# Book of Zhou

The Book of Zhou (Zhōu Shū) records the official history of the Xianbei-led Western Wei and Northern Zhou dynasties of China, and ranks among the official Twenty-Four Histories of imperial China. Compiled by the Tang dynasty historian Linghu Defen, the work was completed in 636 CE and consists of 50 chapters, some of which have been lost and replaced from other sources.
The book was criticised by Liu Zhiji for its attempt to glorify the ancestors of Tang dynasty officials of the time.

## Sources

Compilation began with Liu Qiu 柳虯 (502-555) in the Western Wei, who was vice-director of the Palace Library. Liu Qiu was assigned to compile the imperial diary in 550. Liu Qiu was succeeded by Niu Hong 牛弘 (545-610) who also worked on the imperial diary and later became Director of the Palace Library. Niu Hong compiled an incomplete history of the Western Wei and Northern Zhou. In 629, Emperor Taizong of Tang appointed a team headed by Linghu Defen to work on compiling the Book of Zhou. The other team members were Cen Weben and Cui Renshi.

## Translations

Two partial translations have been published. Dien provides a translation of volume 11 on the biography of Yuwen Hu. Miller provides a partial translation of volume 50 on accounts of Western nations.

## Contents
### Annals (帝紀)

| # | Title | Translation |
| Volume 1 | 帝紀第1 文帝上 | Emperor Wen |
| Volume 2 | 帝紀第2 文帝下 | Emperor Wen |
| Volume 3 | 帝紀第3 孝閔帝 | Emperor Xiaomin |
| Volume 4 | 帝紀第4 明帝 | Emperor Ming |
| Volume 5 | 帝紀第5 武帝上 | Emperor Wu |
| Volume 6 | 帝紀第6 武帝下 | Emperor Wu |
| Volume 7 | 帝紀第7 宣帝 | Emperor Xuan |
| Volume 8 | 帝紀第8 靜帝 | Emperor Jing |

### Biographies (列傳)

| # | Title | Translation |
| Volume 9 | 列傳第1 皇后 | Empresses |
| Volume 10 | 列傳第2 邵惠公顥 杞簡公連 莒荘公洛生 虞國公仲 | Yuwen Hao |
| Volume 11 | 列傳第3 晉蕩公護 | Yuwen Hu |
| Volume 12 | 列傳第4 齊煬王憲 | Yuwen Xian |
| Volume 13 | 列傳第5 文閔明武宣諸子 | Princes of Wen; Princes of Xiaomin; Princes of Ming; Princes of Wu; Princes of Xuan |
| Volume 14 | 列傳第6 賀拔勝 賀拔允 賀拔岳 侯莫陳悅 念賢 | Heba Sheng; Heba Yue; Houmochen Yue |
| Volume 15 | 列傳第7 寇洛 李弼 李輝 李耀 于謹 | Li Bi; Yu Jin |
| Volume 16 | 列傳第8 趙貴 獨孤信 侯莫陳崇 | Zhao Gui; Dugu Xin; Houmochen Chong |
| Volume 17 | 列傳第9 梁禦 若干惠 怡峯 劉亮 王德 | Ruogan Hui |
| Volume 18 | 列傳第10 王羆 王慶遠 王述 王思政 | Wang Pi; Wang Shu; Wang Sizheng |
| Volume 19 | 列傳第11 達奚武 侯莫陳順 豆盧寧 豆盧永恩 宇文貴 楊忠 王雄 | Daxi Wu; Yuwen Gui; Yang Zhong; Wang Xiong |
| Volume 20 | 列傳第12 王盟 王勵 王懋 賀蘭祥 尉遲綱 叱列伏龜 閻慶 | Wang Ming; Wang Li; Helan Xiang; Yuchi Gang |
| Volume 21 | 列傳第13 尉遲迥 王謙 司馬消難 | Yuchi Jiong; Wang Qian; Sima Xiaonan |
| Volume 22 | 列傳第14 周惠達 楊寬 楊鈞 柳慶 柳機 柳弘 | Zhou Huida; Yang Kuan; Liu Qing |
| Volume 23 | 列傳第15 蘇綽 | Su Chuo |
| Volume 24 | 列傳第16 盧弁 | Lu Bian |
| Volume 25 | 列傳第17 李賢 | Li Xian (Northern Zhou); Li Yuan (Northern Zhou) |
| Volume 26 | 列傳第18 長孫儉 長孫紹遠 斛斯徵 | Zhangsun Jian |
| Volume 27 | 列傳第19 赫連達 韓果 蔡祐 常善 辛威 厙狄昌 田弘 梁椿 梁台 宇文測 | |
| Volume 28 | 列傳第20 史寧 陸騰 賀若敦 權景宣 | Shi Ning; Lu Teng; Heruo Dun |
| Volume 29 | 列傳第21 王傑 王勇 宇文虯 宇文盛 耿豪 高琳 李和 伊婁穆 楊紹 王雅 達奚寔 劉雄 侯植 | |
| Volume 30 | 列傳第22 竇熾 竇善 于翼 | Dou Chi; Yu Yi |
| Volume 31 | 列傳第23 韋孝寬 韋敻 梁士彥 | Wei Xiaokuan; Wei Xiong; Liang Shiyan |
| Volume 32 | 列傳第24 申徽 陸通 柳敏 盧柔 唐瑾 | |
| Volume 33 | 列傳第25 厙狄峙 楊薦 趙剛 王慶 趙昶 王悅 趙文表 | |
| Volume 34 | 列傳第26 趙善 元定 楊摽 裴寬 楊敷 | |
| Volume 35 | 列傳第27 鄭孝穆 崔謙 崔猷 裴俠 薛端 薛善 | |
| Volume 36 | 列傳第28 鄭偉 楊纂 段永 王士良 崔彥穆 令狐整 司馬裔 裴果 | Zheng Wei |
| Volume 37 | 列傳第29 寇儁 韓褒 趙肅 徐招 張軌 李彥 郭彥 裴文舉 | |
| Volume 38 | 列傳第30 蘇亮 柳虯 呂思禮 薛憕 薛真 李昶 元偉 | |
| Volume 39 | 列傳第31 韋瑱 梁昕 皇甫璠 辛慶之 王子直 杜杲 | Wei Tian |
| Volume 40 | 列傳第32 尉遲運 王軌 宇文神舉 宇文孝伯 顏之儀 | Yuchi Yun; Wang Gui; Yuwen Shenju; Yuwen Xiaobo; Yan Zhiyi |
| Volume 41 | 列傳第33 王褒 庾信 | Wang Bao; Yu Xin |
| Volume 42 | 列傳第34 蕭撝 蕭世怡 蕭圓肅 蕭大圜 宗懍 劉璠 柳霞 | Xiao Hui; Xiao Yuansu; Xiao Dahuan; Liu Fan |
| Volume 43 | 列傳第35 李延孫 韋祐 韓雄 陳忻 魏玄 | |
| Volume 44 | 列傳第36 泉企 李遷哲 楊乾運 扶猛 陽雄 席固 任果 | |
| Volume 45 | 列傳第37 儒林 | Confucian Scholars |
| Volume 46 | 列傳第38 孝義 | Filial Piety |
| Volume 47 | 列傳第39 藝術 | Artists |
| Volume 48 | 列傳第40 蕭詧 | Xiao Cha; Xiao Kui; Xiao Cong |
| Volume 49 | 列傳第41 異域上 | Goguryeo; Baekje; Nanman; Rau peoples; Tanchang; Bailan; Di (Five Barbarians); Kumo Xi |
| Volume 50 | 列傳第42 異域下 | Turkic Khaganate; Tuyuhun; Gaochang; Shanshan; Karasahr; Kucha; Kingdom of Khotan; Hephthalite Empire; Sogdia; Parthian Empire; Sasanian Empire |