Zizhi Tongjian

Author: None
Publisher: China Literature Press
Publication Date: None
Features: Zizhi Tongjian is a comprehensive chronological history in Chinese history, compiled by Sima Guang, a renowned official and historian during the Northern Song Dynasty. It took nineteen years to complete, comprising a total of 294 volumes. The chronicles span from the 23rd year of King Weilie of Zhou (403 BC) to the 6th year of Xingde in the Later Zhou Dynasty (959 AD), covering a period of 1,362 years. The content of Zizhi Tongjian primarily focuses on politics, military affairs, and ethnic relations, while also encompassing economics, culture, and evaluations of historical figures. Its purpose is to serve as a cautionary tale by describing the policies of the ruling class that contributed to the rise and fall of nations and the rise or fall of ethnic groups.
Sima Guang (1019–1086), styled Junshi, was a native of Xia County, Shaanxi Prefecture (now Xia County, Shanxi Province). He was a key author and organizer of Zizhi Tongjian. Besides the Tongjian, he authored over thirty other works, including Tongjian Mulu, Tongjian Kaoyi, Jigulu, and Sima Wen Zheng Gong Chuanjia Ji (Collected Works of Sima Wen Zheng Gong).