Treatise on Astrology of the Kaiyuan Era

The Treatise on Astrology of the Kaiyuan Era is a Chinese astrology encyclopedia compiled by the lead editor Gautama Siddha and numerous scholars from 714 to 724 AD during the Kaiyuan era of Tang Dynasty. The compilation is attributed to the author by 729.[1] Its full title is regarded as the Great Tang Treatise on Astrology of the Kaiyuan Era. It is also referred to as the Kaiyuan Star Observations.[2]

Treatise on Astrology of the Kaiyuan Era
Volume 105 of the Treatise on Astrology of the Kaiyuan Era, on calendars
Traditional Chinese開元占經
Simplified Chinese开元占经

The book

The book is divided into 120 volumes and consisted of about 600,000 words. The compilation of writings was based on many previously written astrological and divination materials, and probably a similar classic known as the Yisizhan, compiled by Li Chunfeng approximately 645. It incorporated many fragments of other works, including the star catalogues of Shi Shen and Gan De, and contained a translated version of Navagraha calendar under the chapter of 104. The astronomical table of sines by the Indian mathematician and astronomer, Aryabhata, were also translated into the Kaiyuan Zhanjing.[3]

The manuscript copies had started to fade away since the 10th century, but was over again received a special attention by scholar Cheng Mingshan in 1616 and was later included in the Siku Quanshu collections of the 18th century.

Notes
  1. Whitfield, Susan. [2004] (2004). The Silk Road: Trade, Travel, War and Faith. British Library Staff. Serindia Publications, Inc. ISBN 1-932476-12-1
  2. Deng, Yinke. [2005] (2005). Chinese Ancient Inventions. ISBN 7-5085-0837-8
  3. Needham, Volume 3, 109.

References
  • Bai Shouyi; et al. (1989). A Comprehensive History of China. 10. Shanghai: Shanghai Renmin Chubanshe. pp. 2, 008–2, 009. ISBN 7-208-04997-1.
  • Liu Shaojun (1992). Studies of the Chinese Mystical Culture Series : Comment and Review on the Ancient Astrology. Beijing: Beijing Normal University Press. pp. 107–111. ISBN 7-303-01790-9.
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