Historical Records is a biographical history book written by Sima Qian, a historian of the Western Han Dynasty. It is the first biographical general history in the history of China, recording the history of four years and more than 3,000 years from the legendary Huangdi era to Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty.
In the first year of Taichu (BC 104), Sima Qian began to create Taishi Gongshu, later called Shiji. It took 14 years before and after its completion. ?
The book Historical Records includes 12 biographies (records of emperors' political achievements in past dynasties), 30 biographies (records of the rise and fall of vassal States and Han Dynasty governors) and 70 biographies (records of important people's words and deeds, mainly describing characters and ministers, with the last one as the preface).
Ten tables (chronology of major events), eight books (recording ceremony, music, temperament, calendar, astronomy, meditation, water conservancy and finance), * * * 130 articles, with more than 526,500 words.
Extended data:
First, the creative background
During the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, the kingship was abolished, and the ancient cultural classics were destroyed by the Qin Dynasty, which led to the loss of precious classics in Mingtang and Shishi.
After the establishment of the Han Dynasty, Xiao He revised the law, Han Xin affirmed the military law, Zhang Cang formulated the articles of association, and Shu determined the etiquette. Scholars with good personality and knowledge gradually played a role, and literary lovers from all over the world constantly collected and presented abandoned ancient books such as poems and books.
Second, the creative process
Sima Bei is a Taishi, sorting out and discussing history. The Annals of Sui Shu's Classics contains: "Tan took Zuo's Chunqiu, Mandarin, Shiben, Warring States Policy and Chunqiu of Chu and Han as the basis, and then became a family."
It can be seen that Sima Tan, the father of Sima Qian, intends to continue compiling the historical events after Chunqiu. Sima Tan used to be an official of Taishi, taking the revision of history as his sacred mission. Unfortunately, his ambition was not rewarded. In the first year of Yuanfeng, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty held a meditation ceremony. As an official, Sima Tan missed the opportunity to participate in contemporary events, which led to his lifelong regret and angry death.
"Historical Records" takes the book of Guan Chan as one of its eight books, that is, seeing the meaning of his late father. Sima Qian followed the Spring and Autumn Annals and wrote Historical Records in the first year of Emperor founding ceremony.
Sima Qian inherited his father's business and succeeded Taishi Order. In his early years, he studied under Kong Anguo and Dong Zhongshu, roaming around, learning about customs and collecting rumors. As a first-time doctor, he served in the southwest. In the first year of Taichu (BC 104), Sima Qian began to create Taishi Gongshu, later called Shiji.
However, an accident happened. In the third year of Tianhan (98), Li Ling was defeated and surrendered to the Huns. Sima Qian was arrested and imprisoned for defending Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, and was sentenced to imprisonment, which gave him great physical and mental trauma.
After he was released from prison, he was appointed secretary of the Secretariat. He endured humiliation and hardships, and worked hard to complete his historical records. With the historical knowledge of "studying the relationship between man and nature, changing from ancient times to modern times, and getting married", he experienced 14 years before and after, and created China's first biography Historical Records.
References:
Baidu encyclopedia-historical records