Sima Qian

Sima Qian

Sima Qian (145 B.C. or 135 B.C. ～ untraceable), with a long character, was born in Longmen (Xiayang of the Western Han Dynasty, Hancheng City of Shaanxi Province, or Hejin City of Shanxi Province), a historian and essayist of the Western Han Dynasty. Sima Tan's son, Ren Taishiling, was punished in the palace for defending Li Ling's surrender. Later, he was appointed zhongshuling. He worked hard to complete his historical books and was honored as Shiqian, Taishigong and father of history by later generations.

Sima Qian studied in kong'an and Dong Zhongshu in his early years. He traveled all over the country to learn about customs and collect rumors. As a new doctor, he served as an envoy to the southwest. In the third year of Yuanfeng (108 B.C.), he was appointed as Taishiling, inheriting his father's career and writing history. With his historical knowledge of "studying the time between heaven and man, understanding the changes of ancient and modern times, and becoming a family's opinion", he created the first biographical general history of China, Shiji (formerly known as taishigongshu). It has a history of more than 3000 years from the time of Yellow Emperor in ancient legend to the fourth year of the Taichu period of Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty. It is the first of the "twenty four histories" and is praised by Lu Xun as "the masterpiece of historians and the unruly Lisao".

Life of the characters

Early experience

Sima Qian was born in a well-being family in Longmen of the Yellow River during the reign of Jing and Wu of the Western Han Dynasty (unknown time). Sima Qian's grandfather Sima Xi, under the policy of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty, who ordered Li Mi to be knighted as a real frontier soldier, exchanged four thousand stone Li Mi for the title of nine rank five senior officials, so the whole family was free from corvee.

Under the guidance of his father Sima Tan, Sima Qian, a young man, practiced calligraphy and reading. At the age of 10, he was able to read and recite ancient Chinese books such as Shangshu, Zuozhuan, Guoyu and Xiben. During the reign of emperor Jianyuan of the Han Dynasty, Sima talked about Chang'an, the capital, as the official of Taishiling, while Sima Qian stayed in his hometown of Longmen, practising himself and continuing his career of farming, studying and herding.

Learn to travel around the world

After a little older, Sima Qian left his hometown of Longmen and came to his father's side in Chang'an, the capital. At this time, Sima Qian had already learned something. Sima Tan instructed Sima Qian to visit all the rivers and mountains to collect the old news. At the age of 20, Sima Qian began to travel around the world. He set out from Chang'an, the capital, to the southeast and went out of Wuguan to WAN. South to Xiangfan to Jiangling. After crossing the river, we traced the Yuanshui River to Xiangxi, and then turned southeast to Jiuyi. After nine suspicions, he went north to Changsha, went to the place where Miluo Quyuan sank, crossed the Dongting, came out of the Yangtze River, and went down the East. After climbing Lushan Mountain, watching Yu and dredging Jiujiang River, the exhibition was transferred to Qiantang. Go to Kuaiji and explore Yu acupoints. You can also visit Chunshenjun palace. Go to Gusu and look at the five lakes. After that, he crossed the river northward, crossed Huaiyin, and went to Linzi and Qufu to investigate the culture of Qilu region. He saw the legacy of Confucius and was trapped in Po, Xue, and Pengcheng. Then he went through Pengcheng, Li Pei, Feng, Dang, Suiyang, and Liang (now Kaifeng in Henan Province), along with the hometown of historical figures in the Qin and Han Dynasties and the battlefield of Chu and Han Dynasties, and returned to Sima Tan, his father of Chang'an at that time Side.

Return to court as an official

Because of his father Sima Tan, Sima Qian became a doctor after he returned to Beijing.

In the sixth year of Yuanding (111 BC) of Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty, chiyihou ordered the Southwest Barbarians to be pacified. Zhonglang led the troops of Guochang, Weiguang and baxiaowei to conquer Qielan and pacify the South barbarians. Yelang was so frightened that he invited himself to the court as a minister. Han Army also killed Qiong Jun and zuohou. Ran Zhen was afraid, so he asked his officials to set up an official. After that, Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty set up five counties in southwest Yi, namely Wudu, juke, Yueyu, Shenli and Wenshan. After Tang Meng, Sima Xiangru and Gongsun Hong, Sima Qian, who was on an eastward tour of the Gou family with Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, was sent to the southwest again and was sent to the south of Ba and Shu to plan the construction of the new county. Then he pacified Qiong, Peng and Kunming, and returned to Emperor Wu the next year.

Father ordained

In the spring of the first year of Emperor Hanwu's Yuanfeng reign (110 BC), Emperor Hanwu held a ceremony of Fengchan in Mount Tai on his way back from his East tour of the Bohai Sea. Sima Tan, an official who participated in the formulation of Fengchan rites, stayed in Zhounan because of his illness and was unable to move on. He was even more resentful and aggravated. Sima Qian, the envoy of the western expedition, immediately went to Mount Tai to attend the ceremony of Fengchan. When he arrived in Luoyang, he met his father, who was dying.

On his deathbed, Sima Tan said to Sima Qian, "our ancestors were the Grand Historian of the Zhou Dynasty. As far back as Yushun and Xiayu, he was in charge of astronomy. Later, the decline, do you want to die here in me? If you succeed as a Taishi, you can continue the cause of our ancestors. Today, the emperor inherits the great cause of the unification of the Han Dynasty for a thousand years, and I have to do it. It's predestined! After my death, you will be a great historian. After I am a great historian, you must not forget the works I am going to write. Besides, filial piety starts from serving parents. After serving the monarch in the middle, it can finally gain a foothold in the society, become famous in later generations, and glorify parents. This is the most important part of filial piety. The world praises the Duke of Zhou, which means that he can praise the merits of King Wen and King Wu of Zhou, publicize the dispatches of Zhou and Zhao, and make people understand the thoughts of King Tai and Wang Ji of Zhou and the merits of Gong Liu, so that the ancestor Houji can be respected. After king you and King li of Zhou Dynasty, the royal way declined and the rites and music were damaged. Confucius studied and sorted out the old documents and books to revitalize the abandoned royal way and rites and music. Up to now, scholars still regard it as a rule to sort out poems, books, and works spring and autumn. It has been more than 400 years since Duke AI of Lu got Lin. during this period, due to the annexation and scuffle of the princes, the historical books were scattered and the records were interrupted. Now, with the rise of the Han Dynasty and the unification of the mainland and the mainland, I don't comment on and record the deeds of wise monarchs and loyal ministers, and I interrupt the historical documents of the country. I feel very uneasy about this. You should keep it in mind! " Sima Qian lowered his head in tears and said: "although the boy is not intelligent, he must have completed all his father's plans to compile history, and dare not have the slightest omission."

Private and virtuous

Because when he worked in Chang'an, he met the prosperous age of the Han Dynasty, when "the people of the Han Dynasty were the most prosperous", Sima Qian was able to meet the world's talented people who gathered in Chang'an. They include Jia Jia, the grandson of Jia Yi, Ji Gong, fan TA Guang, the grandson of fan Kuai, Feng Sui, the son of Ping Yuan Jun Zhu Jian, Feng Tang, Tian Shu, Tian Ren, Hu Sui, Du Ling, Su Jian, etc. However, Dong Zhongshu and Kong Anguo had the greatest influence on Sima Qian.

When Sima Qian discussed literature with Hu Sui, a senior official of Shangfu, he once said: "I heard Dong Sheng say:" in the Zhou Dynasty, the king's way was declining. Confucius was the commander of the state of Lu. Knowing that his opinions were not accepted and that his political views could not be carried out, Confucius praised and criticized the right and wrong of 242 years as the standard for judging the right and wrong of the world. He belittled the emperor who had no way, denounced the princes who were wrong, and denounced the officials who were disorderly in politics, in order to make the country's political affairs accessible. ". Looking at the historical records, we can see that Dong Zhongshu's Gongyang School's influence on Sima Qian is mainly as follows: first, Gongyang family praises Tang Wu revolution and advocates fighting against tyranny with justice, which becomes the ideological basis of anti tyranny in historical records; second, Gongyang family's idea of "respecting the king and fighting against foreigners" and advocating "great unity" becomes the main idea throughout the book; third, Gongyang family's meaning of respecting concession and advocating shame is the core of historical records《 Historical records praises the moral standards of historical figures.

Because Kong Anguo was a descendant of Confucius, he had more than ten pieces of ancient literature, which was lost in the world, and he was also familiar with modern and ancient literature. Therefore, Sima Qian also tried to learn from Kong Anguo about the book of ancient Chinese classics and ancient literature, and master the method of historical research. As the core of the whole ancient literature, Sima Qian quoted a lot in his three dynasties history.

Sima Qian once gave Confucius the idea of "stopping in the mountains, stopping in the sight and stopping in the journey" in historical records Confucius family He was highly praised. It also absorbed the essence of Confucius's theory and six classics, and followed Confucius's spirit.

Discuss calendar change

It has been 102 years since the founding of the Han Dynasty. At the beginning of the establishment of the Han Dynasty, many things were created, most of which followed the production of the Qin Dynasty. The Zhuanxu calendar is adopted as the calendar rule. Nevertheless, the calculation of Shuo and Hui in Zhuanxu Li is different from the actual situation. Therefore, Sima Qian, the then Taishi Ling, Gongsun Qing, the great and middle-sized official, and Hu Sui, etc., spoke to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty: "Zhuanxu calendar is no longer suitable for the present situation, so it's time to customize the calendar.". But Er Kuan, the imperial historian, happened to know the Confucian classics. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty ordered Er Kuan to discuss with the doctors about revising the calendar. In the same year, he ordered gongsunqing, Husui, Simaqian, shilangzun and Dadian xingshexing to discuss and customize the Han calendar.

Suffer from corruption

In the second year of the Han Dynasty (99 BC), Emperor Wu wanted Li Ling to escort the second division general Li Guangli, who came out of Jiuquan to attack the Xiongnu Youxian king. Li Ling declined, and asked five thousand soldiers to fight against the crowd. Emperor Wu appreciated Li Ling's courage and agreed to him. However, when Li Ling arrived at Junji mountain, he was attacked by the Huns. However, without the aid of lubord, the soldiers of the Huns gathered more and more. After all the food was gone, Li Ling finally surrendered to the enemy. Emperor Wu was angry, and all his officials denounced Li Ling's guilt. Only Sima Qian said, "Li Ling always serves his relatives with filial piety, has faith with scholars, and always has the heart of serving the country. He only led 5000 infantry, attracted all the strength of Xiongnu and killed more than 10000 enemies. Although he was defeated in the war, his contribution could be more than that. I don't think Li Ling really wanted to surrender the enemy. He wanted to find a chance to repay the Han Dynasty. " However, after Gongsun Ao failed to welcome Li Ling and lied about Li Ling's training for the Xiongnu in order to fight back against the Han Dynasty, Emperor Wu killed Li Ling's family, and Sima Qian was also falsely charged with "persuading the second division to lobby for Li Ling". The crime of falsehood is a crime of great disrespect, which should be executed according to the law.

In the face of the punishment of the great opening up, he died of admiring righteousness. Although his reputation and integrity could be protected, his book was not completed and his name was not established

Chinese PinYin : Si Ma Qian