Li Xinchuan

Li Xinchuan (, 1167–1244) was a Chinese historian during the Southern Song dynasty. Born to a prodigious scholar-official in southern Sichuan, Li gained an interest in history as a teenager and sought to create a set of annals covering the history of the Southern Song.

Failing the jinshi imperial examinations in 1196, he began private scholarship in Sichuan, compiling historical texts. He became well known for his historical studies and was appointed as the proofreader of the Imperial Library in Lin'an (modern Hangzhou) in 1226, where he began compiling a state history of the Southern Song. He was granted an honorary jinshi degree in 1229, but censured in 1233 and forced to return to Sichuan, where he worked for the provincial government. Forced to return to Lin'an by the Mongol invasions in 1237, he became the director of the Imperial Library in 1238 and resumed work on his state histories. He was censured again for criticizing the state response to the wartime famine and forced to move to Huizhou, Anhui, where he died in 1244.

Li's most famous work is his , chronological annals of the Southern Song from 1127 to 1162. His other surviving works include a supplementary guide to the chronology titled , a short history of the Neo-Confucian movement titled , and , a partially-surviving set of notes on Song history.

Biography Map of China during the Southern Song dynasty, showing its division between the Song, Jurchen Jin, and Western Xia. Sichuan is on the western frontier of Song territory. In 1167, Li Xinchuan was born in Jingyan County, situated within the salt-producing region of Longzhou in southern Sichuan. He was the eldest of three brothers. His father, Li Shunchen , was a prodigious scholar who had obtained the jinshi degree (the highest rank in the imperial examination system) in 1166. Although he alienated the Southern Song court officials through his advocacy of a warlike policy towards the Jurchen Jin dynasty and the reclamation of northern China, he gained a position at the Court of the Imperial Clan in 1179. This was likely due to the advocacy of Grand Chancellor , who was also from Sichuan. Li moved to Lin'an (the capital of the Southern Song, now Hangzhou) with his three sons–Li Xinchuan, , and Xingchuan . They were educated in the traditional manner in preparation for the imperial examinations, specializing in the Book of Documents.

Li Xinchuan later recalled developing an interest in history while accompanying his father to the imperial archives in Lin'an; he wrote that he had overheard ministers there lamenting the lack of annals since 1127, when the Jin invasion pushed the Song south. Li Shunchen died in 1182, and his sons returned to Sichuan. The Li brothers studied for the imperial examinations over the next fifteen years, seeking to obtain the jinshi rank themselves. Two of them took the exams in 1196; Li Daochuan passed and became an official, while Li Xinchuan failed after one attempt. After this, Li Xinchuan returned to Longzhou and in 1197 began working as a private scholar, compiling historical texts over the following decades. Xinchuan was initially overshadowed by his brother Daochuan, who became a noted Neo-Confucianian scholar and loyalist official. Daochuan compiled the main source for the collected sayings of the philosopher Zhu Xi.

In 1200, Li completed his first book, the now-lost . Eight years later, he presented his major historical work, , and gained acclaim as a historian. He gained the courtesy name Weizhi and the art name Xiuyan . In 1205, an acquaintance warned Li that some powerful political figures were hostile to the compilation of private histories. As a result, he ceased work on these until the death of the autocratic Grand Chancellor Han Tuozhou in 1207.

Li's reputation as a scholar grew across the Song empire. Following the ascension of Emperor Lizong in 1224, a group of 23 officials—including Neo-Confucian scholar Wei Liaoweng—petitioned for him to be appointed to an official position. In 1226, he came to Lin'an and was appointed to be the proofreader for the Imperial Library, where he was commissioned to work on official histories of the Southern Song. Still a commoner at the time of his appointment, he was granted officialdom in 1227, and two years later was granted the jinshi degree; imperial records state that this was conferred due to the emperor's appreciation for one of his memorials to the throne.

In 1233, Li was indicted by the Censorate and forced to return to Sichuan. This was possibly due to his advocacy for Neo-Confucianism; according to the History of Song, Emperor Lizong asked Li in 1232 to recommend scholars who had previously declined offers of court positions. He recommended , whom Li saw as the greatest living Neo-Confucian scholar. As Li Fan had left his administrative posts in protest against Councillor Shi Miyuan's administration, the suggestion may have been interpreted as a protest against Shi. Although the Emperor reportedly approved of Li Xinchuan's suggestion, it was not acted upon, and Li Fan died shortly after. Soon after returning home, Li was ordered to the Sichuan capital of Chengdu to assist the provincial government in compiling a state compendium.

Li was recalled to court in 1236, possibly to allow him to leave Sichuan, which had become the front-line of the Mongol invasion. He returned to Lin'an in 1237 as part of a wave of Sichuan scholar-officials fleeing the conflict. He was appointed as the assistant director of the Imperial Library the following year and resumed work on the state histories. He was promoted to the director of the library later in 1238.

In 1240, famine struck Lin'an, exacerbated by the Mongol invasions, resulting in widespread death and cannibalism. Li wrote another memorial, blaming the famine on a lack of war preparations and incompetence by self-serving officials, and advocating that the emperor fire many of his advisors. For this, Li was again censured and sent to Huizhou, Anhui, where he was given a sinecure (a salaried position without official duties), serving as the guardian of a temple.

Li's successor as compiler of the state histories, Gao Dingzi, submitted them to the court at the request of chancellor . Shi censored portions of the text relating to his uncle Shi Miyuan's installment of Emperor Lizong as heir to the throne. Several officials, including Li, opposed this change. After this, Li had his sinecure removed and was sent into official retirement in 1242. He died in Huizhou in 1244. Li had no sons, and it is unknown if he was married. As such, one of his brother Daochuan's sons served as his heir.