A Tentative Discussion of The "Four Histories" and The "Cultural Revolution" (II)

Abstract

Since the Four Histories movement on the mainland was composed of family history, factory (mining) history, village history, and communal history, it would seem that these four histories should each have a similar share of the total volume. Judging by the data available abroad, however, there seemed to be an uneven development. Clan history was dragged into family history, and they merged into a whole. Later on, clan history flourished independently so that the total volume of family and clan histories stands first among the Four Histories, with factory (mining) histories next, communal histories third, and village histories, with the least number, occupying last place. It is not easy to surmise whether this is due to the lack of data overseas, or to some lopsided development of the Four Histories.