Sima Qian once defined himself. He said that to do history, we should be able to achieve the goal of "studying heaven and man, linking the changes of ancient and modern times, and getting married." This is the goal he set for himself. So, how to understand this famous saying of Sima Qian? In fact, after understanding this sentence, I found the password to interpret Historical Records.
The first sentence is about the witch history tradition of Sima Qian's family, the second sentence is about Sima Qian's experience in pre-Qin history and the historical records of Sima Qian's family, and the third sentence is about Sima Qian's innovation in the genre of historical books.
Several components of the chronology of the twelve princes in Historical Records
If we want to correctly interpret the history books, the correct interpretation sequence is from beginning to end, and we can have a basic grasp of the macro historical context and various cultural elements from the top ten chronologies and books: because Sima Qian's historical writing is based on the style of the Spring and Autumn Period, the correct interpretation method is to sort out the time clues of the whole history books: namely, the top ten chronologies and the families with time as clues. With this time clue as the basic framework, then the next interpretation will have ideas to follow.
1. On the occasion of heaven and man: Historians' view of heaven and man from Oracle Bone Inscriptions in Shang Dynasty.
What is "the study of heaven and man"? In ancient times, people who ruled tribes and countries also encountered major problems. They must make decisions, and each decision needs the support of very strong knowledge and two kinds of knowledge.
If we simply understand and deal with everything from the perspective of personnel and society, it is very important for the ancients thousands of years ago to understand witches. The system of witchcraft is what Sima Qian said: "Study the time between man and nature." In those days, witches were inseparable from history.
In China's Shang and Zhou Dynasties, in order to fathom God's will, divination was widely used, and Oracle Bone Inscriptions was often used in Shang Dynasty. What should divination do? If you need to ask God's will, there should be someone who can reach the sky, that is, the "witch" series. They are sacred in nature and can reach the sky. He will take animal bones, and try to take large flat bones, such as the hipbone and tortoise shell of cattle, which are large enough. The person who makes this kind of bone must be a divine person. By making it, the bone is endowed with a kind of divinity. These are reserved for future use.
China's traditional divination method
When you need divination, take out the bones and carve the questions that need divination on them, that is, Oracle Bone Inscriptions. When bones are roasted with fire, there will be two lines: one is to crack to the end and the other is to crack intermittently. There are two lines in China: the positive line runs through the end and the negative line breaks. The combination of yang line and yin line constitutes each hexagram: the combination of yin line and yang line. They can judge according to the broken line, several elements-time, place, people, events and the broken line after barbecue. So this judgment is targeted.
After divination, whether the result is accurate or not, we must engrave the result again: when did this thing finally happen? What was the result? Is it consistent with the inference made by this witch? This matter is over.
Astronomical phenomena
On the land of Yin Ruins, such a tortoise shell left a complete record of an event, from beginning to end. There are too many things to ask, from conquest to weddings. When you're done, just throw these things away, put them aside and find a hole to bury them. Because Xiaotun Village in Anyang, the palace area of Yin Ruins, was abandoned in ruins after the fall of the King of Wu, and it was basically a funeral area from the Western Zhou Dynasty to the early Ming Dynasty, Oracle Bone Inscriptions's divination technique was gradually lost for a long time, and Oracle Bone Inscriptions was almost forgotten.
Thousands of years have passed, and there are more and more speculative methods in the future. This ancient technology is slowly forgotten.
In addition to divination, Sima Qian is also proficient in the theory of ghosts and gods and the calculation of astronomical calendars. What should farmers prepare in a dry year? In fact, Sima Qian told us a lot about ancient Shang gods in this article to see why they succeeded. During the drought, everyone is looking for water, but people are making cars. Why take a bus? It must be a bumper harvest year after the drought. If there is no water, take the bus first. Mortals only see this step now, preparing food for famine. What is after preparing food? Shang Yang can predict the timing, make preparations in advance, and wait until the famine is over. Next year will be too late. Those business gods have long been ready. This is the way to make money.
Respect heaven and protect the people
Therefore, the significance of the relationship between heaven and man is not only to pay attention to astronomy and astronomical phenomena, but also to the ancient idea of harmony between heaven and man and the fear of heaven.
2. Examining the changes from ancient times to modern times: Sima Qian, a well-informed witch history family, was a thousand-year-old "history" family from the later Zhou Dynasty to Sima Qian. This family has many branches since it entered this week. There were wizards, historians, generals and princes in this family, who participated in many important historical changes during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. This provided Sima Qian with rich materials and full desire to write history.
Sima Qian is recalling the history of his ancestors.
In the Zhou Dynasty, Sima Qian's main duty was to emphasize the Li family when he declared that his distant ancestor was Tang Yu. Back in Zhuan Xu, Chong and Li were two people. Focus on the south, Lebanon is the north. Yes, that's what the officer meant. Nan Zheng, ancient celestial officials, stargazing, calendar setting. The ancient magistrate Beizheng was in charge of farming. The profound meaning of Sima Qian's memorial to his distant ancestors lies in emphasizing that the Sima family is a historian family. In the Zhou Dynasty, Cheng Boxiufu, the ancestor of the Sima family, took Sima as the family title because of his outstanding military achievements, but the Sima family still lived in the history of the Zhou Dynasty. Great changes in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Zhou and Zhou in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, and the fifth and sixth generations of monarchs in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. When you benefited the king, a prince was in trouble. When you helped the king, an uncle took the trouble. Historians are in charge of confidential affairs and provide explanations for major changes in state affairs, so they are bound to be involved in the whirlpool of royal civil strife. In the thirty-sixth year of King Xiang of Zhou, that is, in 636 BC, his brother and uncle took part in the rebellion and started from Zheng. This year, Zhong Er, the son of the Jin Dynasty, returned to China as a monarch, ending the rebellion of the Jin Dynasty for Jin Wengong. Jin Wengong recruited talents, determined to become the overlord of the Central Plains after Qi Huangong, and boasted that he respected kings and conquered foreigners. Sima Shi opposed the prince's rebellion and should go to Jin last week. In the second year, King Xiang of Zhou rushed to Jin and took the lead in restoring the status of King Xiang.
A branch of Sima family entered the State of Jin in the era of Jin Wengong.
After that, the Jin government also experienced a series of turmoil, and finally ended in the separation of the three ethnic groups into the gold. With the changes of the times, Sima's family went to Zhou and parted ways in Wei, Zhao or Qin. Defending the country is a Sima family, and the descendants will be in Zhongshan. 1974 ~ 1978, archaeologists unearthed an iron-footed cauldron with a long inscription in Pingshan County, Hebei Province, which was given to Sima Qian by King Zhongshan, confirming Sima Qian's record.
bronzes of the zhongshan state
In Zhao, there was a Sima family named Sima Kai, named Sheng Kai Kuaiqin. Kuaiqin is Nie Gai who talks about swords with Jing Ke in Historical Records and Biography of Assassins. Kuaiqinsheng, born a sage, born a sage, was printed in Qin, and did not help Xiang Yu destroy Qin, so it was named. The Book of Jin Xuandi records that Sima Yi's ancestor was Sima Yi, who started the Jin Dynasty.
Sima Cuo's masterpiece is to destroy Shu for Qin.
Sima Qian belongs to this Sima family who entered Qin. In 62 1 year BC, Duke Xiang of Jin died, and Doctor Jin joined forces with Qin Yingli, the son of Duke Xiang. Zhao Dun was made a prince and a duke, and he sent his troops and refused to go to Yong. He took refuge in the State of Qin, and later returned to the State of Jin as the commander-in-chief of China's army. Sima Shi settled in Shaoliang with Qin. 300 years later, Sima Cuo appeared in the State of Qin, and Zhang Yi debated whether to crusade against Bashu. This is the ancestor of Sima Qian, and there is an exact lineage to test. During the Spring and Autumn Period, Warring States Period, Qin and Han Dynasties, Sima family adapted to the great changes of the times, engaged in political, military, swordsman and economic activities, and produced prominent figures of Sima family in various fields. The Sima family is famous for its general Sima Cuo in Qin State, including economic officials Sima Chang and Sima. Sima An, the king of Yin, was born in Sima Qian's family in the peasant war at the end of Qin Dynasty. When Sima Qian's father, Sima Tan, issued an imperial edict, he decided to revive the study of the ancient family and make a determined effort to revise history. Therefore, he recalled his ancestors' respect for Li and respected himself as the official in charge of heaven, so as to emphasize the hereditary attribute of his family: historian.
Chongli
Later, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty went to worship Mount Tai. During the Warring States Period, some Confucian scholars in Qilu believed that Mount Tai was the head of the five mountains, and the emperor should offer sacrifices to Mount Tai. Qin Shihuang, Han Wudi, etc. Have held a closed-door retreat ceremony. 1 10 In March of the first year of Yuanfeng, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty ascended Mount Tai to hold a meditation ceremony, which was the most grand national sacrifice ceremony. In the view of Confucianism, this is a terrible thing. It is successful to worship heaven and tell heaven. We are ruling the world today. Everyone wants to attend such a grand ceremony. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty just snubbed Sima Qian's father Sima Tan and didn't let him go. Sima Tan was ashamed of it, so he was ashamed to die and meet people. Sima Qian decided to inherit his father's position and unfinished history books on the premise that his father was angry.
Sima Qian in his youth did not bury himself in reading all day, nor was he accumulating knowledge. His father asked him to travel all over China with his feet, all the places of interest, mountains and rivers, geography, sages, and especially places where important historical events happened. For example, at the age of 20, with lofty aspirations, Sima Qian made his first long trip in life. Because he is in his prime, he is called the Top 20 Tour.