Ch'ien Mu Lecture in History and Culture : The Shijing in the Warring States: Evidence from Newly Discovered Manuscripts

Beginning with the Western Han bamboo and silk manuscript finds at Mawangdui 馬王堆 (Changsha, Hunan, 1973) and Shuanggudui 雙古堆 (Fuyang, Anhui, 1977), a substantial number of Warring States and Western Han texts related to the Shijing 詩經 have come to light in recent years, including philosophical treatises containing Shijing quotations, Shijing poems in historical anecdotes, an ancient work of Shijing hermeneutics, and several partial or even full versions of the anthology itself. Drawing on a range of specific examples from these manuscripts, the richly illustrated lecture explores the presence of Shijing poetry during the Warring States: how it was transmitted, how it was used and understood, and how its different interpretations shaped the written text in particular ways.