Sources

Although the Book of Liang was finally attributed to Yao Silian, a number of people worked on it. Initially, Emperor Wen of Sui ordered Yao Cha 姚察 (533–606) to compile the Book of Liang but Yao Cha died without being able to complete it. Before dying Yao Cha requested that his son Yao Silian complete the work. Emperor Yang of Sui agreed to compilation of the text by Yao Silian. In the Tang, the compilation of the text was part of an initiative at the suggestion of Linghu Defen shortly after the founding of the Tang dynasty to compile a number of histories for the previous dynasties. Then, Yao Silian was ordered to complete the Book of Chen by Emperor Gaozu of Tang, who ordered other scholars to work on the Book of Liang. When those scholars did not complete their task, Yao Silian was again ordered to work on the text. The Book of Liang was finally compiled by Yao Silian under the supervision of Fang Xuanling and Wei Zheng in the Tang, incorporating at least some of the work of his predecessors.

Quotations on Japan and its surrounding neighbours

It contains the history of the Liang dynasty, and various descriptions of countries to the east of China. One such passage is the description by the monk Hui Shen (慧深) of the country of Fusang, 20,000 li east of China.

Note, the Chinese measure of distance (li) used in the Book of Liang corresponds to 400 metres.

The State of Wa

Wa was an ancient kingdom of Japan. Though little concrete information can be found today, its capital precinct, Yamatai, was most likely located either in Kyūshū or in the Kinki region.

:"As for Wa, they say of themselves that they are posterity of Tàibó. The people are all tattooed. Their territory is about 20,000 li (1,500 kilometres) from our realm, roughly to the east of Guiji (modern Shaoxing (Zhejiang)). It is impossibly distant. To get there from Daifang, it is necessary to follow the coast and go beyond the Korean state to the south-east for about 500 kilometres, then for the first time cross a sea to a small island 75 kilometres away, then cross the sea again for 75 kilometres to Miro country (Ch: 未盧國). 50 kilometers to the southeast is the country of Ito (Ch:伊都國). 10 kilometres to the southeast is the country of Nu (Ch:奴國). 10 kilometers to the east is the country of Bumi (Ch:不彌國). 20 days to the south by boat is the country of Touma (Ch:投馬國). 10 days to the south by boat or one month by land is the country of Yamatai (邪馬臺國). There resides the King of the Wa people."

The State of Wenshen

"The country of Wenshen is 7,000 li (500 kilometers) north-east of the country of Wa. Over their body, they have tattoos depicting wild beasts. They have three tattooed marks on their foreheads. The marks are straight for noble people, and they are small for lowly people. The people like music, but are not very generous in spite of their affluence, and do not give anything to strangers. They have houses, but no castles. The place in which their king resides is decorated with gold and silver in a manner of rare beauty. The buildings are surrounded by a ditch, about one cho in width, which they fill with quicksilver. When there is rain, it flows on top of the quicksilver. They have many rare things in their markets. Those who are guilty of a light offence are immediately punished with leather whips. Those who commit crimes punishable by death are made to be eaten by ferocious beasts; if there has been any error, then the ferocious beasts will avoid and not eat the victim. Crimes can also be redeemed through imprisonment without food."

The State of Dahan

"The people of Dahan are 5,000 li (400 kilometers) east of Wenshen. They do not have an army and are not aggressive. Their manners are the same as those of the country of Wenshen, but their language differs."

Contents

Annals (本紀)

Biographies (列傳)

過程

最早蕭子顯寫有《普通北伐記》五卷，蕭韶寫有《梁太清記》十卷，沈約寫有《武帝本紀》十四卷，周興嗣寫有《梁皇帝實錄》五卷。許亨寫成《梁史》五十八卷。梁代謝昊又有《梁書》四十九卷，陳代何之元和隋代劉璠各成《梁典》三十卷。

姚思廉之父姚察在隋時有舊稿，大業二年（606年）姚察死，囑其子思廉續書，貞觀三年（629年）思廉奉命修史，房玄齡和魏徵為總監修，並採謝昊、顧野王諸家舊作，貞觀十年（636年）書成。《梁書》紀六卷、列傳五十卷，無表、無志，有二十六卷卷末論讚稱「陳吏部尚書姚察曰」。

另在列傳中新創《止足列傳》，記述功成身退的士大夫的事跡。

特點和志表

該書特點之一為引用文以外的部份不以當時流行的駢體文，而以散文書寫。

後人據相關史料補作《梁書》的志表，清人萬斯同《歷代史表》中有《梁諸王世表》、《梁將相大臣年表》各1卷，洪齮孫《補梁疆域志》4卷。

內容

本紀

• 卷一·本紀第一 - 武帝上

• 卷二·本紀第二 - 武帝中

• 卷三·本紀第三 - 武帝下

• 卷四·本紀第四 - 簡文帝

• 卷五·本紀第五 - 元帝

• 卷六·本紀第六 - 敬帝

列傳

註：有*者為姚察撰論

• 卷七·列傳第一 皇后 - 太祖張皇后・高祖郗皇后・太宗王皇后・高祖丁貴嬪・高祖阮修容・世祖徐妃

• 卷八·列傳第二* - 昭明太子・哀太子・愍懷太子

• 卷九·列傳第三* - 王茂・曹景宗・柳慶遠

• 卷十·列傳第四* - 蕭穎達・夏侯詳・蔡道恭・楊公則・鄧元起

• 卷十一·列傳第五* - 張弘策・鄭紹叔・呂僧珍

• 卷十二·列傳第六* - 柳惔・席闡文・韋叡

• 卷十三·列傳第七* - 范雲・沈約・沈旋

• 卷十四·列傳第八* - 江淹・任昉

• 卷十五·列傳第九* - 謝朏

• 卷十六·列傳第十* - 王亮・張稷・王瑩

• 卷十七·列傳第十一* - 王珍國・馬仙琕・張齊

• 卷十八·列傳第十二* - 張惠紹・馮道根・康絢・昌義之

• 卷十九·列傳第十三* - 宗夬・劉坦・樂藹

• 卷二十·列傳第十四 - 劉季連・陳伯之

• 卷二十一·列傳第十五 - 王瞻・王志・王峻・王暕・王泰・王份・張充・柳惲・蔡撙・江蒨

• 卷二十二·列傳第十六 太祖五王 - 臨川王宏・安成王秀・南平王偉・鄱陽王恢・始興王憺

• 卷二十三·列傳第十七 - 長沙嗣王業・永陽嗣王伯游・衡陽嗣王元簡・桂陽嗣王象

• 卷二十四·列傳第十八 - 蕭景

• 卷二十五·列傳第十九* - 周捨・徐勉

• 卷二十六·列傳第二十 - 范岫・傅昭・蕭琛・陸杲

• 卷二十七·列傳第二十一* - 陸倕・到洽・明山賓・殷鈞・陸襄

• 卷二十八·列傳第二十二 - 裴邃・夏侯亶・韋放

• 卷二十九·列傳第二十三 高祖三王 - 南康王績・廬陵威王續・邵陵攜王綸

• 卷三十·列傳第二十四* - 裴子野・顧協・徐摛・鮑泉

• 卷三十一·列傳第二十五 - 袁昂

• 卷三十二·列傳第二十六 - 陳慶之・蘭欽

• 卷三十三·列傳第二十七* - 王僧孺・張率・劉孝綽・王筠

• 卷三十四·列傳第二十八* - 張緬

• 卷三十五·列傳第二十九* - 蕭子恪

• 卷三十六·列傳第三十 - 孔休源・江革

• 卷三十七·列傳第三十一* - 謝舉・何敬容

• 卷三十八·列傳第三十二* - 朱異・賀琛

• 卷三十九·列傳第三十三 - 元法僧・元樹・元願達・王神念・羊侃・羊鴉仁

• 卷四十·列傳第三十四* - 司馬褧・到溉・劉顯・劉之遴・許懋

• 卷四十一·列傳第三十五 - 王規・王承・褚翔・蕭介・褚球・劉孺・劉潛・殷蕓・蕭幾

• 卷四十二·列傳第三十六* - 臧盾・傅岐

• 卷四十三·列傳第三十七 - 韋粲・江子一・張嵊・沈浚・柳敬禮

• 卷四十四·列傳第三十八 太宗十一王・世祖二子

• 卷四十五·列傳第三十九 - 王僧辯

• 卷四十六·列傳第四十 - 胡僧祐・徐文盛・杜崱・陰子春

• 卷四十七·列傳第四十一 孝行 - 滕曇恭・沈崇傃・荀匠・庾黔婁・吉翂・甄恬・韓懷明・劉曇淨・何炯・庾沙彌・江紑・劉霽・褚脩・謝藺

• 卷四十八·列傳第四十二 儒林* - 伏曼容・何佟之・范縝・嚴植之・賀瑒・司馬筠・卞華・崔靈恩・孔僉・盧廣・沈峻・太史叔明・孔子袪・皇侃

• 卷四十九·列傳第四十三 文學上* - 到沆・丘遲・劉苞・袁峻・庾於陵・劉昭・何遜・鍾嶸・周興嗣

• 卷五十·列傳第四十四 文學下* - 劉峻・謝幾卿・劉勰・王籍・何思澄・劉杳・謝徵・臧嚴・伏挺・庾仲容・陸雲公・任孝恭・顏協

• 卷五十一·列傳第四十五 處士* - 何點・阮孝緒・陶弘景・諸葛璩・沈顗・劉慧斐・范元琰・劉訏・劉歊・庾詵・張孝秀・庾承先

• 卷五十二·列傳第四十六 止足 - 顧憲之・陶季直・蕭眎素

• 卷五十三·列傳第四十七 良吏* - 庾蓽・沈瑀・范述曾・丘仲孚・孫謙・伏暅・何遠

• 卷五十四·列傳第四十八 諸夷 - 林邑國・扶南國・盤盤國・丹丹國・幹陁利國・狼牙修國・婆利國・中天竺國・師子國・高句驪・百濟・新羅・倭・文身國・大漢國・扶桑國・河南王國・高昌國・滑國・周古柯國・呵跋檀國・胡蜜丹國・白題國・龜茲・于闐・渴盤陀國・末國・波斯國・宕昌國・鄧至國・武興國・芮芮國

• 卷五十五·列傳第四十九 - 豫章王綜・武陵王紀・臨賀王正德・河東王譽

• 卷五十六·列傳第五十 - 侯景・王偉

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