A fake translation that never existed

Abstract

This is a case study of one of the best‐known fake translations in Chinese history. The common belief is, that a female ruler ordered its production as a means to justify her reign. This article traces the accounts of this event given in China's dynastic histories and Buddhist histories, as well as developments and new information revealed in the 20^th century. Through an analysis of the reasons for the condemnation of this text, the norms which control the evaluation of translated texts are revealed.