Historical Records is one of the twenty-four histories, formerly known as Taishi Gongshu or Taishi Gongji and Gong Ji. This is a biographical history book written by Sima Qian, a historian of the Western Han Dynasty. This is the first biography in the history of China. From the legendary era of the Yellow Emperor to the four years of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, it covers a history of more than 3,000 years. In the first year of Tai Chu (BC 104), Sima Qian began to write this book, which took fourteen years to complete.
Sima Qian, a native of xia yang (now south of Hancheng, Shaanxi), was a historian and writer in the Western Han Dynasty. When I was a teenager, I studied with my father Sima Tan, learned Chunqiu from Dong Zhongshu and asked Kong Anguo Shangshu. At the age of 20, I traveled through the Yangtze River, Xiangjiang River, Yuanjiang River, Huaishui River, Surabaya River and Yellow River, and visited places of interest, historical relics and social customs along the way. Later, when he became a doctor, he once toured the northwest counties with Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty.
Historical evaluation of Sima Qian
Yang Xiong wrote in "Fa Yan": "A great teacher moved, saying it was a record". "My son loves more and loves strange things." Yang Xiong was the first person to praise the spirit of Sima Qian's record. He put forward records and love, which have been recognized by experienced people until now.
Ban Biao: From the Han Dynasty to the Yuan Dynasty, it was a great achievement. As for the collection of classics and the spread of a hundred schools of thought, there are many omissions and no roots. We want to make contributions by reading more books and spreading them widely, and try a little without discussing them in depth. On art, respecting the yellow age and relaxing the Five Classics; Order Huo Zhi, then light righteousness and shame poverty; Daoyouxia, on the other hand, is humble in chastity and expensive in vulgarity: this greatly hurts Taoism, so it is also accused of capital punishment. However, he is good at reasoning in order, arguing but not flashy, qualitative but not wild, and his literary quality is commensurate, which also covers the talent of good history.
Reference to the above content: Baidu Encyclopedia-Historical Records