Die Belagerung von K'ai-feng im Winter 1126/27: Nach Kapitel 64-69 des San-ch'ao pei-meng hui-pien, kompiliert von Hsu Meng-hsin.

• Author: Asim, Ina

In this work Sabine Werner investigates the events that took place between 1 December 1126 and 9 January 1127 - the latter date marking the end of the Northern Song dynasty. Though occupying only a little more than a month, the siege of Kaifeng was in many respects the culmination of a long process of discussion among Song government officials and military commanders about how to oppose the pressure of the Qidan and Jurchen powers menacing China from the north. The question was whether one should rely on military strength and thereby consolidate troops in the capital, the provinces, and the border garrisons, or whether one should instead rely on diplomatic measures, even though these were extremely costly.

Werner uses the Sanchao beimeng huibian (Compendium of Treaties with the Northern [Neighbors] during the Reigns of Emperors Huizong, Qinzong, and Gaozong) as her main source. The book under review consists of two main parts. The first part, divided into eight chapters, is a thorough study of Song domestic and foreign politics as they may be extracted from the text in question. The second part of the book gives a translation of chapters 64-69 of the text.

In her first chapter Werner introduces Xu Mengxin (1126-1207) and his compilation of the Sanchao beimeng huibian. Xu's text is full of quotations from other sources which he did not credit in his text - a practice not unusual for Chinese authors and compilers. There are, however, ten texts that Xu cites explicitly and two others that may be identified from later catalogues. Werner has undertaken the task of tracing back all cited quotations, giving a concise introduction for each source. The first chapter of the book is rounded off by a translation of Xu Mengxin's foreword, in which he states that his intention was to prevent historians from distorting the facts and keeping reliable witnesses from being heard. Xu made use of sources such as imperial edicts and orders, appointments and bestowals, memoranda, biographies, epitaphs, collectanea, and personal letters. The ramification of the sources shows his efforts to include all available material, which he feared might otherwise be lost. Thanks to Werner, Xu's endeavor now successfully puts before our eyes the historical events that took place in the year of his birth.

The second chapter deals with the treatises between the Song and the Jin dynasties, as well as the conflicts arising between the two states from 1123 to 1125. The author...