I. Early Life

A. Details outlined in an autobiographical chapter, the last, of the Shiji

B. Born in 145 in Longmen (near present day Hancheng)

1. His father, Sima Tan, held the office of the Taishiling (translated variously as Prefect of the Grand Scribes, the Great Historian, Grand Astrologer) to the Han dynasty.

2. By age 10, Qian was already well versed with the “ancient writings.”

3. At age 20, Qian embarked on a journey to the four corners of the Han territory, experiencing all the land and people had to offer, learning all the ancient traditions, and, among other things, studying in Lu, the native province of Confucius.

4. Upon his return, he served as a Palace Attendant and accompanied military expeditions against various foreign peoples.

II. Taking His Father’s Place, 110 BCE

A. Sima Tan fell ill in 110 and summoned Sima Qian to his deathbed:

“Our forebears were Grand Historians of the Zhou house. From highest antiquity they achieved distinction and honour in the times of Shin and the Xia dynasties, being in charge of astronomical matters. In later generations they went into decline, and will the chain be severed by me?…When I die, you are bound to become the Grand Historian, do not forget what I intended to argue and put down in writing. Moreover filial piety starts in the service of parents…the most important aspect of filial piety is for your name to be spread abroad in later generations in order to bring glory to your father and mother.”

To this, Sima Qian, weeping, responded:

“Although your young son is not intelligent, he begs to discuss everything which our forebears have reported concerning ancient times. He will not dare to leave any gaps in it.”

B. Sima Qian thus becomes historian to the Emperor Han Wudi (r. 140-87 BCE) finishing probably around 100 BCE.

1. Accepts even disgrace and castration in order to finish it (as discussed

in class, the “Li Ling” incident)

III. The Shiji

A. Sima Qian and his work holds a place in Chinese culture and historiography

comparable to Herodotus in the Western tradition.

1. Both authors are not only essential sources for ancient historical events, but they also influence the way in which history itself will be written by their successors.

2. But, their historiography differs: “Sima Qian doesn’t proclaim truth, rather he enables understanding” (Grant Hardy).

i. Qian does not provide an ordered narrative, or offer “evidence” in support of “arguments,” but rather presents an anthology of all known information from before the Shang to the present day

ii. Like Confucius, he didn’t see himself as an original author, rather a gatherer and synthesizer of existing knowledge

iii. Sima Qian also is the first to report on the Zhou notion of the “Mandate of Heaven,” and uses it himself to explain the fall of the despotic Qin and the rise of his own Han dynasties. This model is followed through all successive Imperial history

B. The Structure of the Shiji

1. FIVE MAJOR SECTIONS, 130 chapters (each an individual bamboo roll)

-The Annals (the record of Imperial Reigns)

-Chronological Tables

-Treatises (on such topics as Music, the heavens, the economy)

-Record of Hereditary Houses (the record of feudal lords)

-Categorized Biographies

C. The Importance of the Shiji

1. Became the model for the so-called “Standard Histories”

i. Each dynasty, from the Han forward, wrote a history justifying their rule to the succeeding dynasty. There are 26 such histories, totaling nearly 100,00 pages in the uniform Beijing Zhonghua editions. This is THE most important source for the history of China

2. “I would argue that after Confucius and the First Emperor of Qin, Sima Qian was

one of the creators of Imperial China, not least because by providing definitive

biographies, he virtually created the two figures” (Grant Hardy).

3. The Shiji is a primary example of the importance of past eras, ancestry, and filial

piety to the Chinese.

4. Although some of his claims are dubious (especially the extent of Qin

tyranny—execution of scholars, the “burning of the books”), archaeological finds

have borne out much of his writing, and are of much use in the archaeological

practice itself (esp. in reference to the Tomb of Qin Shihuangdi).

5. Sima Qian’s own estimation: “Though it may hurt, loyal criticism will have

beneficial effects.”