Youth Popular Reading Sunshine Volume -- Zizhi Tongjian: Zizhi Tongjian

Author: Sima Guang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: Zizhi Tongjian is the first compiled chronological history in Chinese history, edited by Sima Guang, a famous minister and historian of the Northern Song Dynasty, over a period of nineteen years. The content of Zizhi Tongjian primarily focuses on politics, military affairs, and ethnic relations, while also covering economics, culture, and evaluations of historical figures. Its purpose is to describe the policies of the ruling class that affect the prosperity or decline of the nation and the rise or fall of ethnic groups, serving as a warning to future generations. Since its completion, emperors, ministers, literary figures, and influential individuals across generations have continuously studied it. It has become the textbook for officials and policymakers, revered as an unbreakable code and an invaluable classic. Throughout history, emperors, wise ministers, renowned scholars, as well as modern politicians, thinkers, and scholars, have left countless comments and annotations on Zizhi Tongjian. Mao Zedong annotated Zizhi Tongjian seventeen times and highly praised Sima Guang and the work itself.