Shiji Stories - Shijia Chapter

Author: Wang Wenxin (Editor)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: Originally titled "Records of the Grand Historian." Authored by Sima Qian of the Western Han Dynasty. It consists of 130 chapters and is considered China's first comprehensive historical record in the chronicle-biography style. It was completed approximately between the first year of the Taichu era of Emperor Wu of Han and the second year of the Zhenghe era (104 BC - 91 BC). Sima Qian held the position of a historian, relying on texts such as the Zuo Zhuan, Guoyu, Shiben, Zhan Guo Ce, Chu Han Chunqiu, and the works of the Hundred Schools of Thought. He utilized state-collected documents and supplemented them with field research, resulting in a wealth of material. The narrative begins with the legendary Yellow Emperor and ends with Emperor Wu of Han, covering approximately 3,000 years in total, with particular emphasis on the Warring States period, the Qin Dynasty, and the Han Dynasty. The structure divides biographies into Basic Annals, Hereditary Houses, and Biographies, uses eight treatises to document institutional changes, and establishes ten tables to outline the chronological progression of historical events, a format adopted by later dynasties in their historical records. The Records of the Grand Historian holds a significant place in literary history due to its vivid and vivid portrayal of certain historical figures, making it highly regarded in literature.