I. Historical background

Biography of Historians of the Five Dynasties is a preface written by Ouyang Xiu for History of the Five Dynasties in the first year of Kangding, Song Renzong. The Five Dynasties period is an important historical stage in the history of China, which lasted for 53 years, including the Later Liang Dynasty, the Later Tang Dynasty, the Later Jin Dynasty, the Later Han Dynasty and the Later Five Dynasties. During this period, there were frequent wars, political corruption, social unrest and people in dire straits. This chaotic situation has brought profound disasters to the country. Therefore, how to govern the country and return the society to normal has become a common concern at that time.

Second, the author's background

Ouyang Xiu (1007- 1072) was born in Yongfeng, Jizhou (now Yongfeng County, Ji 'an City, Jiangxi Province). He is a writer, historian and politician, and one of the famous leaders of the ancient prose movement in the Northern Song Dynasty. His articles are famous for being fresh and refined, natural and graceful, and have extremely high literary value. At the same time, he also has a profound understanding and unique insights into history.

Third, the background of the times.

During the Northern Song Dynasty, although politics was relatively stable, social contradictions still existed. Ouyang Xiu was writing the preface of the Biography of Shi Lingguan in the Five Dynasties, which coincided with the reign of Renzong in the Northern Song Dynasty. Although the politics was relatively stable during this period, the problem of poverty and weakness in the country still existed. Therefore, how to make strong soldiers rich became the focus of attention at that time.

Fourth, cultural background.

During the Northern Song Dynasty, there was a strong cultural atmosphere and a large number of scholars came forth. During this period, Confucianism was still the mainstream of society, but other thoughts also developed. In literature, the ancient prose movement has been widely promoted, advocating the use of literature to carry the Tao and opposing the flashy style of writing. This cultural atmosphere provided a good condition for Ouyang Xiu to create Biography of Lingguan in the Five Dynasties.

Verb (short for verb) experience personally.

Ouyang Xiu experienced many years of political career when he wrote the preface of Biography of Lingguan in the Five Dynasties. He is well aware of the complexity of political and social contradictions. By writing this article, he expressed his views and attitudes towards history and politics. He emphasized the importance of Qiang Bing as a rich country and advocated political clarity and meritocracy. At the same time, he also expressed his dissatisfaction and criticism of the society at that time.

To sum up, the writing background of the preface to the biography of Lingguan in the Five Dynasties is various. It not only reflected the social reality and historical background at that time, but also embodied Ouyang Xiu's personal experience and thoughts. Through this article, we can see Ouyang Xiu's profound views and attitudes towards history and politics.