Historical Records - Family Bookshelf

Author: Sima Qian (Western Han Dynasty)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji), originally titled Records of the Grand Historian's Works, is a monumental historical text in China's Annals and Biographies style. The book comprises 130 chapters, including 12 Annals, 8 Treatises, 10 Tables, 30 Hereditary Houses, and 70 Biographies, totaling 520,000 words. It records the political, economic, and cultural history of China from the Yellow Emperor to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, spanning 3,000 years, providing a comprehensive and profound reflection of ancient Chinese society. Sima Qian, styled Zichang, was a native of Xiayang in the left commandery of Fengyi. At the age of 20, he embarked on extensive travels, exploring famous mountains and rivers, examining historical sites, and collecting legends, which laid a solid foundation for his later writing of Shiji. He finally completed the book in the second year of the Zhenghe era (91 BCE). Shiji is characterized by a strong critical spirit and a clear focus on the people. It boldly exposes the darkness and corruption of the feudal ruling class, such as in the Biography of the Cruel Officials, which reflects the brutality of officials. Even the vices of emperors, such as the unscrupulousness and cunning of Emperor Gaozu of Han and Emperor Wu of Han's penchant for grandiosity and superstition, are sharply criticized by Sima Qian without hesitation. The book offers vivid and extensive portrayals of figures from all social strata. The Biography of Chen She dedicates a chapter to the peasant uprising leader Chen She, highly praising his role as the "pioneer" in overthrowing the Qin Dynasty. The Biography of Assassins celebrates the rebellious spirit of assassins like Jing Ke and Nie Zheng. The Biography of Lord Wei emphasizes the wisdom and chivalry of commoners like Hou Ying and Zhu He. The Biography of Merchants preserves invaluable ancient economic records through its depiction of commercial activities. In the book, portraits of politicians, military strategists, scholars, writers, wandering knights, entertainers, doctors, and diviners are brought to life, collectively forming a colorful and grand tapestry of social life. When writing, Sima Qian adopted an attitude of "objective recording," ensuring that his accounts were "neither exaggerated in beauty nor concealed in evil," elevating the ideological value of Shiji above all later official histories. Shiji is also an outstanding literary work, hailed by Lu Xun as "the peerless song of historians, an unrhymed Li Sao." Sima Qian created a series of vivid characters, such as Xiang Yu, Liu Bang, Fan Kui, Li Guang, Jing Ke, Lin Xiangru, and Xianling Jun, whose charisma deeply moved readers. He skillfully used sharp conflicts and typical details to reveal the personalities of his characters. In terms of narrative technique, he excelled in conciseness and detail, making the text highly engaging and dramatic. Additionally, Shiji incorporates a wealth of folk language, giving the characters' speech a lifelike and authentic touch. These achievements have made Shiji a cornerstone of ancient Chinese literature, offering endless inspiration and profound influence to later generations. After its completion, Shiji was not immediately published. It was only after Sima Qian's death, many years later, that his grandson Yang Yan brought the book out for copying. From then on, Shiji became a must-read for later historians and helped immortalize the legacy of Sima Qian.