Sima Qian (145 BC - 90 BC), courtesy name Zichang, was a native of Xia Yang (now south of Hancheng, Shaanxi Province), or Longmen (now Hejin, Shanxi Province). A great historian, writer and thinker in the Western Han Dynasty of China. Sima Tan's son was appointed Taishi Ling. He was castrated for defending Li Ling's defeat and surrender, and was later appointed Zhongshu Ling. He worked hard to continue to complete the historical books he wrote, and was honored as Shi Qian, Tai Shigong and the father of history by later generations.
Sima Qian studied under Kong Anguo and Dong Zhongshu in his early years. He traveled around various places, learned about customs and collected rumors. When he was first appointed as a doctor, he was envoy to the southwest. In the third year of Yuanfeng (108 BC), he was appointed Taishi Ling, inherited his father's business, and wrote history. He created China's first biographical general history, "Shiji" (originally known as "Tai Shi Gong Shu"), based on his historical knowledge of "studying the relationship between heaven and man, understanding the changes of ancient and modern times, and forming a family story". It is recognized as a model of Chinese history books. This book records a history of more than 3,000 years from the Huangdi period in ancient legends to the first year of Yuanshou, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. It is the first of the "Twenty-Five Histories" and was praised by Lu Xun. "The historian's swan song, the rhymeless Li Sao".
Character's life
Early experience
During the Jing and Wu years of the Western Han Dynasty (the time is unknown), Sima Qian was born in a well-off family in Longmen on the Yellow River. Sima Qian's grandfather Sima Xi, under the policy of Emperor Wenwen of the Han Dynasty, who ordered Li Mi to receive titles to serve as border soldiers, used four thousand stones of Li rice in exchange for the title of ninth- and fifth-level officials, so the whole family was exempted from corvee service.
The young Sima Qian learned calligraphy and reading under the guidance of his father Sima Tan. At the age of ten, he was able to read and recite ancient books such as "Shang Shu", "Zuo Zhuan", "Guoyu", and "Xi Ben". During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Sima Qian was appointed as Taishi Ling in Chang'an, the capital, while Sima Qian stayed in his hometown of Longmen, practiced hard, and continued his career of farming, studying and herding.
Learning to Travel the World
After he got a little older, Sima Qian left his hometown in Longmen and came to the capital to be with his father. At this time, Sima Qian had already achieved some success in his studies, so Sima Tan ordered Sima Qian to visit the mountains and rivers to collect the remains and ancient events, and to collect and release the old news. Sima Qian began to travel around the world when he was twenty years old. He set out from Chang'an, the capital, and traveled southeast, leaving Wuguan and reaching Wan. Go south to Xiangfan to Jiangling. Cross the river, trace the Yuanshui River to western Hunan, and then turn southeast to Jiuyi. After taking a look at Jiu Sui, he went north to Changsha and paid his respects to the place where Qu Yuan sank in the old Luo River. He crossed the Dongting, exited the Yangtze River and went eastward. Climb Mount Lu, watch Yu dredge Jiujiang, and then turn to Qiantang. Go to Kuaiji and explore Yu's point. Wu also traveled to the palace of Shenjun to watch spring. Go up to Gusu and look at the five lakes. After that, we crossed the river north, passed Huaiyin, and went to Linzi and Qufu. We inspected the culture of the Qilu region and observed the legacy left by Confucius. We were trapped in Po, Xue, and Pengcheng, and then followed the hometown of Chu-Han, a historical figure who was in great turmoil during the Qin and Han Dynasties. The battlefield of the battle passed through Pengcheng, Lipei, Feng, Dang, and Suiyang, to Liang (now Kaifeng, Henan), and returned to his father Sima Tan, who was the Taishi Ling at the time in Chang'an.
Returned to the court as an official
Because of his father Sima Tan, Sima moved back to Beijing and became a doctor.
In the sixth year of Yuanding (111 BC), Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Marquis Chiyi was ordered to pacify the southwestern barbarians. Zhonglang generals Guo Chang and Wei Guang led the troops of the Eighth School Lieutenants to attack Qielan and pacify the southwestern barbarians. Yelang was frightened and asked himself to join the court as a minister. The Han army also executed Lord Qiong and killed Marquis Zuo. Ran was frightened and asked his ministers to appoint officials. Later, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty established five counties: Wudu, Zangke, Yuexun, Shenli and Wenshan in Southwest Yi. At this time, Sima Qian, who was accompanying Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty to the east to visit the Gou family, was sent to the southwest again after Tang Meng, Sima Xiangru, and Gongsun Hong, and was sent to the south of Ba and Shu to plan the construction of new counties. Then he settled Qiong, Jia, and Kunming, and returned to Emperor Wu in the second year to answer his orders.
Father's will
In the spring of the first year of Yuanfeng (110 BC), Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty held a ceremony for the enshrinement of Zen in Mount Tai on his way back from his eastward tour of the Bohai Sea. As an official who participated in formulating the etiquette of the Zen ceremony, Sima Tan was stranded in Zhounan (now Luoyang) due to illness and was unable to move forward. He was so angry that his condition worsened. Sima Qian, who was entrusted with the Western Expedition, immediately rushed to Mount Tai to attend the Zen Ceremony after completing his mission. When he arrived in Luoyang, he met his dying father.
On his deathbed, Sima Tan said to Sima Qian: "Our ancestor was the Taishi of the Zhou Dynasty. As far back as the ancient times of Yu, Shun and Xia Yu, he achieved great fame and was in charge of astronomical work. Later, it declined. How can we do it? Is it my fault? If you succeed as Taishi, you can continue the work of our ancestors. Now that the emperor has inherited the great cause of the thousand-year unification of the Han Dynasty, I will not be able to do it. It is destined that I will die! In the future, you will definitely be a Taishi; when you become a Taishi, you must not forget the treatise I want to write. Moreover, filial piety starts from serving your parents, and then passes through serving the monarch, and finally you can gain a foothold in society and become famous. The most important thing in filial piety is to honor your parents in future generations. The world praises Duke Zhou because he can praise the merits of King Wen and King Wu of Zhou, promote the deeds of Zhou and Zhao, and make people understand the thoughts and ideas of King Tai and Wang Ji of Zhou. Liu's achievements made the ancestor Houji respected. After King You and King Li of Zhou Dynasty, the royal way declined and the rituals and music were damaged. Confucius studied and sorted out the old documents and classics, and revitalized the abandoned royal ways and rituals and music. , "Book", and the work "Spring and Autumn", to this day, scholars still use this as a rule. It has been more than four hundred years since Lu Aigong acquired Lin. During this period, due to mergers and conflicts among the princes, historical books were lost and records were interrupted.
Now that the Han Dynasty has risen and the country is unified, I, as Taishi, do not comment on and record the deeds of wise monarchs and loyal ministers, interrupting the country's historical documents. I feel very uneasy about this. You must keep it in mind! Sima Qian lowered his head and said with tears: "Although the boy is not smart, he will definitely complete his father's plan of compiling history without making any omissions." "
Private Shu, ancient and modern sages
Because he served in Chang'an, and in the prosperous Han Dynasty when "the people of the Han Dynasty were prosperous", Sima Qian was able to get acquainted with the world's sages who gathered in Chang'an. Scholars including Jia Jia, the grandson of Jia Yi, Gongsun Jigong (or Gongsun Hong), Fan Taguang, the grandson of Fan Kuai, Feng Sui, the son of Pingyuan Jun Zhu Jian, Tian Ren, the youngest son of Uncle Tian, ??Hu Sui from Liang, and Du Ling. Su Jian, etc. However, the greatest influence on Sima Qian was Dong Zhongshu and Kong Anguo.
Sima Qian once said when discussing literature with Shang Dafu Hu Sui: "I heard Dong Sheng say: 'The kingship of the Zhou Dynasty. After the decline and desolation, Confucius served as the military commander of the state of Lu. The princes harmed him and the officials obstructed him. Confucius knew that his opinions were not accepted and his political ideas could not be implemented, so he praised and criticized the right and wrong of the two hundred and forty-two years as the standard for the world to judge right and wrong. He devalued the emperor who was unrighteous, reprimanded the princes who were wrong, and denounced the officials who were disorderly. , just to make the country's political affairs accessible'". Looking at "Historical Records", we can see that the main influence of Dong Zhongshu's Gongyang School on Sima Qian is: first, the Gongyang family praised the Tang and Wu revolutions and advocated using the right to defeat the unjust, which became " The ideological basis of anti-tyranny in "Historical Records"; secondly, the Gongyang family "respected the king and rejected the barbarians" and advocated the idea of ??"great unification", which became the main concept throughout the book in "Historical Records"; thirdly, the Gongyang family respected the meaning of concession and shame. It is the moral standard for praising and criticizing historical figures in "Historical Records".
Because Kong Anguo was a descendant of Confucius, his family had more than ten pieces of "Guwenshangshu" that were lost in the current era, and he also included modern and ancient literature. He tried to ask questions about Kong Anguo in "Gu Wen Shangshu", learned the ancient teachings of ancient Chinese classics, and selected ancient literature from ancient Chinese materials, and mastered the methods of historical research. As the core of the entire ancient literature, Sima Qian wrote about ancient times. The History of the Three Dynasties also quoted a lot from it.
Sima Qian once said in "Historical Records: The Family of Confucius" that Confucius "looks up at the high mountains and stops at the sight." " was highly praised. It also absorbed the essence of Confucius' theory and the Six Arts Classics, followed the spirit of Confucius, and wrote "Historical Records" after "Spring and Autumn", completing a generation of great canons.
Discussing the change of calendar
In the first year of Taichu (104 BC) of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, it had been 102 years since the establishment of the Han Dynasty. At the beginning of the establishment of the Han Dynasty, most of the calendars followed those of the Qin Dynasty and were more closely related to Zhuanxu. However, the calculations of Shuo and Hui in "Zhuanxu Li" were also different from the actual situation. So Sima Qian, the then Taishi Ling, Gongsun Qing and Hu Sui, who were the great officials at the time, advised Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty: "Zhuanxu Li". The calendar is no longer suitable for the current situation, so the calendar should be redesigned. ". And the imperial censor Erkuan happened to know Confucian classics, so Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty ordered Erkuan to discuss with the doctors on revising the calendar and other matters. In the same year, he ordered Gongsun Qing, Hu Sui, Sima Qian, Shilang Zun, Dadian Xingshe and others Discussing the customization of the "Han Calendar"
Suffering Corruption
In the second year of the Han Dynasty (99 BC), Emperor Wu wanted Li Ling to come out of Jiuquan to attack the Xiongnu Youxian King II. The general of the division, Li Guangli, escorted the baggage. Li Ling declined and asked 5,000 infantrymen to join the Shanyu Court to defeat the enemy. Emperor Wu appreciated Li Ling's courage and agreed to him. However, when Li Ling arrived at Junji Mountain, he encountered the troops of the Xiongnu Shanyu. Lu Bode's reinforcements did not arrive, but the Xiongnu troops gathered more and more. After running out of food and targets, Li Ling finally surrendered to the enemy. Emperor Wu was angry, and all the officials denounced Li Ling's crimes. Only Sima Qian said: "Li Ling serves his relatives with filial piety and respects his relatives." Scholars have faith and always have the heart to serve their country. He only led 5,000 infantry, but he attracted all the power of the Xiongnu and killed more than 10,000 enemies. Although he was defeated and surrendered to the enemy, his contribution was worthy of it. I don't think Li Ling really surrendered to the enemy. He survived and wanted to find an opportunity to repay the Han Dynasty. of. "However, after Gongsun Ao failed to welcome Li Ling and falsely reported that Li Ling was training troops for the Xiongnu in order to counterattack the Han Dynasty, Emperor Wu seized the Li Ling family, and Sima Qian was also falsely accused of "wanting to suppress the two divisions and lobbying for the mausoleum." The crime of false accusation is a crime of great disrespect and should be executed according to the law.
Facing the punishment of Dapi, he died out of admiration. Although his reputation can be saved, the book has not been completed and his reputation has not been established. This death is like this. The death of nine oxen is no different from the death of an ant. Think of King Wen deducing the "Book of Changes" while in prison, Zhongni writing "Spring and Autumn" when he was in trouble, Qu Yuan writing "Li Sao" after being exiled, and Zuo Qiu losing his sight and writing "Guoyu". ”, Sun Bin practiced the art of war after being tortured by his feet, and Lu Buwei was demoted to the local area before the "Lu Spring and Autumn Annals" was handed down. Han Fei was imprisoned in the Qin State and wrote "Speaking of Difficulties" and "Lonely Anger", and 300 "Poems". It was probably done by the wise men and saints to vent their anger. Finally, in that era when "Zang's concubines could still lead to death", Sima Qian resolutely chose to redeem his life by corruption. At this point, Sima Qian was burdened with what his father could not accomplish in his entire life. Ideal, face the capital punishment without fear, and complete the mission that belongs to Tai Shigong in perseverance and humiliation.