Download Sima Qian

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Sima Qian
By Vickie Chao
The Chinese have always been fond of writing. Almost as soon as they
developed their own writing system, scholars began to diligently and dutifully
record everything that had been happening around them. But, by far, none had
done so in a more methodical way than Sima Qian whose Shiji (or Shih-chi,
literally meaning historical records) covers events spanning nearly 3,000 years.
This masterpiece includes everything from the time of the mythical Yellow
Emperor to the contemporary era during which Sima Qian was living. When
putting the book together, Sima Qian felt that documenting everything in a long
laundry list was simply not good enough. Hence, in addition to using the usual
chronicle approach, he also wrote biographies for emperors as well as other
important figures before his time. His new method completely revolutionized how
history should be written and became the "in" style that everybody followed. For
that reason alone, it is not hard to see why Shiji has always been hailed as one of
the greatest treatises in Chinese literature!
Sima Qian was born some time between 145 B.C. and 135 B.C. His father, Sima Tan, was the Grand Historian
for Emperor Wu of the Western Han dynasty for thirty years. Right from the beginning, Sima Tan had very high
expectations for his son. He wanted him to inherit his post and make a name for himself. To be sure that the
young boy was up for the challenge, he sent him to study with the most prominent scholars of his time. By the
age of twenty, Sima Qian was already well-versed in classic literature and knew a great deal about astronomy. (In
the olden days, a Grand Historian was in charge of not only jotting down pivotal turns of events, but also making
astronomical observations to devise new calendars.) Shortly after he celebrated his twentieth birthday, he
embarked on a journey around China. He used the occasion to visit many ancient sites and conduct field research.
Upon his return, Sima Qian was made Lang Zhong or Palace Attendant whose main duty was to inspect
different parts of the country with Emperor Wu. In 110 B.C., his father fell gravely ill. Knowing that his days
were numbered, Sima Tan summoned his son forward and urged him to carry out his dream of writing a
comprehensive, in-depth history book for the generations to come. After he relayed this particular wish of his, the
old man took his last breath and passed away. Two years later, Sima Qian inherited his father's position and
became the new Grand Historian. One of his earliest accomplishments was to take part in introducing a new
lunar calendar in 104 B.C. This new calendar (dubbed as " Taichuli") used January as the beginning of a year.
(The previous version used October.) It also stated that there were 29.53 days in a month and 365.25 days in a
year. At the time, Taichuli was the most advanced calendar that the Chinese had ever created. It remained
in-force for nearly 200 years.
After rolling out Taichuli, Sima Qian finally had time to begin compiling Shiji. But just as he was getting
ready to do so, an unexpected turn of events forced him to put the plan on hold; at one point, even his life was in
jeopardy! What transpired was that, after exhausting all his supplies, a famous general by the name of Li Ling
was defeated by Xiongnu (an aggressive nomadic tribe from the north) and surrendered in 99 B.C. When Emperor
Wu heard of the news, he was very angry and wanted to kill his entire family for treason. Thinking that the
punishment was too harsh, Sima Qian spoke up and defended Li Ling. Needless to say, his words were not
something Emperor Wu wanted to hear at that moment. Now even more enraged, the king threw his Grand
Historian into jail and condemned him to death. According to the law back then, one could avoid execution by
either paying a huge fine or getting mutilated. Given that Sima Qian was not a rich man, he had to go for the
second option. This severe sentence almost destroyed him. For a while, he simply lost his will to live.
Fortunately, he eventually came around and remembered his promise to his father. He completed Shiji around 91
B.C. and probably died in 87 B.C.
In this magnum opus of his, Sima Qian grouped all the information into five major categories. He had 12
volumes of benji for prominent emperors before his time and 30 volumes of shijia for famous nobility, most of
whom dated around the Eastern Zhou dynasty (770 B.C. - 221 B.C.) He wrote 70 volumes of liezhuan to give
detailed accounts of some other important figures as well as neighboring tribes. He penned 8 volumes of shu to
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provide his insights on literature and customs. And he made 10 volumes of biao to chronically list out historical
events. Altogether, Shiji consists of 130 volumes. After its debut, the book won great reviews. Ultimately, its
success elevated Sima Qian's stature as China's greatest historian! In the end, he did fulfill his father's dying wish.
Had Sima Tan still been alive then, he would have been very pleased indeed!
Sima Qian
Questions
1. Which dynasty was Sima Qian from?
A. The Northern Wei dynasty
B. The Tang dynasty
C. The Western Han dynasty
D. The Eastern Zhou dynasty
2. Which of the following about Sima Qian is NOT true?
A. His Shiji covered events since the days of the mythical Yellow Emperor.
B. Both he and his father served as the Grand Historian for Emperor Wu.
C. He became the Grand Historian at the age of twenty.
D. Before he took on his first job, he traveled around China to conduct field research.
3. Which of the following events happened first?
A. Sima Tan passed away.
B. General Li Ling surrendered to Xiongnu.
C. Emperor Wu appointed Sima Qiang as Lang Zhong.
D. Sima Qian completed Shiji.
4. Which of the following about Shiji is correct?
A. It was published after Sima Qian passed away.
B. Its liezhuan is a collection of biographies for prominent rulers.
C. It consists of 130 volumes.
D. Its benji has detailed accounts about literature and custom.
5. If we want to read the biography for Yellow Emperor, where can we find it in Shiji?
A. Shijia
B. Liezhuan
C. Shu
D. Benji
6. For how many years was Sima Qian the Grand Historian?
A. 9 years (108 B.C. - 99 B.C.)
B. 30 years (140 B.C. - 110 B.C.)
C. 5 years (104 B.C. - 99 B.C.)
D. 11 years (110 B.C. - 99 B.C.)
7. Which of the following about Taichuli is correct?
A. It used October as the beginning of a year.
B. It stated that there were 29.53 days in a month.
C. It remained in use for nearly 2,000 years.
D. It was introduced in 110 B.C.
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8. Since very early on, Sima Qian had decided that he wanted to write a comprehensive, in-depth history book
for future generations. His father did not have anything to do with that decision.
A. False
B. True
9. If we want to find the information about Xiongnu, where can we find it in Shiji?
A. Shijia
B. Benji
C. Liezhuan
D. Shu
10. Which of the following events happened last?
A. Sima Tan became the Grand Historian.
B. Sima Qian traveled around China and used the occasion to conduct field research.
C. Taichuli was introduced.
D. Emperor Wu appointed Sima Qian as Lang Zhong.