My research is about the development of historiography in Early Modern Northeast Asia, in particular historical writing of the Edo- and Qing periods. For the latter, I am focused on texts written in the Manchu language. Japanese and Manchu historical writing was heavily inspired by the Chinese historiographical tradition. However, both cultures were located on the periphery of the Sinosphere and considered barbaric by the Han-Chinese scholar elite that dominated the production of history in pre-modern China. I therefore want to examine the ways in which Japanese and Manchu historians adapted Chinese historiography and dealt with some of its core concepts, such as the Sino-barbarian distinction, the Mandate of Heaven, and Confucian ideas about legitimacy.
The research grant allowed me to conduct a research trip to Beijing, where I was able to access valuable Manchu-languages sources, first of all the Manchu-language manuscript of the Research of Manchu Origins (MA: Hesei tokobuha manjusai da sekiyen-i kimcin bithe) stored at the National Library. This source, on which there has been no prior research that I am aware of, will certainly prove valuable in my future research. I plan to discuss this text in my dissertation, comparing it particularly with the Tokushi Yoron by Arai Hakuseki, which follows a similar format.
In addition, I intend to publish a survey essay about this source. I also plan to discuss its Manchu-centric portrayal of Korean history in comparison with the Japan-centric conception found in the Dainihonshi in a future conference presentation.
Besides this, I also gained access to several other documents from the First Historical Archive as well as recent literature on Manchu history that is not accessible in Japan and was able to form valuable connections to the Manchu Studies community in Mainland China, particularly at Renmin University.