On a new work: Chinese historiography of the last forty years (1978-2018)

Abstract

Chinese historiography has always been in tandem with the times. When the Cultural Revolution was brought to an end, historiography played a unique role in the concurrent trend towards opening up intellectual curiosity and leading the right mindset. In this vein, professor Zhang Haipeng has edited a book titled Chinese Historiography of the Last Forty Years (1978–2018), published by China Social Sciences Press in 2018. It gives a detailed analysis of the development of various subdisciplines of Chinese historiography and a panoramic review of its changes in the recent forty years. The book is comprised of twenty-four articles organized rather flexibly. The first is “A Review of the Achievements in Chinese Historiography during the Recent 40 Years,” which provides a general overview. The rest of the articles focus on different fields of historical studies concerning China, including major disciplines such as archaeology, ancient history, modern and contemporary history, world history, and the history of the People’s Republic of China; there are subfields in, for example, Chinese local history, ethno-history, borderland history, geo-history, economic history, social history, cultural history, the history of historiography, historical theory, Sino-foreign relations, cities, the environment, medicine, religions, and the history of the Second World War. The editor gives the authors ample space and ample flexibility of style. The book is characterized by a loose arrangement, and each article has its own features. Some pose thematic questions; some are chronological; some present and assess representative works; and some are reflections upon theory and methodology. The authors are scholars and experts in their fields; they are generally speaking impartial in their analyses and develop their own understandings. The book provides valuable information on the forty-year development in Chinese historiography since China’s reform and openingup. Chinese Historiography of the Last Forty Years (1978–2018) basically pursues the following approaches: A large section is devoted to modern (from about 1840) Chinese history, with altogether seven pieces that focus on the history of Republican China, modern fiscal and financial history, Sino-foreign relations, plus social, intellectual, and cultural history. It also takes up theories of modern history.