Xiào Zhuàn 孝傳
Biographies of Filial Piety anonymous
About the work
Xiào Zhuàn 孝傳 is a jíyìběn reconstruction of a lost collection of exemplary biographies related to filial piety, distinct from the several Xiàozǐ Zhuàn 孝子傳 texts in this division. At over 900 lines, it is a substantial compilation. The title xiào zhuàn 孝傳 rather than xiàozǐ zhuàn 孝子傳 may indicate a broader scope beyond simply biographies of filial sons — perhaps including filial daughters, filial daughters-in-law, or admonitions and instructions related to the virtue of xiào 孝.
Tiyao
No tiyao found in source. This is a jíyìběn reconstruction.
Abstract
The xiào genre was among the most prolific in early medieval Chinese biographical writing, reflecting the central position of filial piety in Hàn-through-Táng moral thought and social practice. This particular collection may be related to one recorded in the Suí Shū 隋書 bibliography, though the attribution is lost. The fragments include narratives of filial devotion, state recognition of filial conduct, and didactic passages on the obligations of filial piety. They were recovered from the Tàipíng Yùlǎn 太平御覽 and other standard sources.
Translations and research
No substantial secondary literature located.