Records of the Grand Historian: The Twelve Basic Annals

"Records of the Grand Historian" (Shiji), one of the Twenty-Four Histories, was originally called "The Records of the Grand Historian" or "The Records of the Grand Historian". It is a biographical historical work written by the Western Han historian Sima Qian. This is the first biographical general history in Chinese history, recording over three thousand years of history from the legendary Yellow Emperor of ancient times to the fourth year of Emperor Wu of Han. Sima Qian began writing the book in the first year of Taichu (104 BCE), and it took fourteen years to complete.The "Records of the Grand Historian" consists of 130 chapters and includes: Twelve Basic Annals (recording the political achievements of emperors), Thirty Hereditary Houses (recording the rise and fall of feudal lords and noble families of the Han dynasty), Seventy Biographies (recording the words and deeds of important figures, mainly officials, with the last one being an autobiography), Ten Tables (chronological tables of major events), Eight Treatises (recording various institutions such as rites, music, calendars, astronomy, sacrifices, water conservancy, and finances).The "Records of the Grand Historian" totals more than 526,500 characters, which is 395,000 more characters than the "Huainanzi" and 288,000 more than the "Lüshi Chunqiu." Its immense scale and comprehensive system profoundly influenced subsequent biographical historiography, becoming the format for official histories of later dynasties.The "Records of the Grand Historian" is regarded as the foremost among the Twenty-Four Histories and has had a profound impact on the development of historiography and literature in later periods. Its pioneering biographical format was adopted by successive official histories. It is also considered an excellent literary work with significant value in Chinese literature. Lu Xun praised it as "the unrivaled masterpiece of the historian, the 'rhythmless' Li Sao." Liu Xiang and others regarded it as "skilled in organizing events and reasoning, clear but not ornate, simple but not vulgar." The "Records of the Grand Historian," along with the "Book of Han" and "Eastern Han Records," are known as the "Three Histories," and were standard texts in the Tang dynasty imperial examinations. It is also grouped with the "Book of Han," "Book of Later Han," and "Records of the Three Kingdoms" as the "Four Early Histories."The "Records of the Grand Historian" is divided into five parts: Basic Annals, Tables, Treatises, Hereditary Houses, and Biographies. The Basic Annals and Biographies form the core of the work, focusing on political central figures in history. The clear division of various formats, particularly the Basic Annals, Hereditary Houses, and Biographies, which make up the majority of the book, centers on recording history through the lives of individuals. Thus, Sima Qian established a new historiographical format known as the biographical style.The Twelve Basic Annals in Sima Qian's "Records of the Grand Historian" (Shiji) form the cornerstone of this monumental work. They provide a chronological account of the major political achievements and events of the emperors and central figures in Chinese history, from the mythical era of the Five Emperors to the reign of Emperor Wu of Han. These annals not only chronicle the rise and fall of dynasties but also offer insights into the lives and legacies of the rulers who shaped the course of Chinese civilization. Read more