The Yuan Dynasty’s “Three Histories” Project: Contesting Legitimacy and a Grand Historiographical Endeavor

Brief Introduction

The “Three Histories” project refers to a massive historiographical initiative organized by the imperial court in the mid-Yuan period, which commissioned scholars to compile the History of Liao, the History of Jin, and the History of Song. This event took place in the first year of the Tianyou era under Emperor Renzong of Yuan (1314 CE). It was led by chief editors such as Liu Guan and A Hema (Ahema) and was completed in approximately one year. This was not only the most significant official historiographical activity of the Yuan Dynasty but also a crucial political measure by the Yuan rulers to establish their historical legitimacy and manage their relationship with the three preceding regimes (Liao, Jin, and Song). In later historical records, such as the Continued Comprehensive Mirror for Government (Xu Zizhi Tongjian), this event is frequently cited as a typical case study of Yuan cultural policies and political maneuvering.

Core Knowledge Points

1. Political Background: The Yuan Dynasty’s “Orthodoxy” Anxiety

After the Yuan Dynasty conquered the Jin, it faced an awkward dilemma: should it recognize the Jin or the Song as the legitimate orthodox regime? As the Liao had been an earlier conquered polity, its historical status also needed to be defined. Although the Yuan styled itself as the “Heavenly Empire,” in the eyes of Han Chinese scholar-officials, the Yuan was not the legitimate heir to the Chinese (Huaxia) cultural and political lineage. Therefore, through the compilation of histories, the Yuan court attempted to officially define and rank the Liao, Jin, and Song dynasties, thereby establishing the legal right of the Mongol Empire to rule within the historical narrative.

2. Historiographical Format: The Parallel Treatment of Three Dynasties

The Yuan court decided to compile the histories of the Liao, Jin, and Song dynasties in parallel, establishing separate sections for each. This practice of “parallel histories” effectively acknowledged the historical existence of all three regimes without granting any single one absolute “orthodox” status. Instead, it placed all three before the Yuan, implying that the Yuan inherited the legal mandate or territorial domain of these preceding states. This approach avoided the political pitfalls of elevating the History of Song at the expense of Jurchen/Mongol loyalists, while simultaneously avoiding the alienation of Han Chinese scholar-officials that would occur if the History of Jin were elevated exclusively.

3. Academic Achievements and Controversies

The “Three Histories” project was executed with remarkable speed and efficiency. Tuotuo was primarily responsible for the preliminary preparations (though he was relatively young at the time, his father Tuohan, along with A Hema and Xu Youzhong, participated heavily, and Tuotuo ultimately oversaw the completion). The final drafts were written by figures such as Ouyang Xuan and Liu Guan. Although the rapid pace of compilation led to certain factual inaccuracies (such as chronological errors and misattributed biographies), the History of Liao, History of Jin, and History of Song remain, to this day, core historical sources for studying the Song, Liao, and Jin periods, possessing irreplaceable documentary value.

Relevance to Historical Texts

In the Continued Comprehensive Mirror for Government (authored by Quan Zusheng) and subsequent historical records, the “Three Histories” project is often discussed against the backdrop of the cultural revival during Emperor Renzong’s “Tianyou Restoration of the Imperial Examinations.” By recording this event, the author highlights a shift in the political attitude of the mid-Yuan period: a transition from early martial governance to civil governance, attempting to consolidate rule through cultural integration. The text cites the debates within the court, revealing the disagreements among officials of various ethnicities regarding the definition of “orthodoxy.” For instance, some argued that the Jin was the Northern Dynasty and the Song the Southern Dynasty, while others argued that the Song was the sole orthodox regime. The court’s eventual adoption of a compromise solution not only reflected the pragmatic strategy of the Yuan in governing a multi-ethnic empire but also provided later generations with a window into the political plurality of the Yuan period.

Conclusion

The “Three Histories” project was not merely an academic endeavor; it was a profound political declaration. It established the “Liao, Jin, Song” historical framework used by us today and has had a lasting impact on historical perception. Understanding this event helps us see how the Yuan Dynasty constructed its imperial legitimacy through the compilation of history, and highlights the complex role of traditional Chinese historiography in the face of political power.