History of the Soul

History of the Soul, written by Zhang Chengzhi, is a work of narrative history spanning 172 years, which explores the personal and religious conflicts among the Jahriyya, a Sufi tariqah in Northwestern China.^[1] Published in 1991, it went on to become China's second-best selling book in 1994.^[2][3]

Plot Summary

The book is divided into seven chapters or "gates", each corresponding to one of the seven generations of the masters, martyrs, and common people of the Jahriyya Order.

• Chapter 1: The Scarlet Green Banner (红色绿旗)
• Chapter 2: The True Vanishing (真实的隐没)
• Chapter 3: Exile (流放)
• Chapter 4: A New World (新世界)
• Chapter 5: The Beauty of Martyrdom (牺牲之美）
• Chapter 6: Disgraced (被侮辱的)
• Chapter 7: Knocking on Modernity's Gate (叩开现代的大门)

Editions

• First edition: 心灵史, People's Republic of China: Huacheng Publishing House, January 1991.^[4]
• 1995 edition: 张承志文学作品选集:心灵史卷, People's Republic of China: Hainan Publishing House, August 1995. ISBN 7-80617-536-9.
• Traditional Chinese edition: 心靈史──揭開哲合忍耶的聖域之謎, Republic of China (Taiwan): Fengyun Shidai, January 1997. ISBN 957-645-803-X.

References

Notes

Sources

• Aoki, Shigeharu (1997), "張承志/Zhang Chengzhi", オンライン中国20世紀文学辞典/Online dictionary of 20th-century Chinese literature, Osaka University of Foreign Studies 
• Gladney, Dru C. (March 2000), "China's National Insecurity: Old Challenges at the Dawn of the New Millennium", Asian Perspectives on the Challenges of China, Washington, D.C.: Institute for National Security Studies, National Defense University 
• Lin, Qingxin (2005), Brushing History Against The Grain: Reading the Chinese New Historical Fiction, 1986-1999, Hong Kong University Press, ISBN 978-962-209-697-4 
• Zhang, Chengzhi. Xin Ling Shi. Guangzhou Shi: Hua cheng chu ban she, 1991. Print.