Historical Records affirmed Chen Sheng's role in the uprising that overthrew the Qin Dynasty, praised the great poet Qu Yuan, denounced some tyrants and cruel officials, and dared to comment on the merits and demerits of the contemporary ruler Emperor Wudi. Historical Records is also a model of biographical literature. Based on reliable historical materials, he created various characters with concise and vivid language, which reflected the social life and class contradictions at that time.
Hanshu has 100 copies, divided into 120 volumes. Content from the emperor gaozu liu bang, down to follwed the new dynasty, * * * the history of the western han dynasty in 20 or 30 years. This is the first biographical chronology in ancient China. Ban Biao, a famous scholar in the Eastern Han Dynasty, decided to continue Sima Qian's career and write a biography of Historical Records to record the historical facts of the Western Han Dynasty. Unfortunately, he died before he finished it. His son, Ban Gu, inherited the inheritance and arranged and supplemented it according to the information collected by his father. But the "Eight Tables" and "Tian Zhi" in the book have not yet been completed, and her sister Ban Zhao continued to complete the compilation of Hanshu, making the book more perfect. This is an important material for studying the history of the Western Han Dynasty.
Zi Tong Zhi Jian written by Sima Guang in the Northern Song Dynasty is an outstanding chronicle of China. This history book has been used for nineteen years. Chronologically, it records the history of more than 1,300 years from the Warring States to the Five Dynasties, with a total of 294 volumes and textual research, with 30 volumes in each catalogue. The content is mainly political, military and political affairs, slightly less than economic, cultural and the title "Zizhi", aiming at providing feudal rulers with lessons from the rise and fall of chaotic politics in previous dynasties. There is a "catalogue" for reference, which provides more systematic and complete information for historical research. This book is rich in materials, rigorous in writing attitude, clear in narration and vivid in writing, which has important reference value for studying the ancient history of China.