1. Introduction to Sima Qian
1. Introduction Sima Qian (145 BC - 90 BC), courtesy name Zichang, was a native of Xia Yang (now south of Hancheng, Shaanxi Province). It is said that Longmen (now Hejin, Shanxi).
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.
With his historical knowledge of "studying the relationship between heaven and man, understanding the changes of ancient and modern times, and forming a family's opinion", he created China's first biographical general history "Shi Ji" (originally known as "Tai Shi Gong Shu"). 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".
2. Personal achievements ①Literature. In 91 BC (the second year of Zhenghe), the entire "Historical Records" was completed.
The book has 130 chapters and more than 526,500 words, including twelve chronicles, thirty families, seventy biographies, ten tables, and eight books. It has had a huge impact on later generations and is known as It is a "real record and a reliable history" and was praised by Mr. Lu Xun as "the swansong of historians and the unrhymed Li Sao". It is listed as the first of the first "Four Histories" and is called "the two gems of history" together with "Zi Zhi Tong Jian". ②Ideology.
Sima Qian borrowed Laozi’s words to express the ideal of governance that he had transformed and developed. It retains the core of Taoism and nature, and consciously eliminates the ideas that reflect the primitive society of "a small country with few people" and the slave society that "enables the people", and embodies the idea of ??"migration with time" that is deeply rooted in the essence of Taoism.
Its core is the natural way of heaven, and its main purpose is the people's desires. ③Astronomy.
Sima Qian inherited his father's legacy and completed the task of "pushing back the changes in the ancient times" and clearly stated it as "understanding the changes in ancient times and the present, and studying the relationship between heaven and man". His conclusion was expressed in the "Book of Heavenly Officials" , that is, based on the thirty-six solar eclipses, three comet sightings and other astrological phenomena between the Spring and Autumn Period 242, and the decline of the emperor, the power of the princes, the rise of the Five Bo Dynasties, and the social chaos and turmoil in the Warring States and Qin and Han Dynasties, we summarized the heaven Fortune changes a little in thirty years, a medium change in a hundred years, a major change in five hundred years, the three major changes become one era, and the "big numbers" that are prepared for the three eras are finally considered to be "continuous preparations between heaven and man" ". This is the most important example of the application of Sima Qian's astronomy and occupies the highest position in the entire history of astrology. 2. Introduction to Sima Qian
Sima Qian (145 BC - after 87 BC), also known as Zichang, was a great historian, thinker and writer in the Western Han Dynasty of my country. ), the author of "Historical Records", also known as "Tai Shi Gong Ji", he recorded the events of more than 3,000 years from the time of the Yellow Emperor in ancient Chinese legends to the fourth year of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty (100 BC). history.
Sima Qian, with his historical knowledge of "studying the relationship between heaven and man, understanding the changes of ancient and modern times, and becoming a family", made "Historical Records" the first biographical general history in Chinese history, which had a huge impact on later generations. It was praised by Lu Xun as "the swan song of historians and the most rhyme-free Li Sao". His father Sima Tan was Taishi Ling (equivalent to the current position of director of the National Library).
In his early years, Sima Qian lived a poor life in his hometown. In the sixth year of Jianyuan, after the death of Empress Dowager Dou, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty deposed Huang Lao, Xing Ming, and Bai Jia Zhi Yan, and restarted the respect for Confucianism. This is the famous "depose Bai Jia, and only respect Confucianism."
In the second year of Yuanshuo, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Sima Qian moved from Xia Yang [pronounced "false"] to Chang'an, and then moved with his family to the capital. He studied Shangshu from Kong An and Spring and Autumn Annals from Dong Zhongshu. Later, he inherited his father's business and became Taishi Ling.
In 104 BC, while presiding over the revision of the calendar, Sima Qian officially started writing the "Tai Shi Gong Shu". In the second year of Tianhan (99 BC), due to the "Li Ling Incident", he interceded for Li Ling who surrendered to the Huns. His outspoken words angered Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, who thought he was defending Li Ling, so he was castrated.
In prison, Sima Qian worked hard and strived for self-improvement. He endured the pain that most people can endure and continued to write "Historical Records". After Sima Qian was released from prison, he was appointed Zhongshu Ling, and continued to write books vigorously, and finally completed "Historical Records" in 91 BC.
In 90 BC, Sima Qian died at the age of 56. As for the cause of Sima Qian's death, there is no clear record in historical data, and it remains an unsolved mystery. 3. Brief introduction of Sima Qian
Sima Qian (145 BC - about 87 BC), courtesy name Zichang, was born in Xiayang (now south of Hancheng, Shaanxi), Zuofeng Yi.
Born in a family of historians, his father was a Sima Tanguan and later Taishi Ling. When Sima Qian was ten years old, he followed his father to Chang'an and studied under Dong Zhongshu and Kong Anguo successively.
At the age of twenty, he began to travel to famous mountains and rivers. Following his father's position as Taishi Ling, he followed Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty to travel to Mount Tai, the Great Wall, Hebei, and Western Liaoning to increase his knowledge. During his tenure as Taishi Ling, he browsed the court's collection of books and began to compile historical materials to fulfill his father's last wish.
In the second year of the Han Dynasty (99 BC), Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Li Ling surrendered to the Huns. Sima Qian defended Li Ling at Shangshu, which angered Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty and was sentenced to death. Sima Qian was outraged by this humiliation, but in order to realize his ideals, he was determined to "bear it down and survive" and wrote with great enthusiasm, finally completing the great historical masterpiece "Historical Records".
"Historical Records" records contemporary historical events from Emperor Xuanyuan Huang to Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty. It is the earliest biographical general history of China. It has great value both in history and literature. Therefore, it was praised by Lu Xun as "the swan song of historians, the most rhymeless li Sao". With his "Historical Records", Sima Qian realized the ideal of "studying the relationship between heaven and man, understanding the changes in ancient and modern times, and forming a unified family." 4. Introduction to Sima Qian
Introduction to Sima Qian
Sima Qian (145 BC or 135 BC~?) was a historian and writer of the Western Han Dynasty. Zi Chang, Zuo Fengyi, was born in Xiayang (now southwest of Hancheng, Shaanxi Province). He was born in the fifth year of Zhongyuan (145 BC) of Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty. It is said that he was born in the sixth year of Jianyuan (135 BC) of Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty. The year of his death cannot be determined. Sima Qian began to study ancient book biographies at the age of 10. Around the years of Yuanguang and Yuanshuo during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, he studied "Gongyang Chunqiu" from Dong Zhongshu, a modern writer, and "Guwen Shangshu" from Kong An, an ancient writer. When he was 20 years old, he traveled south from Chang'an, the capital, and traveled throughout the Yangtze and Huaihe River basins and the Central Plains, inspecting customs and collecting legends wherever he went. Soon he became a doctor and became the bodyguard and retinue of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. He accompanied him on many western tours and was once sent as an envoy to Bashu. In the third year of Yuanfeng (108 BC), Sima Qian inherited the post of his father Sima Tan and was appointed Taishi Ling, in charge of astronomy, calendar and royal books, so he could read the books collected by historians. In the first year of Taichu (104 BC), the "Taichu Calendar" was established with Tang Du, Luo Xiahong and others to replace the "Zhuanxu Calendar" inherited from Qin. The new calendar adapted to the needs of the society at that time. After that, Sima Qian began to write "Historical Records". Later, he was convicted and imprisoned for defending Li Ling, who surrendered to the Huns.
After he was released from prison, he served as Zhongshu Ling, continued to write books vigorously, and finally completed the writing of "Historical Records". People call this book "Tai Shi Gong Shu". It is China's first biographical general history and has a profound influence on later historiography. "Historical Records" has vivid language and vivid images, and is also an excellent literary work. Sima Qian also wrote the "Book of Bao Ren'an", which described his imprisonment and torture and his ambition to write a book, which has been praised by generations. 5. Introduction to Sima Qian
Sima Qian (approximately 145 BC - 90 BC), named Zichang, was born in Xiayang (now Hancheng, Shaanxi), Zuofeng Yi.
He started reading ancient books at the age of 10. He studied very seriously. When he encountered difficult problems, he always thought about them over and over again until he understood them. When he was 20 years old, Sima Qian set out from Chang'an and traveled around.
Later he returned to Chang'an and became a doctor. The doctor guarded the palace entrance, managed the chariots and cavalry, and accompanied the emperor on his travels.
He went on several tours with Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty and visited many places. When he was 35 years old, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty sent him as an envoy to Yunnan, Sichuan, Guizhou and other places.
He learned about the customs and customs of some ethnic minorities there. After his father Sima Tan died, in 108 BC (the third year of Yuanfeng), Sima Qian succeeded him as Taishi Ling.
In 104 BC (the first year of Taichu), the "Taichu Calendar" was established with astronomer Tang Du and others. In the same year, he began to compile "Historical Records".
In 99 BC (the second year of Tianhan), Li Ling attacked the Xiongnu and was defeated and surrendered. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was furious. Sima Qian defended Li Ling, which angered Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. He was arrested and imprisoned and made Zhongshu Ling.
In accordance with the provisions of Han Dynasty laws, he paid for his sins and suffered "corruption". In 96 BC (the first year of Taishi), he was pardoned and released from prison. He became a Zhongshu Ling and mastered the emperor's confidential documents.
He worked hard to write "Historical Records" and finally completed the writing and revision of the book when he was about 55 years old. In addition to "Historical Records", Sima Qian also wrote 8 poems, all of which have been lost. Only Volume 30 of "Yi Wen Lei Ju" quotes a fragment from "Ode to a Sorrowful Man".
He also wrote "Report to Ren An", describing his imprisonment and torture and his ambition to write history. 6. Introduction to Sima Qian
Personal introduction Sima Qian (145 BC - after 87 BC), also known as Zichang, was a great historian, thinker and writer in the Western Han Dynasty in my country. A native of Hejin, Shanxi, he wrote "Historical Records", also known as "Tai Shi Gong Ji". He recorded records from the Yellow Emperor's era in ancient Chinese legends to the fourth year of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty (100 BC), ***3000 Years of history.
Sima Qian, with his historical knowledge of "studying the relationship between heaven and man, understanding the changes of ancient and modern times, and becoming a family", made "Historical Records" the first biographical general history in Chinese history, which had a huge impact on later generations. It was praised by Lu Xun as "the swan song of historians and the most rhyme-free Li Sao". His father Sima Tan was the Taishi Ling (equivalent to the current position of director of the National Library).
In his early years, Sima Qian lived a poor life in his hometown. In the sixth year of Jianyuan's reign, after the death of Empress Dowager Dou, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty dismissed Huang Lao, Xing Ming, and the opinions of hundreds of schools of thought, and restarted the respect for Confucianism. This is the famous "depose of hundreds of schools of thought and respect only Confucianism."
In the second year of Yuanshuo, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Sima Qian moved from Xia Yang [pronounced "false"] to Chang'an, and then moved with his family to the capital. He studied Shangshu from Kong An and Spring and Autumn Annals from Dong Zhongshu. Later, he inherited his father's business and became Taishi Ling.
In 104 BC, while presiding over the revision of the calendar, Sima Qian officially started writing the "Tai Shi Gong Shu". In the second year of Tianhan (99 BC), due to the "Li Ling Incident", he interceded for Li Ling who surrendered to the Huns. His outspoken words angered Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, who thought he was defending Li Ling, so he was castrated.
In prison, Sima Qian worked hard and strived for self-improvement. He endured the pain that most people can endure and continued to write "Historical Records". After Sima Qian was released from prison, he was appointed Zhongshu Ling, and continued to write books vigorously, and finally completed "Historical Records" in 91 BC.
In 90 BC, Sima Qian died at the age of 56. As for the cause of Sima Qian's death, there is no clear record in historical data, and it remains an unsolved mystery.
Xiayang, the name of the county, is close to Longmen. Therefore, Sima Qian called himself "Qian Sheng Longmen" (Taishigong's preface).
Longmen, Longmen Mountain, is very famous. Legend has it that Dayu once opened mountains and controlled floods in Longmen.
To the south of Longmen Mountain is the Yellow River. Sima Qian's home is right between the Yellow River and Longmen.
There are many local places of interest. While Sima Qian enjoyed the sights of mountains and rivers since he was a child, he also had the opportunity to hear many historical legends and stories.
There is no clear record of the dates of Sima Qian’s birth and death. The recent scholar Wang Guowei's "Tai Shi Gong Xing Nian Kao" believes that Sima Qian was born in the fifth year of the Zhongyuan period of Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty (145 BC), and died approximately in the first year of the Zhongyuan period of Emperor Zhao of the Han Dynasty (86 BC), at the age of 60.
It is said that Sima Qian’s family was a historian and astronomer passed down from generation to generation from Tang and Yu to Zhou Dynasty. Sima Cuo was a famous general who conquered Shu during the reign of King Qin Hui, and Sima Chang was an iron official of Qin Shihuang. When Sima Qian's father Sima Tan became the Taishi Ling of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, he restored the ancestral history of being a historian.
The location of Sima Qian’s birthplace, Hancheng. Sima Qian’s boyhood was “the sun of farming and herding rivers and mountains”. Sima Qian grew up in this natural environment of "mountains surrounded by water, mosaic and winding" ("Hancheng County Chronicles Preface"). He was not only influenced by the pure and beautiful atmosphere of the mountains and rivers, but also had some experience in folk life.
At the age of ten, Sima Qian followed his father to Chang'an, the capital, where he had to learn from the old doctor Fu Sheng and the great scholar Kong Anguo. Since his family had a deep academic background, he learned from famous teachers again, and benefited a lot from their inspiration and guidance. At this time, when the Han Dynasty was powerful, economically prosperous, and culturally prosperous, Zhang Qian was envoyed to the Western Regions, Wei Qing and Huo Qubing defeated the Xiongnu, and Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty established Yuefu... It was also a time when Sima Qian was rich in knowledge and enthusiasm in the capital.
When he was about 20 years old, Sima Qian began to travel - "traveling to the south of the Yangtze River and Huaihe River, going to Kuaiji, exploring Yu's cave, peeking into nine doubts, traveling to Yuan and Hunan, traveling to Wen and Si in the north, giving lectures In the capitals of Qi and Lu, observing the legacy of Confucius, he went to his hometown of Zou and Yi, and was trapped in Po, Xue and Pengcheng, and returned to Liang and Chu. "After returning to Chang'an, he became the emperor's personal attendant and accompanied Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. He visited Pingliang and Kongtong, and also served as an envoy to Bashu. The furthest south he reached was Kunming.
According to Sima Qian himself, he used to "farm and herd the sun of rivers and mountains" when he was a boy, which means that he once engaged in some agricultural labor in his hometown as a child. Later, his father Sima talked about Chang'an and became the Taishi Ling. Sima Qian followed his father to Chang'an. Under his father's guidance, he studied hard and laid a solid cultural foundation. He worshiped many famous teachers as teachers.
Sima Qian’s family, his family, has been a historian for generations, and as a historian, he has the responsibility to record the words and deeds of emperors and sages, and also has the responsibility to collect and organize the world’s relics and ancient events, and even more has the responsibility to pass them through Narrative theory provides reference for the rulers at that time. Then his father Sima Tan was determined to organize thousands of years of Chinese nation's history and tried to write a historical work of unprecedented scale.
It is to write a history book. He has had such an ideal since his father. After his father became the Taishi Ling, he began to collect and read historical materials to prepare for the compilation of history. However, Sima Tan felt that he was getting old and that he did not have enough time, energy, or knowledge to complete a historical work independently. Therefore, Sima Tan had high hopes for his son Sima Qian, hoping that he could participate as soon as possible. In fact, such an ambition will finally be realized.
So, he asked his son to start traveling thousands of miles on the basis of reading thousands of books. He asked his son to conduct a nationwide roaming for more than two years. So I want to introduce Sima Qian's wanderings here, so Sima Qian started a wandering when he was 20 years old. Sima Qian was a field trip to prepare for writing "Historical Records". He personally interviewed and obtained a lot of first-hand materials, ensuring that The authenticity and scientific nature of "Historical Records".
Then his wandering is also a concrete embodiment of the spirit of recording in "Historical Records". For example, he wandered to the Miluo River. On the Miluo River, at the place where Qu Yuan threw himself into the river, he recited Qu Yuan's poems loudly. He cried bitterly, so he wrote "The Biography of Qu Yuan" so emotionally. He personally inspected it and wrote about Qu Yuan based on his study of Qu Yuan.
For example, in Huaiyin, Han Xin’s hometown, he also collected many stories about Han Xin. For example, he personally asked others and said that Han Xin was humiliated under the crotch. Everyone knows this allusion. , why can Han Xin be humiliated without getting angry? Rather than being willing to do illegal things, I endured it. Han Xin, who was so tall, crawled between the legs of a gangster. If he had followed his personality, he would have killed him with one knife.
But if you kill him, will you still be able to make contributions later? Han Xin later helped Liu Bang push. 7. Introduction to Sima Qian
Introduction to Sima Qian
Sima Qian (145 BC or 135 BC~?) was a historian and writer of the Western Han Dynasty. Zi Chang, Zuo Fengyi, was born in Xiayang (now southwest of Hancheng, Shaanxi Province). He was born in the fifth year of Zhongyuan (145 BC) of Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty. It is said that he was born in the sixth year of Jianyuan (135 BC) of Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty. The year of his death cannot be determined. Sima Qian began to study ancient book biographies at the age of 10. Around the years of Yuanguang and Yuanshuo during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, he studied "Gongyang Chunqiu" from Dong Zhongshu, a modern writer, and "Guwen Shangshu" from Kong An, an ancient writer. When he was 20 years old, he traveled south from Chang'an, the capital, and traveled throughout the Yangtze and Huaihe River basins and the Central Plains, inspecting customs and collecting legends wherever he went. Soon he became a doctor and became the bodyguard and retinue of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. He accompanied him on many western tours and was once sent as an envoy to Bashu. In the third year of Yuanfeng (108 BC), Sima Qian inherited the post of his father Sima Tan and was appointed Taishi Ling, in charge of astronomy, calendar and royal books, so he could read the books collected by historians. In the first year of Taichu (104 BC), the "Taichu Calendar" was established with Tang Du, Luo Xiahong and others to replace the "Zhuanxu Calendar" inherited from Qin. The new calendar adapted to the needs of the society at that time. After that, Sima Qian began to write "Historical Records". Later, he was convicted and imprisoned for defending Li Ling, who surrendered to the Huns.
After he was released from prison, he served as Zhongshu Ling, continued to write books vigorously, and finally completed the writing of "Historical Records". People call this book "Tai Shi Gong Shu". It is China's first biographical general history and has a profound influence on later historiography. "Historical Records" has vivid language and vivid images, and is also an excellent literary work. Sima Qian also wrote the "Book of Bao Ren'an", which described his imprisonment and torture and his ambition to write a book, which has been praised by generations. 8. Introduction to Sima Qian
Sima Qian (145 BC or 135 BC ~ 87 BC?) was a historian and writer of the Western Han Dynasty.
The character is long. Zuo Fengyi was born in Xiayang (now Hancheng, Shaanxi).
My father, Sima Tan, served as Taishi Ling between Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty and Yuan Dynasty. He was a scholar with many accomplishments. In "On the Essentials of Six Schools", he summarized the important six schools of learning since the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period: Yin-Yang, Confucianism, Mohism, Ming Dynasty, Legalism and Taoism, and commented on them respectively: On Yin-Yang and other five schools, It not only affirmed something, but also pointed out its shortcomings, and completely affirmed Taoism.
This shows that Sima Tan accepted the influence of Huang-Lao thought that was dominant in the early Western Han Dynasty, and was not completely consistent with the policy of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty to depose hundreds of schools of thought and only respect Confucianism. Sima Tan attached great importance to the tradition of his family history and the responsibilities of historians. He once lamented: "Since the acquisition of Lin, it has been more than four hundred years old, and the princes have been together, and the historical records have been released.
Today's Han Dynasty is prosperous, and domestic affairs are flourishing. Unify. The wise kings, loyal ministers and righteous men, the rest are not mentioned in the history of Taishi, and the history of the world is abolished."
("Historical Records: Taishi Gong's Preface") All these have great influence on Sima Qian's later work. have a very obvious impact on their careers. Sima Qian spent his childhood at the foot of Longmen Mountain on the edge of the Yellow River in his hometown.
When he was 10 years old, he followed his father Sima to Chang'an and began to study ancient documents. He directly studied under the famous Confucian masters Dong Zhongshu and Kong Anguo at that time. At the age of 20, he traveled south to the Yangtze River and Huaihe River. According to "Historical Records Taishi Gong's Preface", this time he "went to Kuaiji to explore Yu's point, went up to Jiuyi, floated over Yuan and Xiang, traveled north to Wen and Si, and talked about the capital of Qi and Lu. "Looking at the legacy of Confucius, he shot Zou Yi in his hometown, suffered hardships in Po, Xue, and Pengcheng, and returned to Liang and Chu."
Later, when he was serving as a doctor, Taishi Ling and Zhongshu Ling, he either went on envoys according to orders or accompanied him on tours, and traveled to more places. These experiences gave him the opportunity to personally appreciate the majestic natural features of the motherland, investigate and understand many historical facts, correct and supplement omissions in the literature, and also made it possible for him to get in touch with the actual lives of the people, which increased his understanding of social reality.
Historian and litterateur of the Western Han Dynasty. Zi Chang, Zuo Fengyi, was born in Xiayang (now southwest of Hancheng, Shaanxi Province).
He was born in the fifth year of Zhongyuan (145 BC) of Emperor Jing of Han Dynasty. It is said that he was born in the sixth year of Jianyuan (135 BC) of Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty. The year of his death cannot be determined. Sima Qian began to study ancient book biographies at the age of 10.
Around the time of Yuanguang and Yuanshuo, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, he studied "Gongyang Chunqiu" from the modern writer Dong Zhongshu, and also studied "Guwen Shangshu" from the ancient writer Kong An. When he was 20 years old, he traveled south from Chang'an, the capital, and traveled throughout the Yangtze and Huaihe River basins and the Central Plains, inspecting customs and collecting legends wherever he went.
Soon he became a doctor and became the bodyguard and retinue of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. He accompanied him on many western tours and was once sent as an envoy to Bashu. In the third year of Yuanfeng (108 BC), Sima Qian inherited the post of his father Sima Tan and was appointed Taishi Ling, in charge of astronomy, calendar and royal books, so he could read the books collected by historians.
In the first year of Taichu (104 BC), the "Taichu Calendar" was signed with Tang Du, Luo Xiahong and others to replace the "Zhuanxu Calendar" inherited from the Qin Dynasty. The new calendar adapted to the social trends at that time. need. After that, Sima Qian began to write "Historical Records".
Later, he was convicted and imprisoned for defending Li Ling who surrendered to the Huns. After being released from prison, he served as Zhongshu Ling and continued to write books vigorously, finally completing the "Historical Records".
People call this book "Tai Shi Gong Shu". It is China's first biographical general history and has a profound influence on later historiography. "Historical Records" has vivid language and vivid images, and is also an excellent literary work.
Sima Qian also wrote the "Report to Ren An", which recorded his imprisonment and torture and his ambition to write a book, which has been praised by generations. Sima Qian is a great historian in Chinese history. He was castrated for speaking out and admonishing him. However, he became even more motivated to write books and created the "Historical Records", a famous historian at all times and at home and abroad. He shed a great fortune for the Chinese people and the people of the world. Precious cultural heritage.
1. Stepfather, Sima Qian, the historian, Yu Zichang, Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty was born at the foot of Longmen Mountain (in today's Hancheng County, Shaanxi Province) in the fifth year of Zhongyuan (145 BC). ). In the third year of Yuanfeng (108 BC), Sima Qian inherited the legacy of his father Sima Tan, became the Taishi Ling, and began to compile and select historical classics from the royal library.
Sima Qian's ancestors were not. Very important, his family has been in charge of the official position of Taishi for generations, but Sima Qian and his father are proud of it. In their minds, compiling history is a noble cause.
They dedicated themselves to this. Sima Tan has been preparing to write a history book that connects ancient and modern times. Under the direct instruction of his father, Sima Qian began to study the ancient Chinese literature of the time when he was ten years old. Later, he studied "Spring and Autumn Period" with Dong Zhongshu. ", studying "Shangshu" with Kong Anguo.
Sima Qian studied hard, made rapid progress, and was very diligent. When Sima Qian's father was critically ill, he held his son's hand and said to him in tears: " .
After I die, you must continue to be Taishi. Never forget my lifelong wish to write a general history.
You must inherit my career, don’t forget it! "This sincere entrustment greatly shocked Sima Qian. He saw his father's rare sense of mission and responsibility as a historian. He also knew that his father had placed his unfinished career on him. Sima Qian lowered his head and shed tears. With tears in his eyes, he promised sadly and firmly: "Son, although I don't have much talent, I will definitely fulfill your wish."
"After Sima Qian became Taishi Ling, he had the opportunity to read books and important materials that could not be seen outside. This provided him with good conditions for writing "Historical Records" in the future.
However, the work of organizing the data was very complicated. Since the book collections and national archives at that time were in disarray, there was not even a directory that could be checked. Sima Qian had to find clues from a large number of wooden slips and silk books to organize and organize. Researching historical materials.
Sima Qian racked his brains and worked hard almost every day to compile and research historical materials. Sima Qian always remembered his father's legacy, and he was determined to follow Confucius' example in compiling "Spring and Autumn". , writing a historical work that can also be immortalized.
In 104 BC, while presiding over the revision of the calendar, Sima Qian officially started writing his great work "Historical Records" 9. Introduction to Sima Qian<. /p>
Introduction to Sima Qian Sima Qian, a famous historian in my country's Western Han Dynasty
He was able to "recite ancient prose" at the age of 10. He began to travel at the age of 20, inspecting customs and collecting legends, and traveled all over the north and south. Later, he became an official and sent envoys to various parts of the southwest.
In the eighth year of Yuanfeng (108 BC), Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty inherited the official position of his father Sima Tan and was appointed Taishi Ling, responsible for drafting documents, compiling historical materials, and He was also in charge of national classics, astronomical calendars, etc. He read a large number of books, archives and documents collected by the emperor.
Later, he was arrested and imprisoned for defending Li Ling who surrendered to the Huns. After he was released from prison, he served. Zhongshu Ling was in charge of the royal confidential documents.
He worked hard to write "Historical Records" in 91 BC. Introduction to "Historical Records" "Historical Records", formerly known as "Tai Shi Gong Shu", is the first in our country. This book is a general history and pioneered the writing style of biographies and books.
This book contains 130 chapters, including twelve chronicles (recording the political affairs of past emperors), eight books (recording various laws and regulations), It consists of five parts: Ten Tables (recording dates and months), Thirty Aristocrats (recording the rise and fall of feudal lords), and Seventy Biographies (recording the words and deeds of important historical figures), recording a total of 520,000 words from the Yellow Emperor to the Han Dynasty. The 3,000-year political, economic and cultural history of Emperor Wu more comprehensively and profoundly reflected the social outlook of ancient my country and had a profound impact on later historical research.
Liang Liu Xie of the Southern Dynasties, "Wen Xin Diao Long". " commented on "Historical Records" and said: "Therefore, this chronicle describes the emperors, the biographies describe the general princes, the eight books describe the political system, and the ten tables describe the age. "Why did Chen She join the "Aristocratic Family"? Chen She came from a humble background. He was the so-called "son of the rope pivot of the urn and the rope of the urn, and the man of the windlass." Although he established himself as king after the uprising, he only lasted for six months.
< p> The reason why he is included in the "Aristocratic Family" is because he dared to take the lead in launching an attack under the strict rule of the Qin Dynasty. Such extraordinary achievements are indeed worthy of a special mention. Sima Qian wrote at the end of this biography: "Although Chen She was. After he died, he sent the princes, kings, generals and prime ministers to die in Qin Dynasty, so he was involved in the first incident. "It shows that he does not judge heroes by success or failure. Sima Qian's famous sayings · Chang Si worked hard regardless of his own life and sacrificed himself for the country's urgent needs.
· If you don't fly, you will be gone. If you soar into the sky, if you don't cry, you will be dead. , a blockbuster. · People are born with death, which may be heavier than Mount Tai or lighter than a feather, and the use of it varies.
Sima Qian bluntly said that in the second year of the Han Dynasty (99 BC), Sima Qian's whole body was destroyed. When Xindi was writing historical records, he encountered a sudden disaster. This was the Li Ling incident.
In the summer of this year, Emperor Wu sent Li Guangli, the brother of his favorite concubine Mrs. Li and the general of the Second Division, to lead troops to attack the Xiongnu. He also sent Li Guang's grandson, Lieutenant General Li Ling, to accompany Li Guangli to escort the baggage.
Li Guangli led five thousand infantrymen out of Juyan and encountered Shanyu. The Huns besieged Li Ling with 80,000 cavalry.
After eight days and nights of fighting, Li Ling killed more than 10,000 Huns. However, because he could not get the support of the main force, he ran out of ammunition and food and was unfortunately captured. After the news of Li Ling's defeat reached Chang'an, Emperor Wu originally hoped that he would die in battle, but later heard that he had surrendered. He was extremely angry. The civil and military officials in the court were watching the situation and followed the trend. A few days ago, they all praised Li Ling's bravery, but now they echoed it. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty accused Li Ling of his crimes.
Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty asked Taishi Ling Sima Qian for his opinion. On the one hand, Sima Qian comforted Emperor Wu, but on the other hand, he hated those ministers who acted according to the prevailing situation and tried his best to defend Li Ling. He believed that Li Ling was usually filial to his mother, loyal to his friends, humble and courteous to others, and kind to the soldiers. He often took care of the country's urgent needs regardless of his own life, and had the demeanor of a national scholar.
Sima Qian hated those ministers who only wanted to protect themselves and their families. Now that they saw that Li Ling was going to have trouble sending troops, they blindly added insult to injury and exaggerated his charges. He told Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty: "Li Ling only led five thousand infantrymen and went deep into the Huns. He fought alone, killed many enemies, and made great achievements.
When reinforcements failed to arrive, ammunition and food were exhausted, and there was no way out, Despite the situation, he still fought bravely to kill the enemy. Even the famous generals in ancient times were like this.
Although Li Ling himself was in defeat, he killed so many Huns that he was famous in the world. He surrendered to the Huns, and he must be looking for an appropriate opportunity to repay the Han Dynasty."
Sima Qian seems to mean that General Li Guangli failed to fulfill his responsibility. His outspoken words offended Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty thought that he was defending Li Ling and mocking Li Guangli, who had returned from the expedition and was defeated, so he ordered Sima Qian to be imprisoned.
After Sima Qian was imprisoned, the case fell into the hands of Du Zhou, a notoriously cruel official at the time. Du Zhou interrogated Sima Qian severely, and Sima Qian endured all kinds of physical and mental cruelty. In the face of cruel officials, he never gave in or confessed.
While in prison, Sima Qian kept asking himself: "Is this my sin? Is this my sin? As a minister, can't I express my opinion?" Soon, there were rumors It is said that Li Ling once led the Xiongnu soldiers to attack the Han Dynasty. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty believed it to be true and summarily executed Li Ling's mother, wife and son.
Sima Qian was also sentenced to death for this incident. According to the criminal law of the Han Dynasty, there are two ways to reduce the death penalty: one is to pay 500,000 yuan for atonement, and the other is to suffer "corruption".
Sima Qian's official family was poor, so of course he couldn't afford so much money to atone for his sins. Corruption not only cruelly destroys the human body and spirit, but also greatly humiliates the personality.
Of course Sima Qian was unwilling to endure such a punishment. He was so distraught that he even thought of committing suicide. But then he thought that everyone must die, but "death may be heavier than Mount Tai, or lighter than a feather." The significance of death is different.
He felt that if he "died under the law" like this, he would be like a cow missing a hair and would be worthless. He thought of Confucius, Qu Yuan, Zuo Qiuming, Sun Bin and others, as well as the humiliation they suffered and the impressive achievements they achieved.
Sima Qian suddenly felt full of strength, and he resolutely chose corruption. Facing the most cruel punishment, Sima Qian was in extreme pain, but he had no resentment or fear at this time.
He has only one belief, that is, he must live and finish writing the historical records. "The intestines make nine rounds in a day, and when they live there, they suddenly feel like they are dead, and when they go out, they don't know where they are going." Every time I think about this shame, sweat drips down my back."
It was precisely because he had not completed the historical records that he endured the humiliation and survived.