Notes on the “Note” ( Ji 記) in Early Administrative Texts
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 20380274 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Luke Habberstad (0000-0002-9080-7371, University of Oregon, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2022 |
| Volume | 45 |
| Pages | 135-165 |
| Publication date | 2022-09-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Early China (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0362-5028 • E-ISSN: 2325-2324 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/eac.2022.9 |
| OpenAlex | W4306406140 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 5 |
This article examines ji 記 in received and excavated texts from the late Warring States, Qin, and Western Han periods. In pre-imperial texts, the word rarely appears, and when it does, it usually refers to records of historical events, precedents, or authoritative knowledge, but the word, in contrast to later periods, never means “note” or “letter.” By contrast, Western Han documents from the arid northwest regions contain many examples of texts that self-identify as ji . These ji are best characterized as less formal notes or letters that invited or required exchanges of items or information between people. The articles argues that this incorporation of ji into different kinds of administrative work gave the word a wider and subtler palette of meanings than it apparently enjoyed in the pre-imperial period, judging from the extant sources. The shift is echoed in descriptions of practices at the Western Han imperial court. Thus, a closer look at ji reminds us that administrative texts help us understand not only government operations, but also shifts in manuscript practices during the early empires
Aesthetics · Art · Extant taxon · Linguistics · Literature · Chinese history and philosophy · Computer Science · History · Hong Kong and Taiwan Politics · Japanese History and Culture · Philosophy
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |