work |
|---|---|
| 1 | Shiji (史记, Shǐjì) |
| 2 | Hanshu (汉书, Hànshū) |
| 3 | Hou Hanshu (后汉书, Hòu Hànshū) |
| 4 | Sanguozhi (三国志, Sānguózhì) |
| 5 | Jinshu (晋书, Jìnshū) |
| 6 | Songshu (宋书, Sòngshū) |
| 7 | Nan Qishu (南齐书, Nán Qíshū) |
| 8 | Liangshu (梁书, Liángshū) |
| 9 | Chenshu (陈书, Chénshū) |
| 10 | Weishu (魏书, Wèishū) |
| 11 | Bei Qishu (北齐书, Běi Qíshū) |
| 12 | Zhoushu (周书, Zhōushū) |
| 13 | Suishu (隋书, Suíshū) |
| 14 | Nanshi (南史, Nánshǐ) |
| 15 | Beishi (北史, Běishǐ) |
| 16 | Jiu Tangshu (旧唐书, Jiù Tángshū) |
| 17 | Xin Tangshu (新唐书, Xīn Tángshū) |
| 18 | Jiu Wudaishi (旧五代史, Jiù Wǔdàishǐ) |
| 19 | Xin Wudaishi (新五代史, Xīn Wǔdàishǐ) |
| 20 | Songshi (宋史, Sòngshǐ) |
| 21 | Liaoshi (辽史, Liáoshǐ) |
| 22 | Jinshi (金史, Jīnshǐ) |
| 23 | Yuanshi (元史, Yuánshǐ) |
| 24 | Mingshi (明史, Míngshǐ) |
Jinshu and Jinshi are especially easy to confuse in English. Their different characters distinguish the history of the earlier Jin dynasty from that of the later Jurchen Jin. Do not search on the English word “Jin” alone.[5][6]
The old and new Tang histories are different works about the same broad period; so are the two Five Dynasties histories. Their inclusion shows why the list cannot be read as twenty-four successive, nonoverlapping dynasties.
Annals, Biographies, Tables and Treatises
The general annals-and-biographies format is called jizhuanti (纪传体, jìzhuàntǐ). Its components serve different inquiries. The Shiji offers a useful five-part example, but its exact arrangement should not be imposed on every other history.[2][3]
| Section type | What it helps you investigate |
|---|---|
| Basic annals (本纪, běnjì) | Ruler-centered sequences of events. |
| Biographies section (列传, lièzhuàn) | People, grouped figures and other subjects organized through accounts. |
| Tables section (表, biǎo) | Parallel chronology, succession and relationships. |
| Treatises section (志, zhì); the Shiji uses Shu (书, shū) | Institutions and specialized subjects such as ritual or economic administration. |
| Hereditary houses (世家, shìjiā) | The Shiji’s accounts of ruling houses and other major figures. |
The same event may be visible in an annal, a participant’s biography and an institutional discussion. These are different arrangements of evidence. For a policy question, reading only the emperor’s chronological record can miss the fuller treatment elsewhere.
Check the contents of the chosen work before searching. A traditional textual division and a physical printed volume are also different things; a catalogue’s number of books is not necessarily its number of chapters.
Reading a Disagreement Inside the Sanguozhi
Juan 35 of the Sanguozhi illustrates why the textual layers matter. In the account of Zhuge Liang (诸葛亮, Zhūgě Liàng), Chen Shou (陈寿, Chén Shòu) says Liu Bei (刘备, Liú Bèi) went to see him and obtained a meeting on the third visit.[4]
The later annotation by Pei Songzhi (裴松之, Péi Sōngzhī) preserves a different account: Zhuge Liang approaches Liu Bei. Pei then challenges that version by referring to Zhuge Liang’s memorial, which describes the ruler visiting him. The note preserves disagreement and an argument about evidence, not merely extra colorful detail.
A reader who merges the passages into one narrative loses the disagreement. Identify the base account, the alternative source and the annotator’s judgment separately. A later quotation is valuable evidence for the history of the account, but it is not automatically an independent witness to the original encounter.
How to Begin and Choose an Edition
- Choose a question and work: Begin with one period, person or institution, rather than trying to read the collection in sequence.
- Locate and cross-read: Find the relevant section, then compare related annals, biographies, tables or treatises where available.
- Check the textual layers: Record the base author, source quotations, commentary and the edition or translation consulted.
For a first sustained reading, choose a bounded topic in a single work, such as the Hanshu, and follow its internal references. Keep a simple note of the claim, its location and whether it belongs to the narrative, a quoted document or an annotation.
The Palace Museum identifies several important edition types: the Qing court’s Wuyingdian (武英殿, Wǔyīngdiàn) printing, the Commercial Press’s Baina (百衲本, Bǎinàběn) facsimile edition and Zhonghua Shuju’s punctuated, collated text. A facsimile helps examine the printed witness; modern punctuation and notes help navigation but remain editorial interventions.[2]
When choosing an English translation, check its exact work and included chapters. “Selections,” one translated biography and a complete history are different scopes. Cite the particular translator and edition, together with the Chinese work and chapter, so the passage can be traced.
FAQs About the Twenty-Four Histories
Do the twenty-four books correspond to twenty-four dynasties?
No. The collection includes overlapping periods and both old and new histories for some subjects. Its number refers to recognized works, not a count of successive dynasties.
Does the original collection include a history of the Qing?
No. The conventional twenty-four-title list ends with Mingshi. If an expanded collection adds further histories, check its actual contents rather than assuming the same canon.
Does “standard history” mean an unbiased account?
No. Recognized status does not remove selection, inherited sources, conflicting accounts or editorial judgment. The disagreement preserved in the Sanguozhi example shows why reading critically remains necessary.
Sources
[1] National Museum of China. The Twenty-Four Histories: collection description and complete list
[2] Palace Museum. The Twenty-Four Histories: canon and editions
[3] Public-domain Chinese text. Shiji: contents and later bibliographical notice
[4] Public-domain Chinese text. Sanguozhi, juan 35: Zhuge Liang and Pei Songzhi’s notes
[5] Public-domain Chinese text. Jinshu: title, later notice and opening contents
[6] Public-domain Chinese text. Jinshi: title, later notice and opening contents