Twenty-Two Histories Textual Criticism

CORE DEFINITION

The Twenty-Two Histories Textual Criticism is the major work of the Qing scholar Qian Daxin, who systematically examined twenty-two official dynastic histories for textual corruption, factual error and chronological inconsistency. The method combines collation of variant editions with epigraphic evidence from stone inscriptions and cross-reference to local gazetteers. The core proposition is that a historical claim gains credibility only when several independent sources can be made to corroborate it, and that discrepancies between sources are the most productive places to look. The key qualification is that the method establishes the reliability of the record rather than the meaning of events, so it must be paired with interpretation.