Weilüe
Encyclopedia
The Weilüe written by Yu Huan
between CE
239
, the end of Emperor Ming’s reign, and 265
CE, the end of the Cao Wei
(220-265 CE). Although not an "official historian," Yu Huan has always been held in high regard amongst Chinese scholars.
The original text of the Weilüe, or “Brief Account of the Wei Dynasty,” by Yu Huan has been lost. Fortunately, his chapter on the 'Xirong,' or ‘Peoples of the West’, was quoted as an extensive footnote to Chapter 30 of the Sanguozhi by Pei Songzhi
, which was first published in CE 429
. Other than this chapter, only a few isolated quotes remain in other texts.
Yu Huan does not mention his sources in the text that has survived. Some of this new data presumably came to China via traders from the Roman Empire
(Da Qin). Land communications with the West apparently continued relatively uninterrupted to the northern state of Wei
after the fall of the Han Dynasty
.
Yu Huan apparently never left China, but he collected a large amount of information on the countries to the west of China including Parthia
, India, and the Roman Empire, and the various routes to them. Some of this information had reached China well before Yu Huan’s time, and can also be found in the sections dealing with the ‘Western Regions
’ of the Shiji, the Hanshu, and the Hou Hanshu. In spite of this repetition of earlier (and sometimes fanciful) information, the Weilüe contains new, unique, and generally trustworthy material, mostly from the late second and early third centuries CE. It is this new information that makes the Weilüe a valuable historical source. Most of the new information appears to have come from the Eastern Han
, before China was largely cut off from the West by civil wars and unrest along its borders during the late 2nd century CE.
The Weilüe describes the maritime routes to the Roman Empire and it is quite possible that some, or all, of the new information on the Roman Empire and Parthia came from foreign sailors. One such record which may have been available to Yu Huan is detailed in the Liangshu of a merchant from the Roman Empire who in CE 226 arrived in Jiaozhi
, near modern Hanoi
, and was sent to the court of Sun Quan
, the Wu
emperor, who asked him for a report on his native country and its people.
Yu Huan also includes a brief description of "Zesan" which probably refers to the East African coast which was known to Greek and Roman authors as Azania
, and what appears to be awareness of a route around Africa to the Roman Empire - "You can (also) travel (from Zesan) southwest to the capital of Da Qin (Rome), but the number of li
is not known". The Early Pandyan Kingdom
of Tamilakam
is referred to under the name, "Panyue".
The section on Daqin
(Roman territory) from the Weilüe was translated into English by Friedrich Hirth
in his pioneering 1885 volume, China and the Roman Orient. Hirth included translations of a wide range of other Chinese texts relating to Daqin and the Chinese text of each is included, making it an essential reference even today. In 1905, Édouard Chavannes
translated the remainder of the Weilüe into French under the title of "Les pays d’occident d’après le Wei lio". Chavannes’ translation is accompanied by copious notes in which he clarified numerous obscurities, and convincingly identified many of the countries and towns mentioned in the Weilüe, especially along the eastern sections of the overland trade routes.
Yu Huan
Yu Huan was a scholar and writer of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history.-Works:Yu was a native of present-day Xi'an, Shaanxi, and most notable for two works of his, the Weilue , and Dianlue, which are listed in the Book of Sui as volumes 33 and 89 respectively...
between CE
Common Era
Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era...
239
239
Year 239 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Gordianus and Aviola...
, the end of Emperor Ming’s reign, and 265
265
Year 265 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Valerianus and Lucillus...
CE, the end of the Cao Wei
Cao Wei
Cao Wei was one of the states that competed for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period. With the capital at Luoyang, the state was established by Cao Pi in 220, based upon the foundations that his father Cao Cao laid...
(220-265 CE). Although not an "official historian," Yu Huan has always been held in high regard amongst Chinese scholars.
The original text of the Weilüe, or “Brief Account of the Wei Dynasty,” by Yu Huan has been lost. Fortunately, his chapter on the 'Xirong,' or ‘Peoples of the West’, was quoted as an extensive footnote to Chapter 30 of the Sanguozhi by Pei Songzhi
Pei Songzhi
Pei Songzhi was commissioned by Emperor Wen of Liu Song to write a commentary on Chen Shou's Records of Three Kingdoms, providing additional detail omitted from the original work. His commentary, completed in 429, became integral to later editions of the Records, making the joint work three times...
, which was first published in CE 429
429
Year 429 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Florentius and Dionysius...
. Other than this chapter, only a few isolated quotes remain in other texts.
Yu Huan does not mention his sources in the text that has survived. Some of this new data presumably came to China via traders from the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
(Da Qin). Land communications with the West apparently continued relatively uninterrupted to the northern state of Wei
Cao Wei
Cao Wei was one of the states that competed for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period. With the capital at Luoyang, the state was established by Cao Pi in 220, based upon the foundations that his father Cao Cao laid...
after the fall of the Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
.
Yu Huan apparently never left China, but he collected a large amount of information on the countries to the west of China including Parthia
Parthia
Parthia is a region of north-eastern Iran, best known for having been the political and cultural base of the Arsacid dynasty, rulers of the Parthian Empire....
, India, and the Roman Empire, and the various routes to them. Some of this information had reached China well before Yu Huan’s time, and can also be found in the sections dealing with the ‘Western Regions
Western Regions
The Western Regions or Xiyu was a historical name specified in the Chinese chronicles between the 3rd century BC to 8th century AD that referred to the regions west of Jade Gate, most often Central Asia or sometimes more specifically the easternmost portion of it The Western Regions or Xiyu was a...
’ of the Shiji, the Hanshu, and the Hou Hanshu. In spite of this repetition of earlier (and sometimes fanciful) information, the Weilüe contains new, unique, and generally trustworthy material, mostly from the late second and early third centuries CE. It is this new information that makes the Weilüe a valuable historical source. Most of the new information appears to have come from the Eastern Han
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
, before China was largely cut off from the West by civil wars and unrest along its borders during the late 2nd century CE.
The Weilüe describes the maritime routes to the Roman Empire and it is quite possible that some, or all, of the new information on the Roman Empire and Parthia came from foreign sailors. One such record which may have been available to Yu Huan is detailed in the Liangshu of a merchant from the Roman Empire who in CE 226 arrived in Jiaozhi
Jiaozhi
Jiaozhi was the name of all or part of Vietnam's territory, from the Hùng Vương era to the middle of the Third Chinese domination, and during the Fourth Chinese domination.-Giao Chỉ in the Văn Lang era:...
, near modern Hanoi
Hanoi
Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
, and was sent to the court of Sun Quan
Sun Quan
Sun Quan , son of Sun Jian, formally Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He ruled from 222 to 229 as King of Wu and from 229 to 252 as Emperor of Wu....
, the Wu
Eastern Wu
Eastern Wu, also known as Sun Wu, was one the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period after the fall of the Han Dynasty. It was based in the Jiangnan region of China...
emperor, who asked him for a report on his native country and its people.
Yu Huan also includes a brief description of "Zesan" which probably refers to the East African coast which was known to Greek and Roman authors as Azania
Azania
Azania is the name that has been applied to various parts of sub-Saharan Africa. In Roman times—and perhaps earlier—the name referred to a portion of the Southeast African coast south of the Horn of Africa, extending south perhaps as far as modern Tanzania....
, and what appears to be awareness of a route around Africa to the Roman Empire - "You can (also) travel (from Zesan) southwest to the capital of Da Qin (Rome), but the number of li
Li (unit)
The li is a traditional Chinese unit of distance, which has varied considerably over time but now has a standardized length of 500 meters or half a kilometer...
is not known". The Early Pandyan Kingdom
Early Pandyan Kingdom
The Early Pandyas of the Sangam period were one of the three main kingdoms of the ancient Tamil country, the other two being the Cholas and the Cheras. As with many other kingdoms around this period , most of the information about the Early Pandyas come to us mainly through literary sources and...
of Tamilakam
Ancient Tamil country
The Sangam period is the classical period in the history of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and other parts of South India, spanning about the 3rd century BCE to the 3rd century CE...
is referred to under the name, "Panyue".
The kingdom of Panyue (Pandya) is also called Hanyuewang. It is several thousand li to the southeast of Tianzhu (Northern India), and is in contact with Yi Circuit [in modern southern YunnanYunnanYunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
]. The inhabitants are small; they are the same height as the Chinese. Traders from Shu (Western Sichuan) travel this far. The Southern Route, after attaining its most westernmost point, turns southeast until it reaches its end.
The section on Daqin
Daqin
Daqin is the ancient Chinese name for the Roman Empire and, depending on context, the Near East, especially Syria. It literally means "Great Qin", Qin being the name of the founding dynasty of the Chinese Empire...
(Roman territory) from the Weilüe was translated into English by Friedrich Hirth
Friedrich Hirth
Friedrich Hirth, Ph.D. was a German-American sinologist.-Biography:He was educated at the universities of Leipzig, Berlin, and Greifswald . He was in the Chinese maritime customs service from 1870 to 1897...
in his pioneering 1885 volume, China and the Roman Orient. Hirth included translations of a wide range of other Chinese texts relating to Daqin and the Chinese text of each is included, making it an essential reference even today. In 1905, Édouard Chavannes
Édouard Chavannes
Édouard Chavannes was a French sinologist.He is best known for his translations from Sima Qian's Shiji , sections of the Hou Hanshu relating to the 'Western Regions', the Weilüe, his studies of Han dynasty stone carvings Édouard Chavannes (Chinese: ) (1865–1918) was a French sinologist.He is best...
translated the remainder of the Weilüe into French under the title of "Les pays d’occident d’après le Wei lio". Chavannes’ translation is accompanied by copious notes in which he clarified numerous obscurities, and convincingly identified many of the countries and towns mentioned in the Weilüe, especially along the eastern sections of the overland trade routes.