Shiji

Author: Sima Qian
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-03-01
Features: The Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji) is a monumental historical work written by Sima Qian, a great Chinese historian, litterateur, and thinker, with his life's devotion. Sima Qian, the author of Shiji, styled Zichang, was a native of Xiaoyang (now Hancheng County, Shaanxi Province) in the left commandery of Fengyi during the Western Han Dynasty. Northeast of Xiaoyang stands Longmen Mountain, renowned for its magnificent scenery, which is why Sima Qian claimed to have been born under Longmen. The entire work consists of 130 chapters. Among them, the "Basic Annals" (Benji) comprises 12 chapters, focusing on the reigns of emperors from each dynasty, recording the rise and fall of dynasties and significant political events. The "Tables" (Biao) include 10 chapters, such as "Genealogical Tables," "Chronological Tables," and "Monthly Tables," which present complex historical facts in tabular form. The "Treatises" (Shu) consists of 8 chapters, narrating and documenting the origins and changes of systems in politics, economy, astronomy, geography, and other fields. The "Hereditary Houses" (Shijia) comprises 30 chapters, chronicling the deeds and genealogies of feudal lords. The "Biographies" (Liezhuan) includes 70 chapters, most of which are individual biographies, while others are joint biographies of two individuals or thematic biographies that group figures from various strata, such as nobles, officials, advisors, and political figures.