过程

最早萧子显写有《普通北伐记》五卷，萧韶写有《梁太清记》十卷，沈约写有《武帝本纪》十四卷，周兴嗣写有《梁皇帝实录》五卷。许亨写成《梁史》五十八卷。梁代谢昊又有《梁书》四十九卷，陈代何之元和隋代刘璠各成《梁典》三十卷。

姚思廉之父姚察在隋时有旧稿，大业二年（606年）姚察死，嘱其子思廉续书，贞观三年（629年）思廉奉命修史，房玄龄和魏徵为总监修，并采谢昊、顾野王诸家旧作，贞观十年（636年）书成。《梁书》纪六卷、列传五十卷，无表、无志，有二十六卷卷末论赞称「陈吏部尚书姚察曰」。

另在列传中新创《止足列传》，记述功成身退的士大夫的事迹。

特点和志表

该书特点之一为引用文以外的部份不以当时流行的骈体文，而以散文书写。

后人据相关史料补作《梁书》的志表，清人万斯同《历代史表》中有《梁诸王世表》、《梁将相大臣年表》各1卷，洪齮孙《补梁疆域志》4卷。

内容

本纪

• 卷一·本纪第一 - 武帝上

• 卷二·本纪第二 - 武帝中

• 卷三·本纪第三 - 武帝下

• 卷四·本纪第四 - 简文帝

• 卷五·本纪第五 - 元帝

• 卷六·本纪第六 - 敬帝

列传

注：有*者为姚察撰论

• 卷七·列传第一 皇后 - 太祖张皇后・高祖郗皇后・太宗王皇后・高祖丁贵嫔・高祖阮修容・世祖徐妃

• 卷八·列传第二* - 昭明太子・哀太子・愍怀太子

• 卷九·列传第三* - 王茂・曹景宗・柳庆远

• 卷十·列传第四* - 萧颖达・夏侯详・蔡道恭・杨公则・邓元起

• 卷十一·列传第五* - 张弘策・郑绍叔・吕僧珍

• 卷十二·列传第六* - 柳惔・席阐文・韦睿

• 卷十三·列传第七* - 范云・沈约・沈旋

• 卷十四·列传第八* - 江淹・任昉

• 卷十五·列传第九* - 谢朏

• 卷十六·列传第十* - 王亮・张稷・王莹

• 卷十七·列传第十一* - 王珍国・马仙琕・张齐

• 卷十八·列传第十二* - 张惠绍・冯道根・康绚・昌义之

• 卷十九·列传第十三* - 宗夬・刘坦・乐蔼

• 卷二十·列传第十四 - 刘季连・陈伯之

• 卷二十一·列传第十五 - 王瞻・王志・王峻・王暕・王泰・王份・张充・柳恽・蔡撙・江蒨

• 卷二十二·列传第十六 太祖五王 - 临川王宏・安成王秀・南平王伟・鄱阳王恢・始兴王憺

• 卷二十三·列传第十七 - 长沙嗣王业・永阳嗣王伯游・衡阳嗣王元简・桂阳嗣王象

• 卷二十四·列传第十八 - 萧景

• 卷二十五·列传第十九* - 周舍・徐勉

• 卷二十六·列传第二十 - 范岫・傅昭・萧琛・陆杲

• 卷二十七·列传第二十一* - 陆倕・到洽・明山宾・殷钧・陆襄

• 卷二十八·列传第二十二 - 裴邃・夏侯亶・韦放

• 卷二十九·列传第二十三 高祖三王 - 南康王绩・庐陵威王续・邵陵携王纶

• 卷三十·列传第二十四* - 裴子野・顾协・徐摛・鲍泉

• 卷三十一·列传第二十五 - 袁昂

• 卷三十二·列传第二十六 - 陈庆之・兰钦

• 卷三十三·列传第二十七* - 王僧孺・张率・刘孝绰・王筠

• 卷三十四·列传第二十八* - 张缅

• 卷三十五·列传第二十九* - 萧子恪

• 卷三十六·列传第三十 - 孔休源・江革

• 卷三十七·列传第三十一* - 谢举・何敬容

• 卷三十八·列传第三十二* - 朱异・贺琛

• 卷三十九·列传第三十三 - 元法僧・元树・元愿达・王神念・羊侃・羊鸦仁

• 卷四十·列传第三十四* - 司马褧・到溉・刘显・刘之遴・许懋

• 卷四十一·列传第三十五 - 王规・王承・褚翔・萧介・褚球・刘孺・刘潜・殷芸・萧几

• 卷四十二·列传第三十六* - 臧盾・傅岐

• 卷四十三·列传第三十七 - 韦粲・江子一・张嵊・沈浚・柳敬礼

• 卷四十四·列传第三十八 太宗十一王・世祖二子

• 卷四十五·列传第三十九 - 王僧辩

• 卷四十六·列传第四十 - 胡僧佑・徐文盛・杜崱・阴子春

• 卷四十七·列传第四十一 孝行 - 滕昙恭・沈崇傃・荀匠・庾黔娄・吉翂・甄恬・韩怀明・刘昙净・何炯・庾沙弥・江紑・刘霁・褚修・谢蔺

• 卷四十八·列传第四十二 儒林* - 伏曼容・何佟之・范缜・严植之・贺瑒・司马筠・卞华・崔灵恩・孔佥・卢广・沈峻・太史叔明・孔子袪・皇侃

• 卷四十九·列传第四十三 文学上* - 到沆・丘迟・刘苞・袁峻・庾于陵・刘昭・何逊・锺嵘・周兴嗣

• 卷五十·列传第四十四 文学下* - 刘峻・谢几卿・刘勰・王籍・何思澄・刘杳・谢徵・臧严・伏挺・庾仲容・陆云公・任孝恭・颜协

• 卷五十一·列传第四十五 处士* - 何点・阮孝绪・陶弘景・诸葛璩・沈顗・刘慧斐・范元琰・刘吁・刘歊・庾诜・张孝秀・庾承先

• 卷五十二·列传第四十六 止足 - 顾宪之・陶季直・萧眎素

• 卷五十三·列传第四十七 良吏* - 庾荜・沈瑀・范述曾・丘仲孚・孙谦・伏暅・何远

• 卷五十四·列传第四十八 诸夷 - 林邑国・扶南国・盘盘国・丹丹国・干陁利国・狼牙修国・婆利国・中天竺国・师子国・高句骊・百济・新罗・倭・文身国・大汉国・扶桑国・河南王国・高昌国・滑国・周古柯国・呵跋檀国・胡蜜丹国・白题国・龟兹・于阗・渴盘陀国・末国・波斯国・宕昌国・邓至国・武兴国・芮芮国

• 卷五十五·列传第四十九 - 豫章王综・武陵王纪・临贺王正德・河东王誉

• 卷五十六·列传第五十 - 侯景・王伟

延伸阅读

Sources

Although the Book of Liang was finally attributed to Yao Silian, a number of people worked on it. Initially, Emperor Wen of Sui ordered Yao Cha 姚察 (533–606) to compile the Book of Liang but Yao Cha died without being able to complete it. Before dying Yao Cha requested that his son Yao Silian complete the work. Emperor Yang of Sui agreed to compilation of the text by Yao Silian. In the Tang, the compilation of the text was part of an initiative at the suggestion of Linghu Defen shortly after the founding of the Tang dynasty to compile a number of histories for the previous dynasties. Then, Yao Silian was ordered to complete the Book of Chen by Emperor Gaozu of Tang, who ordered other scholars to work on the Book of Liang. When those scholars did not complete their task, Yao Silian was again ordered to work on the text. The Book of Liang was finally compiled by Yao Silian under the supervision of Fang Xuanling and Wei Zheng in the Tang, incorporating at least some of the work of his predecessors.

Quotations on Japan and its surrounding neighbours

It contains the history of the Liang dynasty, and various descriptions of countries to the east of China. One such passage is the description by the monk Hui Shen (慧深) of the country of Fusang, 20,000 li east of China.

Note, the Chinese measure of distance (li) used in the Book of Liang corresponds to 400 metres.

The State of Wa

Wa was an ancient kingdom of Japan. Though little concrete information can be found today, its capital precinct, Yamatai, was most likely located either in Kyūshū or in the Kinki region.

:"As for Wa, they say of themselves that they are posterity of Tàibó. The people are all tattooed. Their territory is about 20,000 li (1,500 kilometres) from our realm, roughly to the east of Guiji (modern Shaoxing (Zhejiang)). It is impossibly distant. To get there from Daifang, it is necessary to follow the coast and go beyond the Korean state to the south-east for about 500 kilometres, then for the first time cross a sea to a small island 75 kilometres away, then cross the sea again for 75 kilometres to Miro country (Ch: 未卢国). 50 kilometers to the southeast is the country of Ito (Ch:伊都国). 10 kilometres to the southeast is the country of Nu (Ch:奴国). 10 kilometers to the east is the country of Bumi (Ch:不弥国). 20 days to the south by boat is the country of Touma (Ch:投马国). 10 days to the south by boat or one month by land is the country of Yamatai (邪马台国). There resides the King of the Wa people."

The State of Wenshen

"The country of Wenshen is 7,000 li (500 kilometers) north-east of the country of Wa. Over their body, they have tattoos depicting wild beasts. They have three tattooed marks on their foreheads. The marks are straight for noble people, and they are small for lowly people. The people like music, but are not very generous in spite of their affluence, and do not give anything to strangers. They have houses, but no castles. The place in which their king resides is decorated with gold and silver in a manner of rare beauty. The buildings are surrounded by a ditch, about one cho in width, which they fill with quicksilver. When there is rain, it flows on top of the quicksilver. They have many rare things in their markets. Those who are guilty of a light offence are immediately punished with leather whips. Those who commit crimes punishable by death are made to be eaten by ferocious beasts; if there has been any error, then the ferocious beasts will avoid and not eat the victim. Crimes can also be redeemed through imprisonment without food."

The State of Dahan

"The people of Dahan are 5,000 li (400 kilometers) east of Wenshen. They do not have an army and are not aggressive. Their manners are the same as those of the country of Wenshen, but their language differs."

Contents

Annals (本纪)

Biographies (列传)