Records of the Grand Historian: A Cultural Treasure of the Chinese Nation
2024-02-21
The Records of the Grand Historian is China's first biographical general history, playing an important role in cultural history. Its broad content, unique ideas, and profound spirit transcend time and space, transcend national borders, and are full of eternal charm. It is a cultural treasure of the Chinese nation. The Records of the Grand Historian is an unusual cultural mountain. It has five styles, which are both independent and interrelated, playing a unique role, forming a complete sequence, maximizing the display of the whole history, creating a new style of historical recording, opening up a new path and era for the development of historiography. It is a great historical work and also the pioneering work of Chinese biographical literature. The Records of the Grand Historian emerged in response to the needs of the times. After Emperor Qin Shi Huang unified the country, "burning away articles and fooling Qianshou" had already been destroyed without a chance to summarize historical experience. During the reign of Emperor Gaozu of Han, the main task was to restore the economy, but Lu Jia also began to summarize the historical experience of "Qin lost the world because of it, what did I gain because of it, and the country of ancient success and failure". After the rule of culture and scenery, society has remained stable. Emperor Wu ascended to the throne, and there was a flourishing situation in politics, economy, military, and other aspects, with the external suppression of barbarians and the internal cultivation of laws and regulations. Consolidating dynasty rule requires cultural and ideological unity. "Observing the phenomena of heaven and earth, and understanding ancient and modern things" in the Huainanzi began to carry out comprehensive ideological work; Dong Zhongshu wrote "The Spring and Autumn Annals of the Gongyang", promoting the unification of the Great; Sima Xiangru's great poem reflects the ideological concept of a unified society in the Han Dynasty. In the era of grandeur and grandeur, there should be a systematic summary of historical experiences and lessons in a historical book to serve the dynasty. Sima Tan and Sima Qian, father and son, were born in a prosperous era and shouldered the responsibility of the times. The Records of the Grand Historian spans time and space, showcasing the gradual development of the Chinese nation from ancient primitive tribes to a unified dynasty from different perspectives. Starting from the legendary Yellow Emperor and ending with the magnificent and talented Emperor Wu of Han, it spans a history of three thousand years and records more than 4000 characters. Apart from the Central Plains region of the Han Dynasty, the records of surrounding ethnic groups extend far to present-day Central Asia and West Asia, making it an extremely vast historical picture with world historical significance. Historian Lv Simian highly praised this in his book "History of Qin and Han": "There are two meanings to a comprehensive history: to compile ancient and modern events in one book, which is consistent with the times. To simplify the affairs of ten thousand countries, which is consistent with all regions. Since ancient times, those who called world history have always been limited to the place they know. When discussing or moving, if the world they know is fixed in their books, then their books are called the world history of that time." This is not found in previous historical books, nor in historical records of other countries in the world during the same period. The rise and fall of dynasties recorded in the Twelve Annals demonstrate the governance concepts of different rulers and the relationship between monarchs and subjects, as well as the relationship between monarchs and the people, which is a typical example of political science. How history evolved from the worship of gods to the emphasis on humans, how Confucius, Mencius, Xunzi, Laozi, Zhuangzi and others understood society, and how Sima Tan summarized the pre Qin philosophers, all contain profound philosophical ideas. With a history of three thousand years, there are countless wars of all sizes, especially from the Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period to the unification of the Qin Dynasty, the Chu Han War, and the Han Xiong War. How to plan and win all demonstrate the strategic tactics of military science. Material is the foundation of social development, and there are different economic policies and means in different eras and regions
Edit:GuoGuo Responsible editor:FangZhiYou
Source:gmw.cn
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