Qing historiography about Lin Zexu (1785-1850): traditions of biography genre

In China, biography writing for many centuries has occupied a special position; a position shaped both by the forms and purposes of Chinese historical writing and by the fabric of Chinese society. The approach to biography found in the official dynastic histories, as well as in local histories compiled for individual districts of the empire had several distinctive characteristics. The ultimate purpose of a biography was to instruct officials in orthodoxy. The present article is part of academic research in which the author tries to investigate tendencies in historiographical tradition in China by means of the description of an eminent person in Qing history - Lin Zexu 林則徐 (1785-1850), who has been honored and remembered for his resolute opposition to the opium trade and stiff resistance to foreign incursions. The sources used depict genuine attempts to create Lin Zexu’s image as a dedicated official loyal to the Emperor. Later his image was developed to that of a national patriot (during the Kuomintang period of China). More recently PRC historians have portrayed him, on the one hand, as a patriot who struggled against the foreign invasion, and, on the other hand, as a clever official who attempted to make use of Western scientific achievements. Interest in Lin Zexu has been continuous until the present. Soon after his death, many writers produced works describing his life and activities. Certain historiographic conventions are evident in their descriptions. One of the major features of Chinese biographical writing is its tendency to stereotype its subjects. As a rule, such stereotyping is established in a more or less developed form in the writings of the subject’s contemporaries. In later literature, however, characterizations may be altered according to current political conditions and the views of individual authors. Lin Zexu’s early biographies were written in a strictly conventional style. One similarity is that they all are quite short. This comparative conciseness, however, may be a feature of Chinese biographical writing. The character of the subject is once and for all defined, and the common result is a retouched portrait of the completely idealized prominent statesman, presented as a flawless model. Written in such a manner, Qing biographies served as finales in the process of sanctification of the deceased ancestors, while also fulfilling a didactic function by encouraging future state officials to cultivate Confucian morale.