Historical Records (Youth Edition)

Author: Yuan Hongmei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-08-01
Features: A monumental work for understanding Chinese history. This book presents the events and figures from the original text in simple and accessible language, making it an excellent read for young readers to learn about ancient Chinese history.
Sima Qian (135~87), styled Zichang, was a native of Xuya (present-day Hancheng, Shaanxi). He was born into a family of historians, with ancestors serving as royal historians since the Zhou Dynasty, overseeing literature, astronomy, divination, and astrology. His father, Sima Tan, served as the Grand Historian for over 30 years after Emperor Wu ascended the throne. Sima Tan was erudite, proficient in astronomy, the I Ching, and the Yellow Emperor and Laozi school of thought. At the age of ten, Sima Qian began studying "ancient texts" and received education from his father. The profound influence of his family's long-standing scholarly tradition shaped his later academic path. Later, he accompanied his father to Chang'an and studied the "Ancient Texts of the Book of Documents" and the Spring and Autumn Annals under the renowned Confucian scholars Kong Anguo and Dong Zhongshu. At nineteen, he became a supplementary scholar to the imperial academy. At twenty, he joined six other scholars led by Chu Tai on a "journey across the empire," marking the beginning of his travels. His footsteps reached Kuaiji, where he visited the remains of the Xia Dynasty's ruler Yu; he traveled to Gusu, gazing at the Five Lakes where Fan Li sailed; he visited Huaiyin, seeking tales of Han Xin; he went to Feng and Pei, visiting the hometowns of Liu Bang and Xiao He; he reached Da Liang, visiting Yimen and examining how the Qin army diverted the Yellow River to flood the city; he traveled to Chu, visiting the ruins of Chunshenjun's palace; he went to Xue, studying the fiefdom of Meng Changjun; and he visited Zou and Lu, paying homage to the hometowns of Confucius and Mencius. Additionally, he traveled north to Zhuolu, climbed the Great Wall, and explored the south to Yuan and Xiang, as well as west to Kongtong. These extensive travels broadened his horizons and enriched his knowledge. Upon returning to Chang'an, Emperor Wu highly valued the well-informed and scholarly young man, appointing him as a liaison officer and sending him on a mission to Bashu and the southwestern regions, including the area around present-day Kunming.
Sima Qian's Records of the Grand Historian is not only a historically reliable and outstanding work but also a masterpiece of literature. Its vivid language and elegant prose bring its characters to life, making it a remarkable literary achievement.