Yingya Shenglan
The Yingya Shenglan, written by Ma Huan and published in 1451, is a book about the countries visited by the Chinese over the course of the Ming treasure voyages led by Zheng He.
| Yingya Shenglan | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Pages from a printed edition of the Yingya Shenglan | |||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 瀛涯勝覽 | ||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 瀛涯胜览 | ||||||
| Literal meaning | The Overall Survey of the Ocean's Shores | ||||||
| |||||||
Ma Huan served as an interpreter on the fourth, sixth, and seventh voyage.[1][2] Guo Chongli, who participated in three of the expeditions, was Ma Huan collaborator on the Yingya Shenglan.[3] These two gentlemen recorded their observations in notes, which were used to compose the Yingya Shenglan.[3]
Development
Soon after the return to China in 1415, Ma Huan began arranging their notes in book form.[1] In 1416, he wrote a foreword and poem for the book.[1] Some time after 1424, Ma Huan introduced the posthumous title of the Yongle Emperor, who had recently died, to the foreword.[1]
In 1444, Ma Jing wrote a foreword for the book.[4] In 1451, the imperial clerk Gu Po wrote an afterword for the book.[5] Guo Chongli, with the help of his friend Lu Ting-yung, successfully sought out Gu Po to write the afterword.[4] The book was published in 1451.[4]
Versions
There is no known extant version of the original Yingya Shenglan, published in 1451.[6] However, later copies of Ma Huan's work have been preserved, even though these copies contain differences due to later editors.[6]
The Guochao Diangu (國朝典故), edited by Zhu Dangmian (朱當㴐) at an unknown date between 1451 and 1644, contains one of the versions of the Yingya Shenglan.[6] The version comprises 42 folios in chapter 106 of the work.[6] The National Library in Beijing houses this edition of the work, possibly the only extant example.[6] The version does not include Ma Huan's foreword of 1416, his poem, or Gu Po's afterword of 1451.[6] There is nothing known about the documents on which this version was based.[6] There are a few copies made from the printed version in the Guochao Diangu, but these may be contain differences from each other and the earlier print.[6] For instance, the Columbia University Libraries in New York houses a copy, but there are indications that the copyist availed themselves to other documents as it contains the foreword, poem, and afterword, has corrected readings, and adds few additional words that do not appear in the print.[6]
Zhang Sheng's (張昇) so-called "rifacimento" of the Yingya Shenglan appears in a posthumous edition of Zhang Sheng's works, published by his son in 1522.[6] The version was also published in chapter 63 of the Jilu Huibian (circa 1617), comprising 22 folios, and incorporated in various other collections.[6] Zhang Sheng condensed and rewrote the Yingya Shenglan into a literary style of composition, while Ma Huan had originally written it in a colloquial style.[6]
The Jilu Huibian (紀錄彙編), published by Shen Jiefu (沈節甫) in circa 1617, also contains another version of the Yingya Shenglan.[6] The version comprises 47 folios in chapter 62 of the work.[6] It includes Ma Huan's foreword of 1416, his poem, and Gu Po's afterword of 1451.[6] Examples of the work are housed at the Cambridge University Library, the Institut des Hautes Études Chinoises in Paris, and the Library of Congress in Washington.[6] Manuscript copies of the version can be found at the British Museum in London and the Sinological Institute in Leiden.[6]
The Shengchao Yishi (勝朝遺事), published by Wu Miguang (吳彌光) in 1824, contains a version of the Yingya Shenglan.[6] The version comprises 48 folios in chapter 1 of the work.[6] The Institut des Hautes Études Chinoises in Paris houses an example of the work.[6] The version was based on a manuscript, of which nothing is known.[6]
See also
References
- Mills 1970, 35.
- Dreyer 2007, 6–7.
- Mills 1970, 55.
- Mills 1970, 36.
- Mills 1970, 36–37.
- Mills 1970, 34-41.
Bibliography
- Dreyer, Edward L. (2007). Zheng He: China and the Oceans in the Early Ming Dynasty, 1405–1433. New York, NY: Pearson Longman. ISBN 9780321084439.
- Mills, J. V. G. (1970). Ying-yai Sheng-lan: 'The Overall Survey of the Ocean's Shores' [1433]. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-01032-2.
Further reading
- Rockhill, William Woodville (1914). "Notes on the Relations and Trade of China with the Eastern Archipelago and the Coast of the Indian Ocean During the Fourteenth Century, Part I - I." T'oung Pao. 1: 419–447.
- Rockhill, William Woodville (1915). "Notes on the Relations and Trade of China with the Eastern Archipelago and the Coast of the Indian Ocean During the Fourteenth Century, Part II - Introductory Note". T'oung Pao. 1: 61–159.
- Rockhill, William Woodville (1915). "Notes on the Relations and Trade of China with the Eastern Archipelago and the Coast of the Indian Ocean During the Fourteenth Century, Part II - II. Java and the Eastern Archipelago". T'oung Pao. 1: 236–271.
- Rockhill, William Woodville (1915). "Notes on the Relations and Trade of China with the Eastern Archipelago and the Coast of the Indian Ocean During the Fourteenth Century, Part II - III. Ceylon and Maldive Islands". T'oung Pao. 1: 374–392.
- Rockhill, William Woodville (1915). "Notes on the relations and trade of China with the eastern archipelago and the coast of the Indian Ocean during the fourteenth century, Part II - IV. Coasts of India". T'oung Pao. 1: 435–467.