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href="#As_Han_court_official"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2</span> <span>As Han court official</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-As_Han_court_official-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle As Han court official subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-As_Han_court_official-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Li_Ling_affair" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Li_Ling_affair"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.1</span> <span>Li Ling affair</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Li_Ling_affair-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Later_years_and_death" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Later_years_and_death"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.2</span> <span>Later years and death</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Later_years_and_death-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Records_of_the_Grand_Historian" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Records_of_the_Grand_Historian"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3</span> <span><i>Records of the Grand Historian</i></span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Records_of_the_Grand_Historian-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle <i>Records of the Grand Historian</i> subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Records_of_the_Grand_Historian-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Format" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Format"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.1</span> <span>Format</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Format-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Influences_and_works_influenced" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Influences_and_works_influenced"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.2</span> <span>Influences and works influenced</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Influences_and_works_influenced-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Innovations_and_unique_features" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Innovations_and_unique_features"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.3</span> <span>Innovations and unique features</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Innovations_and_unique_features-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Literary_figure" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Literary_figure"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4</span> <span>Literary figure</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Literary_figure-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Literary figure subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Literary_figure-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Other_literary_works" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Other_literary_works"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4.1</span> <span>Other literary works</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Other_literary_works-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Astronomer/astrologer" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Astronomer/astrologer"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5</span> <span>Astronomer/astrologer</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Astronomer/astrologer-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Family" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Family"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6</span> <span>Family</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Family-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Family subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Family-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Unsubstantiated_descendants" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Unsubstantiated_descendants"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6.1</span> <span>Unsubstantiated descendants</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Unsubstantiated_descendants-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Notes" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Notes"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">7</span> <span>Notes</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Notes-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-References" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#References"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">8</span> <span>References</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-References-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle References subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-References-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Citations" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Citations"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">8.1</span> <span>Citations</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Citations-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Sources" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Sources"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">8.2</span> <span>Sources</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Sources-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Further_reading" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Further_reading"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">9</span> <span>Further reading</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Further_reading-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-External_links" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#External_links"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">10</span> <span>External links</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-External_links-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="mw-content-container"> <main id="content" class="mw-body"> <header class="mw-body-header vector-page-titlebar"> <nav aria-label="Contents" class="vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown vector-page-titlebar-toc vector-button-flush-left" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Toggle the table of contents" > <label id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-label" for="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-listBullet mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-listBullet"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Toggle the table of contents</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading mw-first-heading"><span class="mw-page-title-main">Sima Qian</span></h1> <div id="p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown mw-portlet mw-portlet-lang" > <input type="checkbox" id="p-lang-btn-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox mw-interlanguage-selector" aria-label="Go to an article in another language. Available in 115 languages" > <label id="p-lang-btn-label" for="p-lang-btn-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--action-progressive mw-portlet-lang-heading-115" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-language-progressive mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-language-progressive"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">115 languages</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-af mw-list-item"><a href="https://af.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Afrikaans" lang="af" hreflang="af" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Afrikaans" data-language-local-name="Afrikaans" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Afrikaans</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-als mw-list-item"><a href="https://als.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Alemannic" lang="gsw" hreflang="gsw" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Alemannisch" data-language-local-name="Alemannic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Alemannisch</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-am mw-list-item"><a href="https://am.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E1%88%B2%E1%88%9B_%E1%8C%AD%E1%8B%A8%E1%8A%95" title="ሲማ ጭየን – Amharic" lang="am" hreflang="am" data-title="ሲማ ጭየን" data-language-autonym="አማርኛ" data-language-local-name="Amharic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>አማርኛ</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ar mw-list-item"><a href="https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%B3%D9%8A%D9%85%D8%A7_%D8%B4%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%86" title="سيما شيان – Arabic" lang="ar" hreflang="ar" data-title="سيما شيان" data-language-autonym="العربية" data-language-local-name="Arabic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>العربية</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-an mw-list-item"><a href="https://an.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Aragonese" lang="an" hreflang="an" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Aragonés" data-language-local-name="Aragonese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Aragonés</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ast mw-list-item"><a href="https://ast.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Asturian" lang="ast" hreflang="ast" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Asturianu" data-language-local-name="Asturian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Asturianu</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-gn mw-list-item"><a href="https://gn.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Guarani" lang="gn" hreflang="gn" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Avañe'ẽ" data-language-local-name="Guarani" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Avañe'ẽ</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-az mw-list-item"><a href="https://az.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C4%B1ma_Syan" title="Sıma Syan – Azerbaijani" lang="az" hreflang="az" data-title="Sıma Syan" data-language-autonym="Azərbaycanca" data-language-local-name="Azerbaijani" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Azərbaycanca</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-azb mw-list-item"><a href="https://azb.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%B3%DB%8C%D9%85%D8%A7_%D9%82%DB%8C%DB%8C%D8%A7%D9%86" title="سیما قییان – South Azerbaijani" lang="azb" hreflang="azb" data-title="سیما قییان" data-language-autonym="تۆرکجه" data-language-local-name="South Azerbaijani" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>تۆرکجه</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-bn mw-list-item"><a href="https://bn.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%BE_%E0%A6%9B%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BC%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%A8" title="সিমা ছিয়েন – Bangla" lang="bn" hreflang="bn" data-title="সিমা ছিয়েন" data-language-autonym="বাংলা" data-language-local-name="Bangla" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>বাংলা</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-zh-min-nan mw-list-item"><a href="https://zh-min-nan.wikipedia.org/wiki/Su-m%C3%A1_Chhian" title="Su-má Chhian – Minnan" lang="nan" hreflang="nan" data-title="Su-má Chhian" data-language-autonym="閩南語 / Bân-lâm-gú" data-language-local-name="Minnan" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>閩南語 / Bân-lâm-gú</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ba mw-list-item"><a href="https://ba.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D1%8B%D0%BC%D0%B0_%D0%A6%D1%8F%D0%BD%D1%8C" title="Сыма Цянь – Bashkir" lang="ba" hreflang="ba" data-title="Сыма Цянь" data-language-autonym="Башҡортса" data-language-local-name="Bashkir" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Башҡортса</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-be mw-list-item"><a href="https://be.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D1%8B%D0%BC%D0%B0_%D0%A6%D1%8F%D0%BD%D1%8C" title="Сыма Цянь – Belarusian" lang="be" hreflang="be" data-title="Сыма Цянь" data-language-autonym="Беларуская" data-language-local-name="Belarusian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Беларуская</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-be-x-old mw-list-item"><a href="https://be-tarask.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D1%8B%D0%BC%D0%B0_%D0%A6%D1%8F%D0%BD%D1%8C" title="Сыма Цянь – Belarusian (Taraškievica orthography)" lang="be-tarask" hreflang="be-tarask" data-title="Сыма Цянь" data-language-autonym="Беларуская (тарашкевіца)" data-language-local-name="Belarusian (Taraškievica orthography)" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Беларуская (тарашкевіца)</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-bg mw-list-item"><a href="https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%B0_%D0%A6%D0%B8%D0%B5%D0%BD" title="Сима Циен – Bulgarian" lang="bg" hreflang="bg" data-title="Сима Циен" data-language-autonym="Български" data-language-local-name="Bulgarian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Български</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-bo mw-list-item"><a href="https://bo.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%BD%A6%E0%BD%B2%E0%BC%8B%E0%BD%98%E0%BC%8B%E0%BD%86%E0%BD%93%E0%BC%8D" title="སི་མ་ཆན། – Tibetan" lang="bo" hreflang="bo" data-title="སི་མ་ཆན།" data-language-autonym="བོད་ཡིག" data-language-local-name="Tibetan" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>བོད་ཡིག</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-bs mw-list-item"><a href="https://bs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Bosnian" lang="bs" hreflang="bs" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Bosanski" data-language-local-name="Bosnian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bosanski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-br mw-list-item"><a href="https://br.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Breton" lang="br" hreflang="br" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Brezhoneg" data-language-local-name="Breton" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Brezhoneg</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-bxr mw-list-item"><a href="https://bxr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D1%8B%D0%BC%D0%B0_%D0%A6%D1%8F%D0%BD%D1%8C" title="Сыма Цянь – Russia Buriat" lang="bxr" hreflang="bxr" data-title="Сыма Цянь" data-language-autonym="Буряад" data-language-local-name="Russia Buriat" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Буряад</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ca mw-list-item"><a href="https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Catalan" lang="ca" hreflang="ca" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Català" data-language-local-name="Catalan" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Català</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-cv mw-list-item"><a href="https://cv.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D1%8B%D0%BC%D0%B0_%D0%A6%D1%8F%D0%BD%D1%8C" title="Сыма Цянь – Chuvash" lang="cv" hreflang="cv" data-title="Сыма Цянь" data-language-autonym="Чӑвашла" data-language-local-name="Chuvash" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Чӑвашла</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-cs badge-Q17437798 badge-goodarticle mw-list-item" title="good article badge"><a href="https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%E2%80%99-ma_%C4%8Cchien" title="S’-ma Čchien – Czech" lang="cs" hreflang="cs" data-title="S’-ma Čchien" data-language-autonym="Čeština" data-language-local-name="Czech" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Čeština</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-cy mw-list-item"><a href="https://cy.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Welsh" lang="cy" hreflang="cy" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Cymraeg" data-language-local-name="Welsh" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Cymraeg</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-da mw-list-item"><a href="https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Danish" lang="da" hreflang="da" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Dansk" data-language-local-name="Danish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Dansk</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-de mw-list-item"><a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – German" lang="de" hreflang="de" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Deutsch" data-language-local-name="German" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Deutsch</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-et mw-list-item"><a href="https://et.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Estonian" lang="et" hreflang="et" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Eesti" data-language-local-name="Estonian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Eesti</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-el mw-list-item"><a href="https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%A3%CE%AF%CE%BC%CE%B1_%CE%A4%CF%83%CE%B9%CE%B5%CE%BD" title="Σίμα Τσιεν – Greek" lang="el" hreflang="el" data-title="Σίμα Τσιεν" data-language-autonym="Ελληνικά" data-language-local-name="Greek" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Ελληνικά</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-es mw-list-item"><a href="https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Spanish" lang="es" hreflang="es" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Español" data-language-local-name="Spanish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Español</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-eo mw-list-item"><a href="https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Esperanto" lang="eo" hreflang="eo" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Esperanto" data-language-local-name="Esperanto" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Esperanto</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-eu mw-list-item"><a href="https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Basque" lang="eu" hreflang="eu" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Euskara" data-language-local-name="Basque" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Euskara</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fa mw-list-item"><a href="https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%B3%DB%8C%D9%85%D8%A7_%DA%86%DB%8C%D8%A7%D9%86" title="سیما چیان – Persian" lang="fa" hreflang="fa" data-title="سیما چیان" data-language-autonym="فارسی" data-language-local-name="Persian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>فارسی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hif mw-list-item"><a href="https://hif.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Fiji Hindi" lang="hif" hreflang="hif" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Fiji Hindi" data-language-local-name="Fiji Hindi" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Fiji Hindi</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fo mw-list-item"><a href="https://fo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Faroese" lang="fo" hreflang="fo" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Føroyskt" data-language-local-name="Faroese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Føroyskt</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fr mw-list-item"><a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – French" lang="fr" hreflang="fr" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Français" data-language-local-name="French" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Français</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fur mw-list-item"><a href="https://fur.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Friulian" lang="fur" hreflang="fur" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Furlan" data-language-local-name="Friulian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Furlan</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ga mw-list-item"><a href="https://ga.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Irish" lang="ga" hreflang="ga" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Gaeilge" data-language-local-name="Irish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Gaeilge</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-gl mw-list-item"><a href="https://gl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Galician" lang="gl" hreflang="gl" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Galego" data-language-local-name="Galician" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Galego</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-gu mw-list-item"><a href="https://gu.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%AA%B8%E0%AA%BF%E0%AA%AE%E0%AA%BE_%E0%AA%95%E0%AB%80%E0%AA%86%E0%AA%A8" title="સિમા કીઆન – Gujarati" lang="gu" hreflang="gu" data-title="સિમા કીઆન" data-language-autonym="ગુજરાતી" data-language-local-name="Gujarati" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>ગુજરાતી</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ko mw-list-item"><a href="https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EC%82%AC%EB%A7%88%EC%B2%9C" title="사마천 – Korean" lang="ko" hreflang="ko" data-title="사마천" data-language-autonym="한국어" data-language-local-name="Korean" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>한국어</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hy mw-list-item"><a href="https://hy.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D5%8D%D5%AB%D5%B4%D5%A1_%D5%91%D5%B5%D5%A1%D5%B6" title="Սիմա Ցյան – Armenian" lang="hy" hreflang="hy" data-title="Սիմա Ցյան" data-language-autonym="Հայերեն" data-language-local-name="Armenian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Հայերեն</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hi mw-list-item"><a href="https://hi.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BE_%E0%A4%9A%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%86%E0%A4%A8" title="सीमा चिआन – Hindi" lang="hi" hreflang="hi" data-title="सीमा चिआन" data-language-autonym="हिन्दी" data-language-local-name="Hindi" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>हिन्दी</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hsb mw-list-item"><a href="https://hsb.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Upper Sorbian" lang="hsb" hreflang="hsb" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Hornjoserbsce" data-language-local-name="Upper Sorbian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Hornjoserbsce</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hr mw-list-item"><a href="https://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Croatian" lang="hr" hreflang="hr" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Hrvatski" data-language-local-name="Croatian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Hrvatski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-io mw-list-item"><a href="https://io.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Ido" lang="io" hreflang="io" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Ido" data-language-local-name="Ido" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Ido</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ilo mw-list-item"><a href="https://ilo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Iloko" lang="ilo" hreflang="ilo" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Ilokano" data-language-local-name="Iloko" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Ilokano</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-id mw-list-item"><a href="https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Indonesian" lang="id" hreflang="id" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Indonesia" data-language-local-name="Indonesian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Indonesia</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-is mw-list-item"><a href="https://is.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Icelandic" lang="is" hreflang="is" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Íslenska" data-language-local-name="Icelandic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Íslenska</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-it mw-list-item"><a href="https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Italian" lang="it" hreflang="it" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Italiano" data-language-local-name="Italian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Italiano</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-he mw-list-item"><a href="https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%A1%D7%94-%D7%9E%D7%94_%D7%A6%27%D7%99%D7%99%D7%9F" title="סה-מה צ'יין – Hebrew" lang="he" hreflang="he" data-title="סה-מה צ'יין" data-language-autonym="עברית" data-language-local-name="Hebrew" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>עברית</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-jv mw-list-item"><a href="https://jv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Javanese" lang="jv" hreflang="jv" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Jawa" data-language-local-name="Javanese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Jawa</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-kn mw-list-item"><a href="https://kn.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B2%B8%E0%B2%BF%E0%B2%AE%E0%B2%BE_%E0%B2%95%E0%B2%BF%E0%B2%AF%E0%B2%BE%E0%B2%A8%E0%B3%8D" title="ಸಿಮಾ ಕಿಯಾನ್ – Kannada" lang="kn" hreflang="kn" data-title="ಸಿಮಾ ಕಿಯಾನ್" data-language-autonym="ಕನ್ನಡ" data-language-local-name="Kannada" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>ಕನ್ನಡ</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ka mw-list-item"><a href="https://ka.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E1%83%A1%E1%83%98%E1%83%9B%E1%83%90_%E1%83%AA%E1%83%98%E1%83%90%E1%83%9C%E1%83%98" title="სიმა ციანი – Georgian" lang="ka" hreflang="ka" data-title="სიმა ციანი" data-language-autonym="ქართული" data-language-local-name="Georgian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>ქართული</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-kk mw-list-item"><a href="https://kk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D1%8B%D0%BC%D0%B0_%D0%A6%D1%8F%D0%BD%D1%8C" title="Сыма Цянь – Kazakh" lang="kk" hreflang="kk" data-title="Сыма Цянь" data-language-autonym="Қазақша" data-language-local-name="Kazakh" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Қазақша</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-kw mw-list-item"><a href="https://kw.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Cornish" lang="kw" hreflang="kw" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Kernowek" data-language-local-name="Cornish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Kernowek</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sw mw-list-item"><a href="https://sw.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Swahili" lang="sw" hreflang="sw" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Kiswahili" data-language-local-name="Swahili" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Kiswahili</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ky mw-list-item"><a href="https://ky.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D1%8B%D0%BC%D0%B0_%D0%A6%D1%8F%D0%BD%D1%8C" title="Сыма Цянь – Kyrgyz" lang="ky" hreflang="ky" data-title="Сыма Цянь" data-language-autonym="Кыргызча" data-language-local-name="Kyrgyz" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Кыргызча</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-la mw-list-item"><a href="https://la.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cienus" title="Cienus – Latin" lang="la" hreflang="la" data-title="Cienus" data-language-autonym="Latina" data-language-local-name="Latin" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Latina</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-lv mw-list-item"><a href="https://lv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simacja%C5%86s" title="Simacjaņs – Latvian" lang="lv" hreflang="lv" data-title="Simacjaņs" data-language-autonym="Latviešu" data-language-local-name="Latvian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Latviešu</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-lt mw-list-item"><a href="https://lt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_%C4%8Cianis" title="Sima Čianis – Lithuanian" lang="lt" hreflang="lt" data-title="Sima Čianis" data-language-autonym="Lietuvių" data-language-local-name="Lithuanian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Lietuvių</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-lij mw-list-item"><a href="https://lij.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Ligurian" lang="lij" hreflang="lij" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Ligure" data-language-local-name="Ligurian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Ligure</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-lmo mw-list-item"><a href="https://lmo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Lombard" lang="lmo" hreflang="lmo" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Lombard" data-language-local-name="Lombard" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Lombard</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hu mw-list-item"><a href="https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sze-ma_Csien" title="Sze-ma Csien – Hungarian" lang="hu" hreflang="hu" data-title="Sze-ma Csien" data-language-autonym="Magyar" data-language-local-name="Hungarian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Magyar</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-mk mw-list-item"><a href="https://mk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D0%B5%D0%BC%D0%B0_%D0%8C%D0%B5%D0%BD" title="Сема Ќен – Macedonian" lang="mk" hreflang="mk" data-title="Сема Ќен" data-language-autonym="Македонски" data-language-local-name="Macedonian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Македонски</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-mg mw-list-item"><a href="https://mg.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Malagasy" lang="mg" hreflang="mg" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Malagasy" data-language-local-name="Malagasy" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Malagasy</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ml mw-list-item"><a href="https://ml.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B4%B8%E0%B4%BF-%E0%B4%AE%E0%B4%BE_%E0%B4%9A%E0%B4%BF%E0%B4%AF%E0%B4%BE%E0%B5%BB" title="സി-മാ ചിയാൻ – Malayalam" lang="ml" hreflang="ml" data-title="സി-മാ ചിയാൻ" data-language-autonym="മലയാളം" data-language-local-name="Malayalam" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>മലയാളം</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-xmf mw-list-item"><a href="https://xmf.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E1%83%A1%E1%83%98%E1%83%9B%E1%83%90_%E1%83%AA%E1%83%98%E1%83%90%E1%83%9C%E1%83%98" title="სიმა ციანი – Mingrelian" lang="xmf" hreflang="xmf" data-title="სიმა ციანი" data-language-autonym="მარგალური" data-language-local-name="Mingrelian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>მარგალური</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-arz mw-list-item"><a href="https://arz.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%B3%D9%8A%D9%85%D8%A7_%D8%B4%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%86" title="سيما شيان – Egyptian Arabic" lang="arz" hreflang="arz" data-title="سيما شيان" data-language-autonym="مصرى" data-language-local-name="Egyptian Arabic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>مصرى</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ms mw-list-item"><a href="https://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Malay" lang="ms" hreflang="ms" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Melayu" data-language-local-name="Malay" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Melayu</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-cdo mw-list-item"><a href="https://cdo.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%E1%B9%B3%CC%86-m%C4%81_Chi%C4%95ng" title="Sṳ̆-mā Chiĕng – Mindong" lang="cdo" hreflang="cdo" data-title="Sṳ̆-mā Chiĕng" data-language-autonym="閩東語 / Mìng-dĕ̤ng-ngṳ̄" data-language-local-name="Mindong" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>閩東語 / Mìng-dĕ̤ng-ngṳ̄</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-mn mw-list-item"><a href="https://mn.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D1%8B%D0%BC%D0%B0_%D0%A6%D1%8F%D0%BD%D1%8C" title="Сыма Цянь – Mongolian" lang="mn" hreflang="mn" data-title="Сыма Цянь" data-language-autonym="Монгол" data-language-local-name="Mongolian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Монгол</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-my mw-list-item"><a href="https://my.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E1%80%86%E1%80%B0%E1%80%99%E1%80%AC%E1%80%81%E1%80%BB%E1%80%AE%E1%80%9A%E1%80%94%E1%80%BA" title="ဆူမာချီယန် – Burmese" lang="my" hreflang="my" data-title="ဆူမာချီယန်" data-language-autonym="မြန်မာဘာသာ" data-language-local-name="Burmese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>မြန်မာဘာသာ</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-nl mw-list-item"><a href="https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Dutch" lang="nl" hreflang="nl" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Nederlands" data-language-local-name="Dutch" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Nederlands</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ja badge-Q17437798 badge-goodarticle mw-list-item" title="good article badge"><a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%8F%B8%E9%A6%AC%E9%81%B7" title="司馬遷 – Japanese" lang="ja" hreflang="ja" data-title="司馬遷" data-language-autonym="日本語" data-language-local-name="Japanese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>日本語</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ce mw-list-item"><a href="https://ce.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D1%8B%D0%BC%D0%B0_%D0%A6%D1%8F%D0%BD%D1%8C" title="Сыма Цянь – Chechen" lang="ce" hreflang="ce" data-title="Сыма Цянь" data-language-autonym="Нохчийн" data-language-local-name="Chechen" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Нохчийн</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-no mw-list-item"><a href="https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Norwegian Bokmål" lang="nb" hreflang="nb" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Norsk bokmål" data-language-local-name="Norwegian Bokmål" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Norsk bokmål</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-nn mw-list-item"><a href="https://nn.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Norwegian Nynorsk" lang="nn" hreflang="nn" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Norsk nynorsk" data-language-local-name="Norwegian Nynorsk" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Norsk nynorsk</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-oc mw-list-item"><a href="https://oc.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Occitan" lang="oc" hreflang="oc" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Occitan" data-language-local-name="Occitan" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Occitan</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-uz mw-list-item"><a href="https://uz.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Syan" title="Sima Syan – Uzbek" lang="uz" hreflang="uz" data-title="Sima Syan" data-language-autonym="Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча" data-language-local-name="Uzbek" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pa mw-list-item"><a href="https://pa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A8%B8%E0%A9%80%E0%A8%AE%E0%A8%BE_%E0%A8%95%E0%A8%BF%E0%A8%86%E0%A8%A8" title="ਸੀਮਾ ਕਿਆਨ – Punjabi" lang="pa" hreflang="pa" data-title="ਸੀਮਾ ਕਿਆਨ" data-language-autonym="ਪੰਜਾਬੀ" data-language-local-name="Punjabi" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>ਪੰਜਾਬੀ</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pnb mw-list-item"><a href="https://pnb.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%B3%DB%8C%D9%85%D8%A7_%DA%86%DB%8C%D8%A7%D9%86" title="سیما چیان – Western Punjabi" lang="pnb" hreflang="pnb" data-title="سیما چیان" data-language-autonym="پنجابی" data-language-local-name="Western Punjabi" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>پنجابی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pms mw-list-item"><a href="https://pms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Piedmontese" lang="pms" hreflang="pms" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Piemontèis" data-language-local-name="Piedmontese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Piemontèis</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-nds mw-list-item"><a href="https://nds.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Low German" lang="nds" hreflang="nds" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Plattdüütsch" data-language-local-name="Low German" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Plattdüütsch</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pl badge-Q17437798 badge-goodarticle mw-list-item" title="good article badge"><a href="https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Polish" lang="pl" hreflang="pl" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Polski" data-language-local-name="Polish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Polski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pt mw-list-item"><a href="https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Portuguese" lang="pt" hreflang="pt" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Português" data-language-local-name="Portuguese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Português</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ro mw-list-item"><a href="https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Romanian" lang="ro" hreflang="ro" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Română" data-language-local-name="Romanian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Română</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-rue mw-list-item"><a href="https://rue.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%B0_%D0%A6%D1%8F%D0%BD" title="Сима Цян – Rusyn" lang="rue" hreflang="rue" data-title="Сима Цян" data-language-autonym="Русиньскый" data-language-local-name="Rusyn" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Русиньскый</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ru mw-list-item"><a href="https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D1%8B%D0%BC%D0%B0_%D0%A6%D1%8F%D0%BD%D1%8C" title="Сыма Цянь – Russian" lang="ru" hreflang="ru" data-title="Сыма Цянь" data-language-autonym="Русский" data-language-local-name="Russian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Русский</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sq mw-list-item"><a href="https://sq.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Albanian" lang="sq" hreflang="sq" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Shqip" data-language-local-name="Albanian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Shqip</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-simple mw-list-item"><a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Simple English" lang="en-simple" hreflang="en-simple" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Simple English" data-language-local-name="Simple English" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Simple English</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sk mw-list-item"><a href="https://sk.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%E2%80%99-ma_%C4%8Cchien" title="S’-ma Čchien – Slovak" lang="sk" hreflang="sk" data-title="S’-ma Čchien" data-language-autonym="Slovenčina" data-language-local-name="Slovak" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Slovenčina</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sl mw-list-item"><a href="https://sl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_%C4%8Cjan" title="Sima Čjan – Slovenian" lang="sl" hreflang="sl" data-title="Sima Čjan" data-language-autonym="Slovenščina" data-language-local-name="Slovenian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Slovenščina</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ckb mw-list-item"><a href="https://ckb.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%B3%DB%8C%D9%85%D8%A7_%DA%86%DB%8C%D8%A7%D9%86" title="سیما چیان – Central Kurdish" lang="ckb" hreflang="ckb" data-title="سیما چیان" data-language-autonym="کوردی" data-language-local-name="Central Kurdish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>کوردی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sr mw-list-item"><a href="https://sr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%B0_%D0%8B%D0%B5%D0%BD" title="Сима Ћен – Serbian" lang="sr" hreflang="sr" data-title="Сима Ћен" data-language-autonym="Српски / srpski" data-language-local-name="Serbian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Српски / srpski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sh mw-list-item"><a href="https://sh.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Serbo-Croatian" lang="sh" hreflang="sh" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски" data-language-local-name="Serbo-Croatian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fi mw-list-item"><a href="https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Finnish" lang="fi" hreflang="fi" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Suomi" data-language-local-name="Finnish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Suomi</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sv mw-list-item"><a href="https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Swedish" lang="sv" hreflang="sv" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Svenska" data-language-local-name="Swedish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Svenska</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-tl mw-list-item"><a href="https://tl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Tagalog" lang="tl" hreflang="tl" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Tagalog" data-language-local-name="Tagalog" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Tagalog</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ta mw-list-item"><a href="https://ta.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%AE%9A%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%AE%E0%AE%BE_%E0%AE%9A%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%AF%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%A9%E0%AF%8D" title="சிமா சியான் – Tamil" lang="ta" hreflang="ta" data-title="சிமா சியான்" data-language-autonym="தமிழ்" data-language-local-name="Tamil" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>தமிழ்</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-tt mw-list-item"><a href="https://tt.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C4%B1ma_Tsi%C3%A4n" title="Sıma Tsiän – Tatar" lang="tt" hreflang="tt" data-title="Sıma Tsiän" data-language-autonym="Татарча / tatarça" data-language-local-name="Tatar" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Татарча / tatarça</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-te mw-list-item"><a href="https://te.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B0%B8%E0%B1%80%E0%B0%AE%E0%B0%BE_%E0%B0%95%E0%B1%8D%E0%B0%B5%E0%B0%BF%E0%B0%AF%E0%B0%BE%E0%B0%A8%E0%B1%8D" title="సీమా క్వియాన్ – Telugu" lang="te" hreflang="te" data-title="సీమా క్వియాన్" data-language-autonym="తెలుగు" data-language-local-name="Telugu" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>తెలుగు</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-th mw-list-item"><a href="https://th.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B8%8B%E0%B8%B7%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%A1%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%B2_%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%8A%E0%B8%B5%E0%B8%A2%E0%B8%99" title="ซือหม่า เชียน – Thai" lang="th" hreflang="th" data-title="ซือหม่า เชียน" data-language-autonym="ไทย" data-language-local-name="Thai" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>ไทย</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-tr mw-list-item"><a href="https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Turkish" lang="tr" hreflang="tr" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Türkçe" data-language-local-name="Turkish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Türkçe</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-uk mw-list-item"><a href="https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%B0_%D0%A6%D1%8F%D0%BD%D1%8C" title="Сима Цянь – Ukrainian" lang="uk" hreflang="uk" data-title="Сима Цянь" data-language-autonym="Українська" data-language-local-name="Ukrainian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Українська</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ur mw-list-item"><a href="https://ur.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%B3%DB%8C%D9%85%D8%A7_%DA%86%DB%8C%D8%A7%D9%86" title="سیما چیان – Urdu" lang="ur" hreflang="ur" data-title="سیما چیان" data-language-autonym="اردو" data-language-local-name="Urdu" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>اردو</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-vep mw-list-item"><a href="https://vep.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_C%C3%A4n%27" title="Sima Cän' – Veps" lang="vep" hreflang="vep" data-title="Sima Cän'" data-language-autonym="Vepsän kel’" data-language-local-name="Veps" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Vepsän kel’</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-vi badge-Q17437798 badge-goodarticle mw-list-item" title="good article badge"><a href="https://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C6%B0_M%C3%A3_Thi%C3%AAn" title="Tư Mã Thiên – Vietnamese" lang="vi" hreflang="vi" data-title="Tư Mã Thiên" data-language-autonym="Tiếng Việt" data-language-local-name="Vietnamese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Tiếng Việt</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-zh-classical mw-list-item"><a href="https://zh-classical.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%8F%B8%E9%A6%AC%E9%81%B7" title="司馬遷 – Literary Chinese" lang="lzh" hreflang="lzh" data-title="司馬遷" data-language-autonym="文言" data-language-local-name="Literary Chinese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>文言</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-war mw-list-item"><a href="https://war.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Waray" lang="war" hreflang="war" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Winaray" data-language-local-name="Waray" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Winaray</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-wuu mw-list-item"><a href="https://wuu.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%8F%B8%E9%A9%AC%E8%BF%81" title="司马迁 – Wu" lang="wuu" hreflang="wuu" data-title="司马迁" data-language-autonym="吴语" data-language-local-name="Wu" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>吴语</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-yi mw-list-item"><a href="https://yi.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%A1%D7%99%D7%9E%D7%90_%D7%98%D7%A9%D7%99%D7%A2%D7%9F" title="סימא טשיען – Yiddish" lang="yi" hreflang="yi" data-title="סימא טשיען" data-language-autonym="ייִדיש" data-language-local-name="Yiddish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>ייִדיש</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-zh-yue mw-list-item"><a href="https://zh-yue.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%8F%B8%E9%A6%AC%E9%81%B7" title="司馬遷 – Cantonese" lang="yue" hreflang="yue" data-title="司馬遷" data-language-autonym="粵語" data-language-local-name="Cantonese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>粵語</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-diq mw-list-item"><a href="https://diq.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Zazaki" lang="diq" hreflang="diq" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Zazaki" data-language-local-name="Zazaki" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Zazaki</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-bat-smg mw-list-item"><a href="https://bat-smg.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_%C4%8Cianis" title="Sima Čianis – Samogitian" lang="sgs" hreflang="sgs" data-title="Sima Čianis" data-language-autonym="Žemaitėška" data-language-local-name="Samogitian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Žemaitėška</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-zh mw-list-item"><a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%8F%B8%E9%A6%AC%E9%81%B7" title="司馬遷 – Chinese" lang="zh" hreflang="zh" data-title="司馬遷" data-language-autonym="中文" data-language-local-name="Chinese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>中文</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-btm mw-list-item"><a href="https://btm.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" title="Sima Qian – Batak Mandailing" lang="btm" hreflang="btm" data-title="Sima Qian" data-language-autonym="Batak Mandailing" data-language-local-name="Batak Mandailing" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Batak Mandailing</span></a></li> </ul> <div class="after-portlet after-portlet-lang"><span class="wb-langlinks-edit wb-langlinks-link"><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Special:EntityPage/Q9372#sitelinks-wikipedia" title="Edit interlanguage links" class="wbc-editpage">Edit links</a></span></div> </div> </div> </div> </header> <div class="vector-page-toolbar"> <div class="vector-page-toolbar-container"> <div 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class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">Chinese historian and writer (c. 145 – c. 86 BC)</div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236090951">.mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .hatnote{display:none!important}}</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">In this <a href="/wiki/Chinese_name" title="Chinese name">Chinese name</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Chinese_surname" title="Chinese surname">family name</a> is <i> <a href="/wiki/Sima_(Chinese_surname)" title="Sima (Chinese surname)">Sima (Ssu-ma)</a></i>.</div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1257001546">.mw-parser-output .infobox-subbox{padding:0;border:none;margin:-3px;width:auto;min-width:100%;font-size:100%;clear:none;float:none;background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .infobox-3cols-child{margin:auto}.mw-parser-output .infobox .navbar{font-size:100%}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme)>div:not(.notheme)[style]{background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme) div:not(.notheme){background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media(min-width:640px){body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table{display:table!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>caption{display:table-caption!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>tbody{display:table-row-group}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table tr{display:table-row!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table th,body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table td{padding-left:inherit;padding-right:inherit}}</style><table class="infobox biography vcard"><tbody><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-above" style="font-size:125%;"><div class="fn">Sima Qian</div></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-subheader" style="font-size:125%;">司馬遷</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-image"><span class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Frameless"><a href="/wiki/File:Sima_Qian_(painted_portrait).jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3b/Sima_Qian_%28painted_portrait%29.jpg/220px-Sima_Qian_%28painted_portrait%29.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="223" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3b/Sima_Qian_%28painted_portrait%29.jpg/330px-Sima_Qian_%28painted_portrait%29.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3b/Sima_Qian_%28painted_portrait%29.jpg/440px-Sima_Qian_%28painted_portrait%29.jpg 2x" data-file-width="877" data-file-height="889" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Born</th><td class="infobox-data"><abbr title="circa">c.</abbr> 145 BC<br /><div style="display:inline" class="birthplace">Longmen, <a href="/wiki/Han_dynasty" title="Han dynasty">Han dynasty</a> <span class="nowrap">(now <a href="/wiki/Hancheng" title="Hancheng">Hancheng</a>, Shaanxi)</span></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Died</th><td class="infobox-data"><abbr title="circa">c.</abbr> 86 BC</td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Occupations</th><td class="infobox-data role"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1129693374">.mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul{margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt,.mw-parser-output .hlist li{margin:0;display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ul{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist .mw-empty-li{display:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dt::after{content:": "}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li::after{content:" · ";font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li:last-child::after{content:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li li:first-child::before{content:" (";font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li li:last-child::after{content:")";font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol{counter-reset:listitem}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol>li{counter-increment:listitem}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol>li::before{content:" "counter(listitem)"\a0 "}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd ol>li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt ol>li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li ol>li:first-child::before{content:" ("counter(listitem)"\a0 "}</style><div class="hlist"><ul><li>Historian</li><li>astronomer</li><li>astrologer</li><li>poet</li></ul></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Known for</th><td class="infobox-data"><i><a href="/wiki/Records_of_the_Grand_Historian" class="mw-redirect" title="Records of the Grand Historian">Records of the Grand Historian</a></i></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label">Relatives</th><td class="infobox-data"><a href="/wiki/Sima_Tan" title="Sima Tan">Sima Tan</a> (father)</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-full-data"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1257001546"></td></tr><tr style="display:none;"><td colspan="2" class="infobox-full-data"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1257001546"></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="color: #202122;background-color: #b0c4de;">Chinese name</th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_characters" title="Traditional Chinese characters">Traditional Chinese</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh-Hant" style="font-size: 1rem;">司馬遷</span></span></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Simplified_Chinese_characters" title="Simplified Chinese characters">Simplified Chinese</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh-Hans" style="font-size: 1rem;">司马迁</span></span></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-full-data"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1257001546"><table class="infobox-subbox mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="display:inline-table; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-above" style="font-size: 100%; text-align: left;color: #202122; background-color: #f9ffbc;">Transcriptions</th></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="color: #202122;background-color: #dcffc9;"><a href="/wiki/Standard_Chinese" title="Standard Chinese">Standard Mandarin</a></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Hanyu_Pinyin" class="mw-redirect" title="Hanyu Pinyin">Hanyu Pinyin</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Chinese-language romanization"><span style="font-style: normal" lang="zh-Latn">Sīmǎ Qiān</span></span></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Bopomofo" title="Bopomofo">Bopomofo</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Chinese-language romanization"><span style="font-style: normal" lang="zh-Latn"><span lang="zh-Bopo">ㄙ<span style="padding-left:0.5ic;"> </span>ㄇㄚˇ<span style="padding-left:0.5ic;"> </span>ㄑㄧㄢ</span></span></span></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Wade%E2%80%93Giles" title="Wade–Giles">Wade–Giles</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Chinese-language romanization"><span style="font-style: normal" lang="zh-Latn"><span>Ssŭ<sup>1</sup>-ma<sup>3</sup> Ch'ien<sup>1</sup></span></span></span></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Help:IPA/Mandarin" title="Help:IPA/Mandarin">IPA</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Chinese-language romanization"><span style="font-style: normal" lang="zh-Latn"><span class="IPA" lang="cmn-Latn-fonipa" style="white-space:nowrap"><a href="/wiki/Help:IPA/Mandarin" title="Help:IPA/Mandarin">[sɹ̩́.mà tɕʰjɛ́n]</a></span></span></span></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="color: #202122;background-color: #dcffc9;"><a href="/wiki/Wu_Chinese" title="Wu Chinese">Wu</a></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Shanghainese" title="Shanghainese">Shanghainese</a><br />Romanization</th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Wu Chinese-language romanization"><span style="font-style: normal" lang="wuu-Latn">Sy-ma Tshie</span></span></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="color: #202122;background-color: #dcffc9;"><a href="/wiki/Cantonese" title="Cantonese">Yue: Cantonese</a></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Yale_romanization_of_Cantonese" title="Yale romanization of Cantonese">Yale Romanization</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Yue Chinese-language romanization"><span style="font-style: normal" lang="yue-Latn">Sī-máh Chīn</span></span></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Jyutping" title="Jyutping">Jyutping</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Yue Chinese-language romanization"><span style="font-style: normal" lang="yue-Latn">Si1 maa5 Cin1</span></span></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Help:IPA/Cantonese" title="Help:IPA/Cantonese">IPA</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Yue Chinese-language romanization"><span style="font-style: normal" lang="yue-Latn"><span class="IPA" lang="yue-Latn-fonipa" style="white-space:nowrap"><a href="/wiki/Help:IPA/Cantonese" title="Help:IPA/Cantonese">[si˥.ma˩˧ tsʰin˥]</a></span></span></span></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="color: #202122;background-color: #dcffc9;"><a href="/wiki/Southern_Min" title="Southern Min">Southern Min</a></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Hokkien" title="Hokkien">Hokkien</a> <a href="/wiki/Pe%CC%8Dh-%C5%8De-j%C4%AB" title="Pe̍h-ōe-jī">POJ</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Min Nan Chinese-language romanization"><span style="font-style: normal" lang="nan-Latn">Su-má Chhian</span></span></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Taiwanese_Romanization_System" class="mw-redirect" title="Taiwanese Romanization System">Tâi-lô</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Min Nan Chinese-language romanization"><span style="font-style: normal" lang="nan-Latn">Su-má Tshian</span></span></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="color: #202122;background-color: #dcffc9;"><a href="/wiki/Middle_Chinese" title="Middle Chinese">Middle Chinese</a></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Middle_Chinese" title="Middle Chinese">Middle Chinese</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Late Middle Chinese-language romanization"><span style="font-style: normal" lang="ltc-Latn">Sɨ-mæ<sup>X</sup> Tshjen </span></span></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="color: #202122;background-color: #dcffc9;"><a href="/wiki/Old_Chinese" title="Old Chinese">Old Chinese</a></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Reconstructions_of_Old_Chinese#Baxter–Sagart_(2014)" title="Reconstructions of Old Chinese">Baxter–Sagart (2014)</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Old Chinese-language romanization"><span style="font-style: normal" lang="och-Latn">*<span class="IPA nowrap" lang="und-Latn-fonipa" title="Representation in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)">s-lə<span class="wrap"> </span>mˤraʔ<span class="wrap"> </span>[tsʰ]ar</span></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table></td><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1257001546"></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="color: #202122;background-color: #b0c4de;">Courtesy name</th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_characters" title="Traditional Chinese characters">Traditional Chinese</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh-Hant" style="font-size: 1rem;">子長</span></span></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Simplified_Chinese_characters" title="Simplified Chinese characters">Simplified Chinese</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh-Hans" style="font-size: 1rem;">子长</span></span></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-full-data"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1257001546"><table class="infobox-subbox mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="display:inline-table; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-above" style="font-size: 100%; text-align: left;color: #202122; background-color: #f9ffbc;">Transcriptions</th></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="color: #202122;background-color: #dcffc9;"><a href="/wiki/Standard_Chinese" title="Standard Chinese">Standard Mandarin</a></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Hanyu_Pinyin" class="mw-redirect" title="Hanyu Pinyin">Hanyu Pinyin</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Chinese-language romanization"><span style="font-style: normal" lang="zh-Latn">Zǐzhǎng</span></span></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Bopomofo" title="Bopomofo">Bopomofo</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Chinese-language romanization"><span style="font-style: normal" lang="zh-Latn"><span lang="zh-Bopo">ㄗˇ<span style="padding-left:0.5ic;"> </span>ㄓㄤˇ</span></span></span></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Wade%E2%80%93Giles" title="Wade–Giles">Wade–Giles</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Chinese-language romanization"><span style="font-style: normal" lang="zh-Latn"><span>Tzu<sup>3</sup>-chang<sup>3</sup></span></span></span></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Help:IPA/Mandarin" title="Help:IPA/Mandarin">IPA</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Chinese-language romanization"><span style="font-style: normal" lang="zh-Latn"><span class="IPA" lang="cmn-Latn-fonipa" style="white-space:nowrap"><a href="/wiki/Help:IPA/Mandarin" title="Help:IPA/Mandarin">[tsɹ̩̀.ʈʂàŋ]</a></span></span></span></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="color: #202122;background-color: #dcffc9;"><a href="/wiki/Wu_Chinese" title="Wu Chinese">Wu</a></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Shanghainese" title="Shanghainese">Shanghainese</a><br />Romanization</th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Wu Chinese-language romanization"><span style="font-style: normal" lang="wuu-Latn">Tsy-tsan</span></span></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="color: #202122;background-color: #dcffc9;"><a href="/wiki/Cantonese" title="Cantonese">Yue: Cantonese</a></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Yale_romanization_of_Cantonese" title="Yale romanization of Cantonese">Yale Romanization</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Yue Chinese-language romanization"><span style="font-style: normal" lang="yue-Latn">Jí-jéung</span></span></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Jyutping" title="Jyutping">Jyutping</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Yue Chinese-language romanization"><span style="font-style: normal" lang="yue-Latn">Zi2 zoeng2</span></span></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Help:IPA/Cantonese" title="Help:IPA/Cantonese">IPA</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Yue Chinese-language romanization"><span style="font-style: normal" lang="yue-Latn"><span class="IPA" lang="yue-Latn-fonipa" style="white-space:nowrap"><a href="/wiki/Help:IPA/Cantonese" title="Help:IPA/Cantonese">[tsi˧˥.tsœŋ˧˥]</a></span></span></span></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="color: #202122;background-color: #dcffc9;"><a href="/wiki/Southern_Min" title="Southern Min">Southern Min</a></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Hokkien" title="Hokkien">Hokkien</a> <a href="/wiki/Pe%CC%8Dh-%C5%8De-j%C4%AB" title="Pe̍h-ōe-jī">POJ</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Min Nan Chinese-language romanization"><span style="font-style: normal" lang="nan-Latn">Tzú-tiúnn</span></span></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="color: #202122;background-color: #dcffc9;"><a href="/wiki/Middle_Chinese" title="Middle Chinese">Middle Chinese</a></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Middle_Chinese" title="Middle Chinese">Middle Chinese</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Late Middle Chinese-language romanization"><span style="font-style: normal" lang="ltc-Latn">Tsɨ<sup>X</sup>-drɨang</span></span></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="color: #202122;background-color: #dcffc9;"><a href="/wiki/Old_Chinese" title="Old Chinese">Old Chinese</a></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="infobox-label" style="font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Reconstructions_of_Old_Chinese#Baxter–Sagart_(2014)" title="Reconstructions of Old Chinese">Baxter–Sagart (2014)</a></th><td class="infobox-data"><span title="Old Chinese-language romanization"><span style="font-style: normal" lang="och-Latn">*<span class="IPA nowrap" lang="und-Latn-fonipa" title="Representation in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)">tsəʔ<span class="wrap"> </span>Cə-[N]-traŋ</span></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr style="display:none"><td colspan="2"> </td></tr><tr style="display:none"><td colspan="2"> </td></tr></tbody></table> <p><b>Sima Qian</b> (Chinese: <span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh">司馬遷</span></span>; (<span class="IPA" lang="cmn-Latn-fonipa" style="white-space:nowrap"><a href="/wiki/Help:IPA/Mandarin" title="Help:IPA/Mandarin">[sɹ̩́mà tɕʰjɛ́n]</a></span>); <abbr title="circa">c.</abbr><span style="white-space:nowrap;"> 145</span> – c.<span style="white-space:nowrap;"> 86 BC</span>) was a Chinese historian during the early <a href="/wiki/Han_dynasty" title="Han dynasty">Han dynasty</a>. He is considered the father of <a href="/wiki/Chinese_historiography" title="Chinese historiography">Chinese historiography</a> for his <i><a href="/wiki/Records_of_the_Grand_Historian" class="mw-redirect" title="Records of the Grand Historian">Records of the Grand Historian</a></i>, a general history of <a href="/wiki/China" title="China">China</a> covering more than two thousand years beginning from the rise of the legendary <a href="/wiki/Yellow_Emperor" title="Yellow Emperor">Yellow Emperor</a> and the formation of the first Chinese polity to the reign of <a href="/wiki/Emperor_Wu_of_Han" title="Emperor Wu of Han">Emperor Wu of Han</a>, during which Sima wrote. As the first universal history of the world as it was known to the ancient Chinese, the <i>Records of the Grand Historian</i> served as a model for official history-writing for subsequent Chinese dynasties and the <a href="/wiki/Sinosphere" title="Sinosphere">Sinosphere</a> in general until the 20th century.<sup id="cite_ref-jay_1-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-jay-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Sima Qian's father, <a href="/wiki/Sima_Tan" title="Sima Tan">Sima Tan</a>, first conceived of the ambitious project of writing a complete history of China, but had completed only some preparatory sketches at the time of his death. After inheriting his father's position as court historian in the imperial court, he was determined to fulfill his father's dying wish of composing and putting together this epic work of history. However, in 99 BC, he would fall victim to the <a href="/wiki/Li_Ling" title="Li Ling">Li Ling</a> affair for speaking out in defense of the general, who was blamed for an unsuccessful campaign against the <a href="/wiki/Xiongnu" title="Xiongnu">Xiongnu</a>. Given the choice of being executed or castrated, he chose the latter in order to finish his historical work. Although he is universally remembered for the <i>Records</i>, surviving works indicate that he was also a gifted poet and prose writer, and he was instrumental in the creation of the <a href="/wiki/Chinese_calendar#Han-Ming_dynasties_and_Taichu_calendar" title="Chinese calendar"><i>Taichu</i> calendar</a>, which was officially promulgated in 104 BC. </p><p>Sima was acutely aware of the importance of his work to posterity and its relationship to his own personal suffering. In the postface of the <i>Records</i>, he implicitly compared his universal history of China to the classics of his day, the <i><a href="/wiki/Guoyu_(book)" title="Guoyu (book)">Guoyu</a></i> by <a href="/wiki/Zuo_Qiuming" title="Zuo Qiuming">Zuo Qiuming</a>, "<a href="/wiki/Li_Sao" title="Li Sao">Li Sao</a>" by <a href="/wiki/Qu_Yuan" title="Qu Yuan">Qu Yuan</a>, and the <i><a href="/wiki/Sun_Bin%27s_Art_of_War" title="Sun Bin's Art of War">Art of War</a></i> by <a href="/wiki/Sun_Bin" title="Sun Bin">Sun Bin</a>, pointing out that their authors all suffered great personal misfortunes before their lasting monumental works could come to fruition. Sima Qian is also depicted in the <i><a href="/wiki/Wu_Shuang_Pu" title="Wu Shuang Pu">Wu Shuang Pu</a></i> by Jin Guliang. </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Early_life_and_education">Early life and education</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Sima_Qian&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Early life and education"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Sima Qian was born at Xiayang in <a href="/wiki/Zuopingyi" class="mw-redirect" title="Zuopingyi">Zuopingyi</a> (near present-day <a href="/wiki/Hancheng" title="Hancheng">Hancheng</a>, <a href="/wiki/Shaanxi" title="Shaanxi">Shaanxi</a>). He was probably born around 145 BC, although some sources say he was born about 135 BC.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKnechtges2014959_2-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEKnechtges2014959-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In about 136 BC, his father Sima Tan was appointed to the position of "grand historian" (<span title="Chinese-language romanization"><i lang="zh-Latn">tàishǐ</i></span> <span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh">太史</span></span>, alternatively "grand scribe" or "grand astrologer") at the imperial court.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEde_Crespigny20071222Knechtges2014960_3-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEde_Crespigny20071222Knechtges2014960-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The grand historian was a relatively low-ranking official whose main duty was to formulate the yearly calendar, identifying which days were ritually auspicious or inauspicious, and present it to the emperor prior to the <a href="/wiki/Chinese_New_Year" title="Chinese New Year">new year</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKnechtges2014960_4-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEKnechtges2014960-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> His other duties included traveling with the emperor for important rituals and recording daily events both at the court and around the country.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000291_5-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000291-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> By his account, by the age of ten Sima was able to "read the old writings" and was considered to be a promising scholar. Sima grew up in a <a href="/wiki/Confucian" class="mw-redirect" title="Confucian">Confucian</a> environment, and Sima always regarded his historical work as an act of Confucian <a href="/wiki/Filial_piety" title="Filial piety">filial piety</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000291_5-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000291-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In 126 BC, around the age of 20, Sima Qian began an extensive tour around China as it existed in the Han dynasty.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKnechtges2014960_4-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEKnechtges2014960-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> He started his journey from the imperial capital, <a href="/wiki/Chang%27an" title="Chang'an">Chang'an</a> (modern <a href="/wiki/Xi%27an" title="Xi'an">Xi'an</a>), then went south across the <a href="/wiki/Yangtze" title="Yangtze">Yangtze River</a> to <a href="/wiki/Changsha_Kingdom" title="Changsha Kingdom">Changsha Kingdom</a> (modern <a href="/wiki/Hunan" title="Hunan">Hunan</a>), where he visited the <a href="/wiki/Miluo_River" title="Miluo River">Miluo River</a> site where the <a href="/wiki/Warring_States" class="mw-redirect" title="Warring States">Warring States</a>-era poet <a href="/wiki/Qu_Yuan" title="Qu Yuan">Qu Yuan</a> was traditionally said to have drowned himself.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKnechtges2014960_4-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEKnechtges2014960-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> He then went to seek the burial place of the legendary rulers <a href="/wiki/Yu_(Xia_dynasty_ruler)" class="mw-redirect" title="Yu (Xia dynasty ruler)">Yu</a> on <a href="/wiki/Mount_Xianglu" title="Mount Xianglu">Mount Xianglu</a> and <a href="/wiki/Emperor_Shun" title="Emperor Shun">Shun</a> in the <a href="/wiki/Jiuyi_Mountains" title="Jiuyi Mountains">Jiuyi Mountains</a> (modern <a href="/wiki/Ningyuan_County" title="Ningyuan County">Ningyuan County</a>, Hunan).<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKnechtges2014960_4-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEKnechtges2014960-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEWatson195847_6-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEWatson195847-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> He then went north to Huaiyin (modern <a href="/wiki/Huai%27an" title="Huai'an">Huai'an</a>, Jiangsu) to see the grave of Han dynasty general <a href="/wiki/Han_Xin" title="Han Xin">Han Xin</a>, then continued north to <a href="/wiki/Qufu" title="Qufu">Qufu</a>, the hometown of <a href="/wiki/Confucius" title="Confucius">Confucius</a>, where he studied ritual and other traditional subjects.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKnechtges2014960_4-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEKnechtges2014960-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="As_Han_court_official">As Han court official</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Sima_Qian&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: As Han court official"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:%E6%AD%B7%E4%BB%A3%E8%81%96%E8%B3%A2%E5%8D%8A%E8%BA%AB%E5%83%8F_%E5%86%8A_%E5%8F%B8%E9%A6%AC%E9%81%B7_(Sima_Qian).png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7c/%E6%AD%B7%E4%BB%A3%E8%81%96%E8%B3%A2%E5%8D%8A%E8%BA%AB%E5%83%8F_%E5%86%8A_%E5%8F%B8%E9%A6%AC%E9%81%B7_%28Sima_Qian%29.png/220px-%E6%AD%B7%E4%BB%A3%E8%81%96%E8%B3%A2%E5%8D%8A%E8%BA%AB%E5%83%8F_%E5%86%8A_%E5%8F%B8%E9%A6%AC%E9%81%B7_%28Sima_Qian%29.png" decoding="async" width="220" height="251" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7c/%E6%AD%B7%E4%BB%A3%E8%81%96%E8%B3%A2%E5%8D%8A%E8%BA%AB%E5%83%8F_%E5%86%8A_%E5%8F%B8%E9%A6%AC%E9%81%B7_%28Sima_Qian%29.png/330px-%E6%AD%B7%E4%BB%A3%E8%81%96%E8%B3%A2%E5%8D%8A%E8%BA%AB%E5%83%8F_%E5%86%8A_%E5%8F%B8%E9%A6%AC%E9%81%B7_%28Sima_Qian%29.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7c/%E6%AD%B7%E4%BB%A3%E8%81%96%E8%B3%A2%E5%8D%8A%E8%BA%AB%E5%83%8F_%E5%86%8A_%E5%8F%B8%E9%A6%AC%E9%81%B7_%28Sima_Qian%29.png/440px-%E6%AD%B7%E4%BB%A3%E8%81%96%E8%B3%A2%E5%8D%8A%E8%BA%AB%E5%83%8F_%E5%86%8A_%E5%8F%B8%E9%A6%AC%E9%81%B7_%28Sima_Qian%29.png 2x" data-file-width="1750" data-file-height="2000" /></a><figcaption>Portrait of Sima Qian (<a href="/wiki/National_Palace_Museum" title="National Palace Museum">National Palace Museum</a>)</figcaption></figure> <p>After his travels, Sima was chosen to be a Palace Attendant in the government, whose duties were to inspect different parts of the country with Emperor Wu in 122 BC.<sup id="cite_ref-jay_1-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-jay-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Sima married young and had one daughter.<sup id="cite_ref-jay_1-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-jay-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In 110 BC, at the age of 35, Sima Qian was sent westward on a military expedition against some "barbarian" tribes. That year, his father fell ill due to the distress of not being invited to attend the Imperial Feng Sacrifice. Suspecting that his time was running out, he summoned his son back home to take over the historical work he had begun. Sima Tan wanted to follow the <i><a href="/wiki/Spring_and_Autumn_Annals" title="Spring and Autumn Annals">Annals of Spring and Autumn</a></i>, the first chronicle in the history of <a href="/wiki/Chinese_literature" title="Chinese literature">Chinese literature</a>. </p><p>It appears that Sima Tan was only able to put together an outline of the work before he died. The postface of the completed <i>Shiji</i>, there is a short essay on the six philosophical schools that is explicitly attributed to Sima Tan. Otherwise, there are only fragments of the <i>Shiji</i> that are speculated to be authored by Sima Tan or based on his notes. Fueled by his father's inspiration, Sima Qian spent much of the subsequent decade authoring and compiling the <i><a href="/wiki/Records_of_the_Grand_Historian" class="mw-redirect" title="Records of the Grand Historian">Records of the Grand Historian</a></i> and completed it before 91 BC, probably around 94 BC. Three years after the death of his father, Sima Qian assumed his father's previous position as <i>taishi</i>. In 105 BC, Sima was among the scholars chosen to reform the calendar. As a senior imperial official, Sima was also in the position to offer counsel to the emperor on general affairs of state. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Li_Ling_affair">Li Ling affair</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Sima_Qian&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Li Ling affair"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Sima_Qian.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ad/Sima_Qian.png/220px-Sima_Qian.png" decoding="async" width="220" height="248" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ad/Sima_Qian.png/330px-Sima_Qian.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ad/Sima_Qian.png/440px-Sima_Qian.png 2x" data-file-width="1190" data-file-height="1344" /></a><figcaption>A <a href="/wiki/Ming_dynasty" title="Ming dynasty">Ming-period</a> (1368–1644) portrait of Sima Qian</figcaption></figure> <p>In 99 BC, Sima became embroiled in the Li Ling affair, where <a href="/wiki/Li_Ling" title="Li Ling">Li Ling</a> and <a href="/wiki/Li_Guangli" title="Li Guangli">Li Guangli</a>, two military officers who led a campaign against the <a href="/wiki/Xiongnu" title="Xiongnu">Xiongnu</a> in the north, were defeated and taken captive. Emperor Wu attributed the defeat to Li Ling, with all government officials subsequently condemning him for it. Sima was the only person to defend Li Ling, who had never been his friend but whom he respected. Emperor Wu interpreted Sima's defence of Li as an attack on his brother-in-law, Li Guangli, who had also fought against the Xiongnu without much success, and sentenced Sima to death. At that time, execution could be <a href="/wiki/Commutation_(law)" title="Commutation (law)">commuted</a> either by money or <a href="/wiki/Castration" title="Castration">castration</a>. Since Sima did not have enough money to atone for his "crime", he chose the latter and was then thrown into prison, where he endured three years. He described his pain thus: "When you see the jailer you abjectly touch the ground with your forehead. At the mere sight of his underlings you are seized with terror ... Such ignominy can never be wiped away." Sima called his castration "the worst of all punishments".<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000291_5-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000291-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In 96 BC, on his release from prison, Sima chose to live on as a palace <a href="/wiki/Eunuch" title="Eunuch">eunuch</a> to complete his histories, rather than commit suicide as was expected of a gentleman-scholar who had been disgraced by being castrated.<sup id="cite_ref-jay_1-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-jay-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> As Sima Qian himself explained in his <i>Letter to Ren An</i>: </p> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1244412712">.mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 32px}.mw-parser-output .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;margin-top:0}@media(min-width:500px){.mw-parser-output .templatequotecite{padding-left:1.6em}}</style><blockquote class="templatequote"><div class="poem"> <p><span class="nowrap">     </span><span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh" style="font-size: 110%;">且夫臧獲婢妾猶能引決，況若僕之不得已乎。所以隱忍苟活，函糞土之中而不辭者，恨私心有所不盡，鄙沒世而文采不表於後也。古者富貴而名摩滅，不可勝記，唯俶儻非常之人稱焉。</span></span><br /> <span class="nowrap">     </span>If even the lowest slave and scullion maid can bear to commit suicide, why should not one like myself be able to do what has to be done? But the reason I have not refused to bear these ills and have continued to live, dwelling in vileness and disgrace without taking my leave, is that I grieve that I have things in my heart which I have not been able to express fully, and I am shamed to think that after I am gone my writings will not be known to posterity. Too numerous to record are the men of ancient times who were rich and noble and whose names have yet vanished away. It is only those who were masterful and sure, the truly extraordinary men, who are still remembered.<br /> <br /> <br /> <span class="nowrap">     </span><span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh" style="font-size: 110%;">僕竊不遜，近自託於無能之辭，網羅天下放失舊聞，考之行事，綜其終始，稽其成敗興壞之理 ... 凡百三十篇，亦欲以究天人之際，通古今之變，成一家之言。草創未就，適會此禍，惜其不成，是以就極刑而無慍色。僕誠已著此書，藏諸名山，傳之其人通邑大都，則僕償前辱之責，雖萬被戮，豈有悔哉！</span></span><br /> <span class="nowrap">     </span>I too have ventured not to be modest but have entrusted myself to my useless writings. I have gathered up and brought together the old traditions of the world which were scattered and lost. I have examined the deeds and events of the past and investigated the principles behind their success and failure, their rise and decay [...] in one hundred and thirty chapters. I wished to examine into all that concerns heaven and man, to penetrate the changes of the past and present, completing all as the work of one family. But before I had finished my rough manuscript, I met with this calamity. It is because I regretted that it had not been completed that I submitted to the extreme penalty without rancor. When I have truly completed this work, I shall deposit it in the Famous Mountain. If it may be handed down to men who will appreciate it, and penetrate to the villages and great cities, then though I should suffer a thousand mutilations, what regret should I have? </p> </div><div class="templatequotecite">— <cite>Sima Qian, "Letter to Ren An" (96 BC; <a href="/wiki/Burton_Watson" title="Burton Watson">Burton Watson</a>, trans.)<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEWatson195857–67_7-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEWatson195857–67-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></cite></div></blockquote> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Later_years_and_death">Later years and death</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Sima_Qian&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Later years and death"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Upon his release from prison in 97/96 BC, Sima Qian continued to serve in the Han court as <i>zhongshuling</i> (<a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%B8%AD%E4%B9%A6%E4%BB%A4" class="extiw" title="zh:中书令">中書令</a>), a court archivist position reserved for eunuchs with considerable status and with higher pay than his previous position of historian.<sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-:0_9-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:0-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The <i>Letter to Ren An</i> was written by Sima Qian in reply to Ren An in response to the latter's involvement in Crown Prince <a href="/wiki/Liu_Ju" title="Liu Ju">Liu Ju</a>'s rebellion in 91 BC. This is the last record of Sima Qian in contemporary documents. The letter is a reply to a lost letter by Ren An to Sima Qian, perhaps asking Sima Qian to intercede on his behalf as Ren An was facing execution for accusations of being an opportunist and displaying equivocal loyalty to the emperor during the rebellion. In his reply, Sima Qian stated that he is a mutilated man with no influence at court.<sup id="cite_ref-10" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Some later historians claimed that Sima Qian himself became implicated in the rebellion as a result of his friendship with Ren An and was executed as part of the purge of the crown prince's supporters in court; however, the earliest-attested record of this account dates from the 4th century. Moreover, it has also been pointed out that Sima Qian would have been reluctant to render substantive aid to Ren An, given the severe consequences that he suffered for supporting General Li Ling, as well as Ren An's failure to act on his behalf during the Li Ling affair. Although there are many theories regarding the exact dating as well as the true nature and purpose of the <i>Letter to Ren An</i>, one common interpretation suggests that the letter, in part, tacitly expressed a refusal to play an active role in securing a reduced punishment for Ren An.<sup id="cite_ref-:0_9-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:0-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The early-20th-century scholar <a href="/wiki/Wang_Guowei" title="Wang Guowei">Wang Guowei</a> stated that there are no reliable records establishing when Sima Qian died. He and most modern historians believe that Sima Qian spent his last days as a scholar in reclusion (<span lang="zh-Hant">隱士</span>; <i><span lang="zh-Latn">yǐnshì</span></i>) after leaving the Han court, perhaps dying around the same time as Emperor Wu in 87/86 BC.<sup id="cite_ref-11" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>note 1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Records_of_the_Grand_Historian"><i>Records of the Grand Historian</i></h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Sima_Qian&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Records of the Grand Historian"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Shiji.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Shiji.jpg" decoding="async" width="206" height="300" class="mw-file-element" data-file-width="206" data-file-height="300" /></a><figcaption>The first page of <i>Shiji</i></figcaption></figure> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Records_of_the_Grand_Historian" class="mw-redirect" title="Records of the Grand Historian">Records of the Grand Historian</a></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Format">Format</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Sima_Qian&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Format"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Although the style and form of Chinese historical writings varied through the ages, <i>Records of the Grand Historian</i> (<i>Shiji</i>) has defined the quality and style from then onwards. Before Sima, histories were written as certain events or certain periods of history of states; his idea of a general history affected later historiographers like Zheng Qiao (鄭樵) in writing <i><a href="/wiki/Tongzhi_(encyclopedia)" title="Tongzhi (encyclopedia)">Tongzhi</a></i> and <a href="/wiki/Sima_Guang" title="Sima Guang">Sima Guang</a> in writing <i><a href="/wiki/Zizhi_Tongjian" title="Zizhi Tongjian">Zizhi Tongjian</a></i>. The Chinese historical form of dynasty history, or <i>jizhuanti</i> history of dynasties, was codified in the second dynastic history by <a href="/wiki/Ban_Gu" title="Ban Gu">Ban Gu</a>'s <i><a href="/wiki/Book_of_Han" title="Book of Han">Book of Han</a></i>, but historians regard Sima's work as their model, which stands as the "official format" of the <a href="/wiki/History_of_China" title="History of China">history of China</a>. The <i>Shiji</i> comprises 130 chapters consisting of half a million characters.<sup id="cite_ref-jay_1-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-jay-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The <i>jizhuanti</i> format refers to the organization of the work into <i>benji</i> (本紀) or 'basic annals' chapters containing the biographies of the sovereigns ('sons of heaven') organized by dynasty and <i>liezhuan</i> (列傳) or 'ordered biographies' chapters containing the biographies of influential non-nobles, sometimes for one prominent individual, but often for two or more people who, in Sima Qian's judgment, played similarly important roles in history. In addition to these namesake categories, there are chapters falling under the categories of <i>biao</i> (表) or 'tables', containing graphical chronologies of royalty and nobility, and <i>shu</i> (書) or 'treatises', consisting of essays giving a historical perspective on various topics like music, ritual, or economics. Most importantly, the <i>shijia</i> (世家) chapters, or 'house chronicles', document important events in the histories of the rulers of each of the quasi-independent states of the Zhou dynasty (originally serving as vassals to the Zhou kings), as well as the histories of contemporary aristocratic houses established during the Han dynasty. </p><p>In all, the <i>Records</i> consist of 12 Basic Annals, 10 Tables, 8 Treatises, 30 House Chronicles, and 70 Ordered Biographies. The last of the Ordered Biographies is the postface. This final chapter details the background of how the <i>Shiji</i> was composed and compiled, and gives brief justifications for the inclusion of the major topics, events, and individuals in the work. As part of the background, the postface provides a short sketch of the history of the Sima clan, from legendary times to his father Sima Tan. It also details the dying words of Sima Tan, tearfully exhorting the author to compose the present work, and contains a biographical sketch of the author himself. The postface concludes with a self-referential description of the postface as the 70th and last of the Ordered Biographies chapters. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Influences_and_works_influenced">Influences and works influenced</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Sima_Qian&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: Influences and works influenced"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Sima was greatly influenced by Confucius's <i>Spring and Autumn Annals</i>, which on the surface is a succinct chronology from the events of the reigns of the twelve dukes of Lu from 722 to 484 BC.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000291_5-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000291-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Many Chinese scholars have and still do view how Confucius ordered his chronology as the ideal example of how history should be written, especially with regards to what he chose to include and to exclude, and his choice of words as indicating moral judgments.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000291_5-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000291-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Seen in this light, the <i>Spring and Autumn Annals</i> are a moral guide to the proper way of living.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000292_12-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000292-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Sima took this view himself as he explained: </p> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1244412712"><blockquote class="templatequote"><p><span class="nowrap">     </span><span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh" style="font-size: 110%;">夫春秋 ... 別嫌疑，明是非，定猶豫，善善惡惡，賢賢賤不肖，存亡國，繼絕世，補敝起廢。</span></span><br /> <span class="nowrap">     </span>It [<i>Spring and Autumn Annals</i>] distinguishes what is suspicious and doubtful, clarifies right and wrong, and settles points which are uncertain. It calls good good and bad bad, honours the worthy, and condemns the unworthy. It preserves states which are lost and restores the perishing family. It brings to light what was neglected and restores what was abandoned.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000292_12-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000292-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></p></blockquote> <p>Sima saw the <i>Shiji</i> as being in the same tradition as he explained in his introduction to chapter 61 of the <i>Shiji</i> where he wrote: </p> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1244412712"><blockquote class="templatequote"><p><span class="nowrap">     </span><span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh" style="font-size: 110%;">或曰：天道無親，常與善人。若伯夷、叔齊，可謂善人者非邪。積仁絜行如此而餓死。... 盜蹠日殺不辜，肝人之肉 ... 竟以壽終。是遵何德哉。 ... 余甚惑焉，儻所謂天道，是邪非邪。</span></span><br /> <span class="nowrap">     </span>Some people say "It is Heaven's way, without distinction of persons, to keep the good perpetually supplied." Can we say then that <a href="/wiki/Boyi_and_Shuqi" title="Boyi and Shuqi">Boyi and Shuqi</a> were good men or not? They clung to righteousness and were pure in their deeds yet they starved to death ... Robber Zhi day after day killed innocent men, making mincemeat of their flesh ... But in the end he lived to a great old age. For what virtue did he deserve this? ... I find myself in much perplexity. Is this so-called "Way of Heaven" right or wrong?<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000292_12-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000292-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></p></blockquote><p> To resolve this theodical problem, Sima argued that while the wicked may succeed and the good may suffer in their own life-times, it is the historian who ensures that in the end good triumphs.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000292_12-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000292-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> For Sima, the writing of history was no mere antiquarian pursuit, but was rather a vital moral task as the historian would "preserve memory", and thereby ensure the ultimate victory of good over evil.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000292_12-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000292-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Along these lines, Sima wrote: <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1244412712"></p><blockquote class="templatequote"><p><span class="nowrap">     </span><span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh" style="font-size: 110%;">蘇秦兄弟三人，皆游說諸侯以顯名，其術長於權變。而蘇秦被反閒以死，天下共笑之，諱學其術。 ... 夫蘇秦起閭閻，連六國從親，此其智有過人者。吾故列其行事，次其時序，毋令獨蒙惡聲焉。</span></span><br /> <span class="nowrap">     </span><a href="/wiki/Su_Qin" title="Su Qin">Su Qin</a> and his two brothers all achieved fame among the feudal lords as itinerant strategists. Their policies laid great stress upon stratagems and shifts of power. But because Su Qin died a traitor's death, the world has united in scoffing at him and has been loath to study his policies ... Su Qin arose from the humblest beginnings to lead the Six States in the Vertical Alliance, and this is evidence that he possessed an intelligence surpassing the ordinary person. For this reason I have set forth this account of his deeds, arranging them in proper chronological order, so that he may not forever suffer from an evil reputation and be known for nothing else.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000292–293_13-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000292–293-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></p></blockquote> <p>Such a moralizing approach to history with the historian high-guiding the good and evil to provide lessons for the present could be dangerous for the historian as it could bring down the wrath of the state onto the historian as happened to Sima himself. As such, the historian had to tread carefully and often expressed his judgements in a circuitous way designed to fool the censor.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000293_14-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000293-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Sima himself in the conclusion to chapter 110 of the <i>Shiji</i> declared that he was writing in this tradition where he stated: </p> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1244412712"><blockquote class="templatequote"><p><span class="nowrap">     </span><span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh" style="font-size: 110%;">孔氏著春秋，隱桓之閒則章，至定哀之際則微，為其切當世之文而罔褒，忌諱之辭也。</span></span><br /> <span class="nowrap">     </span>When Confucius wrote the <i>Spring and Autumn Annals</i>, he was very open in treating the reigns of Yin and Huan, the early dukes of Lu; but when he came to the later period of Dukes Ding and Ai, his writing was much more covert. Because in the latter case he was writing about his own times, he did not express his judgements frankly, but used subtle and guarded language.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000293_14-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000293-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></p></blockquote> <p>Bearing this in mind, not everything that Sima wrote should be understood as conveying didactical moral lessons.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000293_14-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000293-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> But several historians have suggested that parts of the <i>Shiji</i>, such as where Sima placed his section on Confucius's use of indirect criticism in the part of the book dealing with the Xiongnu "barbarians" might indicate his disapproval of the foreign policy of the Emperor Wu.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000293_14-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000293-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In writing <i>Shiji</i>, Sima initiated a new writing style by presenting history in a series of biographies. His work extends over 130 chapters—not in historical sequence, but divided into particular subjects, including <a href="/wiki/Annals" title="Annals">annals</a>, <a href="/wiki/Chronicle" title="Chronicle">chronicles</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Treatise" title="Treatise">treatises</a>—on music, ceremonies, calendars, religion, economics, and extended biographies. Sima's work influenced the writing style of other histories outside of China as well, such as the <a href="/wiki/Goryeo" title="Goryeo">Goryeo</a> (Korean) history the <i><a href="/wiki/Samguk_sagi" title="Samguk sagi">Samguk sagi</a></i>. Sima adopted a new method in sorting out the historical data and a new approach to writing historical records. At the beginning of the <i>Shiji</i>, Sima declared himself a follower of Confucius's approach in the <i>Analects</i> to "hear much but leave to one side that which is doubtful, and speak with due caution concerning the remainder".<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000293_14-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000293-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Reflecting these rigorous analytic methods, Sima declared that he would not write about periods of history where there was insufficient documentation.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000293_14-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000293-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> As such, Sima wrote "the ages before the Ch'in dynasty are too far away and the material on them too scanty to permit a detailed account of them here".<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000293_14-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000293-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In the same way, Sima discounted accounts in the traditional records that were "ridiculous" such as the pretense that Prince Tan could via the use of magic make the clouds rain grain and horses grow horns.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000293_14-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000293-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Sima constantly compared accounts found in the manuscripts with what he considered reliable sources like Confucian classics like the <i><a href="/wiki/Classic_of_Poetry" title="Classic of Poetry">Book of Odes</a></i>, <i><a href="/wiki/Book_of_Documents" title="Book of Documents">Book of History</a></i>, <i><a href="/wiki/Book_of_Rites" title="Book of Rites">Book of Rites</a></i>, <i><a href="/wiki/Classic_of_Music" title="Classic of Music">Book of Music</a></i>, <i><a href="/wiki/I_Ching" title="I Ching">Book of Changes</a></i> and <i>Spring and Autumn Annals</i>.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000293_14-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000293-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> When Sima encountered a story that could not be cross-checked with the Confucian classics, he systemically compared the information with other documents. Sima mentioned at least 75 books he used for cross-checking.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294_15-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Furthermore, Sima often questioned people about historical events they had experienced.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000293_14-9" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000293-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Sima mentioned after one of his trips across China that: "When I had occasion to pass through Feng and Beiyi I questioned the elderly people who were about the place, visited the old home of <a href="/wiki/Xiao_He" title="Xiao He">Xiao He</a>, <a href="/wiki/Cao_Shen" title="Cao Shen">Cao Can</a>, <a href="/wiki/Fan_Kuai" title="Fan Kuai">Fan Kuai</a> and <a href="/wiki/Xiahou_Ying" title="Xiahou Ying">Xiahou Ying</a>, and learned much about the early days. How different it was from the stories one hears!"<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294_15-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Reflecting the traditional Chinese reverence for age, Sima stated that he preferred to interview the elderly as he believed that they were the most likely to supply him with correct and truthful information about what had happened in the past.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294_15-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> During one of this trips, Sima mentioned that he was overcome with emotion when he saw the carriage of Confucius together with his clothes and various other personal items that had belonged to Confucius.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294_15-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Innovations_and_unique_features">Innovations and unique features</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Sima_Qian&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: Innovations and unique features"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Despite his very large debts to Confucian tradition, Sima was an innovator in four ways. To begin with, Sima's work was concerned with the history of the known world.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294_15-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Previous Chinese historians had focused on only one dynasty and/or region.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294_15-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Sima's history of 130 chapters began with the legendary Yellow Emperor and extended to his own time, and covered not only China, but also neighboring nations like <a href="/wiki/Korea" title="Korea">Korea</a> and <a href="/wiki/Vietnam" title="Vietnam">Vietnam</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294_15-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In this regard, Sima was significant as the first Chinese historian to treat the peoples living to the north of the Great Wall like the Xiongnu as human beings who were implicitly the equals of the Middle Kingdom, instead of the traditional approach which had portrayed the Xiongnu as savages who had the appearance of humans, but the minds of animals.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEChin2010318-319_16-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEChin2010318-319-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>15<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In his comments about the Xiongnu, Sima refrained from evoking claims about the innate moral superiority of the Han over the "northern barbarians" that were the standard rhetorical tropes of Chinese historians in this period.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEChin2010320_17-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEChin2010320-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>16<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Likewise, Sima in his chapter about the Xiongnu condemns those advisors who pursue the "expediency of the moment", that is advise the Emperor to carry policies such as conquests of other nations that bring a brief moment of glory, but burden the state with the enormous financial and often human costs of holding on to the conquered land.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEChin2010321_18-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEChin2010321-18"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>17<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Sima was engaging in an indirect criticism of the advisors of the Emperor Wu who were urging him to pursue a policy of aggression towards the Xiongnu and conquer all their land, a policy to which Sima was apparently opposed.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEChin2010311-354_19-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEChin2010311-354-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>18<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Sima also broke new ground by using more sources like interviewing witnesses, visiting places where historical occurrences had happened, and examining documents from different regions and/or times.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294_15-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Before Chinese historians had tended to use only reign histories as their sources.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294_15-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The <i>Shiji</i> was further very novel in Chinese historiography by examining historical events outside of the courts, providing a broader history than the traditional court-based histories had done.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294_15-9" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Lastly, Sima broke with the traditional chronological structure of Chinese history. Sima instead had divided the <i>Shiji</i> into five divisions: the basic annals which comprised the first 12 chapters, the chronological tables which comprised the next 10 chapters, treatises on particular subjects which make up 8 chapters, accounts of the ruling families which take up 30 chapters, and biographies of various eminent people which are the last 70 chapters.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294_15-10" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The annals follow the traditional Chinese pattern of court-based histories of the lives of various emperors and their families.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294_15-11" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The chronological tables are graphs recounting the political history of China.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294_15-12" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The treatises are essays on topics such as <a href="/wiki/Astronomy" title="Astronomy">astronomy</a>, music, religion, hydraulic engineering and economics.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294_15-13" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The last section dealing with biographies covers individuals judged by Sima to have made a major impact on the course of history, regardless of whether they were of noble or humble birth and whether they were born in the central states, the periphery, or barbarian lands.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294_15-14" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Unlike traditional Chinese historians, Sima went beyond the androcentric, nobility-focused histories by dealing with the lives of women and men such as poets, bureaucrats, merchants, comedians/jesters, assassins, and philosophers.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000295_20-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000295-20"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The treatises section, the biographies sections and the annals section relating to the <a href="/wiki/Qin_dynasty" title="Qin dynasty">Qin dynasty</a> (as a former dynasty, there was more freedom to write about the Qin than there was about the reigning Han dynasty) that make up 40% of the <i>Shiji</i> have aroused the most interest from historians and are the only parts of the <i>Shiji</i> that have been translated into English.<sup id="cite_ref-jay_1-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-jay-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>When Sima placed his subjects was often his way of expressing obliquely moral judgements.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000295_20-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000295-20"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> <a href="/wiki/Empress_L%C3%BC" title="Empress Lü">Empress Lü</a> and <a href="/wiki/Xiang_Yu" title="Xiang Yu">Xiang Yu</a> were the effective rulers of China during reigns Hui of the Han and Yi of Chu, respectively, so Sima placed both their lives in the basic annals.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000295_20-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000295-20"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Likewise, Confucius is included in the fourth section rather the fifth where he properly belonged as a way of showing his eminent virtue.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000295_20-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000295-20"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The structure of the <i>Shiji</i> allowed Sima to tell the same stories in different ways, which allowed him to pass his moral judgements.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000295_20-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000295-20"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> For example, in the basic annals section, the <a href="/wiki/Emperor_Gaozu_of_Han" title="Emperor Gaozu of Han">Emperor Gaozu</a> is portrayed as a good leader whereas in the section dealing with his rival Xiang Yu, the Emperor is portrayed unflatteringly.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000295_20-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000295-20"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Likewise, the chapter on Xiang presents him in a favorable light whereas the chapter on Gaozu portrays him in more darker colors.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000295_20-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000295-20"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> At the end of most of the chapters, Sima usually wrote a commentary in which he judged how the individual lived up to traditional Chinese values like filial piety, humility, self-discipline, hard work and concern for the less fortunate.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000295_20-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000295-20"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Sima analyzed the records and sorted out those that could serve the purpose of <i>Shiji</i>. He intended to discover the patterns and principles of the development of human history. Sima also emphasized, for the first time in Chinese history, the role of individual men in affecting the historical development of China and his historical perception that a country cannot escape from the fate of growth and decay. </p><p>Unlike the <i>Book of Han</i>, which was written under the supervision of the imperial dynasty, <i>Shiji</i> was a privately written history since he refused to write <i>Shiji</i> as an official history covering only those of high rank. The work also covers people of the lower classes and is therefore considered a "veritable record" of the darker side of the dynasty. In Sima's time, literature and history were not seen as separate disciplines as they are now, and Sima wrote his <i>magnum opus</i> in a very literary style, making extensive use of irony, sarcasm, juxtaposition of events, characterization, direct speech and invented speeches, which led the American historian Jennifer Jay to describe parts of the <i>Shiji</i> as reading more like a historical novel than a work of history.<sup id="cite_ref-jay_1-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-jay-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> For an example, Sima tells the story of a Chinese eunuch named <a href="/wiki/Zhonghang_Yue" title="Zhonghang Yue">Zhonghang Yue</a> who became an advisor to the Xiongnu kings.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEChin2010325_21-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEChin2010325-21"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>20<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Sima provides a long dialogue between Zhonghang and an envoy sent by the Emperor Wen of China during which the latter disparages the Xiongnu as "savages" whose customs are barbaric while Zhonghang defends the Xiongnu customs as either justified and/or as morally equal to Chinese customs, at times even morally superior as Zhonghang draws a contrast between the bloody succession struggles in China where family members would murder one another to be Emperor vs. the more orderly succession of the Xiongnu kings.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEChin2010325-326_22-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEChin2010325-326-22"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>21<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The American historian Tamara Chin wrote that though Zhonghang did exist, the dialogue is merely a "literacy device" for Sima to make points that he could not otherwise make.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEChin2010328-329_23-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEChin2010328-329-23"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>22<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The favorable picture of the traitor Zhonghang who went over to the Xiongnu who bests the Emperor's loyal envoy in an ethnographic argument about what is the morally superior nation appears to be Sima's way of attacking the entire Chinese court system where the Emperor preferred the lies told by his sycophantic advisors over the truth told by his honest advisors as inherently corrupt and depraved.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEChin2010333-334_24-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEChin2010333-334-24"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>23<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The point is reinforced by the fact that Sima has Zhonghang speak the language of an idealized Confucian official whereas the Emperor's envoy's language is dismissed as "mere twittering and chatter".<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEChin2010334_25-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEChin2010334-25"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>24<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Elsewhere in the <i>Shiji</i> Sima portrayed the Xiongnu less favorably, so the debate was almost certainly more Sima's way of criticizing the Chinese court system and less genuine praise for the Xiongnu.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEChin2010340_26-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEChin2010340-26"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>25<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Sima has often been criticized for "historizing" myths and legends as he assigned dates to mythical and legendary figures from ancient Chinese history together with what appears to be suspiciously precise genealogies of leading families over the course of several millennia (including his own where he traces the descent of the Sima family from legendary emperors in the distant past).<sup id="cite_ref-jay_1-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-jay-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> However, archaeological discoveries in recent decades have confirmed aspects of the <i>Shiji</i>, and suggested that even if the sections of the <i>Shiji</i> dealing with the ancient past are not totally true, at least Sima wrote down what he believed to be true. In particular, archaeological finds have confirmed the basic accuracy of the <i>Shiji</i> including the reigns and locations of tombs of ancient rulers.<sup id="cite_ref-jay_1-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-jay-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Literary_figure">Literary figure</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Sima_Qian&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: Literary figure"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Sima's <i>Shiji</i> is respected as a model of biographical literature with high literary value and still stands as a textbook for the study of classical Chinese. Sima's works were influential to Chinese writing, serving as ideal models for various types of prose within the neo-classical ("renaissance" <span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh">复古</span></span>) movement of the <a href="/wiki/Tang_dynasty" title="Tang dynasty">Tang</a>–<a href="/wiki/Song_dynasty" title="Song dynasty">Song</a> period. The great use of characterisation and plotting also influenced fiction writing, including the classical short stories of the middle and late medieval period (Tang-<a href="/wiki/Ming_dynasty" title="Ming dynasty">Ming</a>) as well as the vernacular novel of the late imperial period. Sima had immense influence on historiography not only in China, but also in Japan and Korea. <sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000296_27-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000296-27"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>26<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> For centuries afterwards, the <i>Shiji</i> was regarded as the greatest history book written in Asia.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000296_27-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000296-27"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>26<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Sima is little known in the English-speaking world as a full translation of the <i>Shiji</i> in English has not yet been completed. </p><p>His influence was derived primarily from the following elements of his writing: his skillful depiction of historical characters using details of their speech, conversations, and actions; his innovative use of informal, humorous, and varied language; and the simplicity and conciseness of his style. Even the 20th-century literary critic <a href="/wiki/Lu_Xun" title="Lu Xun">Lu Xun</a> regarded <i>Shiji</i> as "the historians' most perfect song, a '<a href="/wiki/Li_Sao" title="Li Sao">Li Sao</a>' without the rhyme" (<span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh">史家之絶唱，無韻之離騷</span></span>) in his <i>Outline of Chinese Literary History</i> (<span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh">漢文學史綱要</span></span>). </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Other_literary_works">Other literary works</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Sima_Qian&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: Other literary works"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Sima's famous letter to his friend Ren An about his sufferings during the Li Ling Affair and his perseverance in writing <i>Shiji</i> is today regarded as a highly admired example of literary prose style, studied widely in China even today.<sup id="cite_ref-28" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-28"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>27<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The <i>Letter to Ren An</i> contains the quote, "Men have always had but one death. For some it is as weighty as <a href="/wiki/Mount_Tai" title="Mount Tai">Mount Tai</a>; for others it is as insignificant as a goose down. The difference is what they use it for." (<span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh">人固有一死，或重于泰山，或輕于鴻毛，用之所趨異也。</span></span>) This quote has become one of the most well known in all of Chinese literature. In modern times, Chairman <a href="/wiki/Mao_Zedong" title="Mao Zedong">Mao</a> paraphrased this quote in a <a href="/wiki/Serve_the_People" title="Serve the People">speech</a> in which he paid tribute to a fallen <a href="/wiki/People%27s_Liberation_Army" title="People's Liberation Army">PLA</a> soldier. </p><p>Sima Qian wrote eight rhapsodies (<i><a href="/wiki/Fu_(poetry)" title="Fu (poetry)">fu</a></i>), which are listed in the bibliographic treatise of the <i>Book of Han</i>. All but one, the "Rhapsody in Lament for Gentlemen who do not Meet their Time" (<span title="Chinese-language text"><span lang="zh">士不遇賦</span></span>) have been lost, and even the surviving example is probably not complete. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Astronomer/astrologer"><span id="Astronomer.2Fastrologer"></span>Astronomer/astrologer</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Sima_Qian&action=edit&section=11" title="Edit section: Astronomer/astrologer"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Sima and his father both served as the <i>taishi</i> (太史) of the <a href="/wiki/Han_dynasty" title="Han dynasty">Former Han dynasty</a>, a position which includes aspects of being a historian, a court scribe, calendarist, and court astronomer/astrologer. At that time, the astrologer had an important role, responsible for interpreting and predicting the course of government according to the influence of the Sun, Moon, and stars, as well as other astronomical and geological phenomena such as <a href="/wiki/Solar_eclipse" title="Solar eclipse">solar eclipses</a> and <a href="/wiki/Earthquake" title="Earthquake">earthquakes</a>, which depended on revising and upholding an accurate calendar. </p><p>Before compiling <i>Shiji</i>, Sima Qian was involved in the creation of the 104 BC <i><a href="/wiki/Chinese_calendar" title="Chinese calendar">Taichu</a></i> Calendar 太初暦 (太初 became the new <a href="/wiki/Regnal_year" title="Regnal year">era name</a> for Emperor Wu and means "supreme beginning"), a modification of the <a href="/wiki/Qin_dynasty" title="Qin dynasty">Qin</a> calendar. This is the first Chinese calendar whose full method of calculation (暦法) has been preserved. </p><p>The minor planet "12620 Simaqian" is named in his honour. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Family">Family</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Sima_Qian&action=edit&section=12" title="Edit section: Family"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Sima Qian is the son of court astrologer (太史令) <a href="/wiki/Sima_Tan" title="Sima Tan">Sima Tan</a>, who is a descendant of <a href="/wiki/Qin_(state)" title="Qin (state)">Qin</a> general Sima Cuo (司馬錯), the commander of Qin army in the state's conquest of <a href="/wiki/Ba_(state)" title="Ba (state)">Ba</a> and <a href="/wiki/Shu_(kingdom)" title="Shu (kingdom)">Shu</a>. </p><p>Before his castration, Sima Qian was recorded to have two sons and a daughter. While little is recorded of his sons, his daughter later married Yang Chang (楊敞), and had sons Yang Zhong (楊忠) and Yang Yun (楊惲). It was Yang Yun who hid his grandfather's great work, and decided to release it during the reign of <a href="/wiki/Emperor_Xuan_of_Han" title="Emperor Xuan of Han">Emperor Xuan</a>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Unsubstantiated_descendants">Unsubstantiated descendants</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Sima_Qian&action=edit&section=13" title="Edit section: Unsubstantiated descendants"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>According to local legend, Sima Qian had two sons, the older named Sima Lin (司馬臨) and younger named Sima Guan (司馬觀), who fled the capital to Xu Village (徐村) in what is now Shanxi province during the Li Ling affair, for fear of falling victim to <a href="/wiki/Nine_familial_exterminations" title="Nine familial exterminations">familial extermination</a>. They changed their surnames to <a href="/wiki/Tong_(surname)" title="Tong (surname)">Tong</a> (同 = 丨+ 司) and <a href="/wiki/F%C3%A9ng" title="Féng">Féng</a> (馮 = 仌 + 馬), respectively, to hide their origins while continuing to secretly offer sacrifices to the Sima ancestors. To this day, people living in the village with surnames Feng and Tong are forbidden from intermarrying on the grounds that the relationship would be incestuous.<sup id="cite_ref-29" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-29"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>28<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>According to the <i>Book of Han</i>, <a href="/wiki/Wang_Mang" title="Wang Mang">Wang Mang</a> sent an expedition to search for and ennoble a male-line descent of Sima Qian as 史通子 ("Viscount of Historical Mastery"), although it was not recorded who received this title of nobility. A Qing dynasty stele 重修太史廟記 (<i>Records of the Renovation of the Temple of the Grand Historian</i>) erected in the nearby county seat Han City (韓城) claims that the title was given to the grandson of Sima Lin. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Notes">Notes</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Sima_Qian&action=edit&section=14" title="Edit section: Notes"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist"> <div class="mw-references-wrap"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-11"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-11">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="/wiki/Wang_Guowei" title="Wang Guowei">王國維</a>: "絕不可考......然視為與武帝相終始，當無大誤。" (It [when Sima Qian died] absolutely cannot be determined. However, it should not be a great mistake if one viewed Sima Qian as beginning and ending with Emperor Wu [of Han].)</span> </li> </ol></div></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Sima_Qian&action=edit&section=15" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Citations">Citations</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Sima_Qian&action=edit&section=16" title="Edit section: Citations"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1239543626"><div class="reflist"> <div class="mw-references-wrap mw-references-columns"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-jay-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-jay_1-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-jay_1-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-jay_1-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-jay_1-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-jay_1-4"><sup><i><b>e</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-jay_1-5"><sup><i><b>f</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-jay_1-6"><sup><i><b>g</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-jay_1-7"><sup><i><b>h</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-jay_1-8"><sup><i><b>i</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite id="CITEREFJay1999" class="citation book cs1">Jay, Jennifer (1999). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=0121vD9STIMC&pg=PA1094">"Sima Qian"</a>. In Boyd, Kelly (ed.). <i>The Encyclopedia of Historians and Historical Writing Volume 2</i>. FitzRoy Dearborn. pp. 1093–1094. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781884964336" title="Special:BookSources/9781884964336"><bdi>9781884964336</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=Sima+Qian&rft.btitle=The+Encyclopedia+of+Historians+and+Historical+Writing+Volume+2&rft.pages=1093-1094&rft.pub=FitzRoy+Dearborn&rft.date=1999&rft.isbn=9781884964336&rft.aulast=Jay&rft.aufirst=Jennifer&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3D0121vD9STIMC%26pg%3DPA1094&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASima+Qian" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEKnechtges2014959-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKnechtges2014959_2-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFKnechtges2014">Knechtges (2014)</a>, p. 959.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEde_Crespigny20071222Knechtges2014960-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEde_Crespigny20071222Knechtges2014960_3-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFde_Crespigny2007">de Crespigny (2007)</a>, p. 1222; <a href="#CITEREFKnechtges2014">Knechtges (2014)</a>, p. 960.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEKnechtges2014960-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKnechtges2014960_4-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKnechtges2014960_4-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKnechtges2014960_4-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKnechtges2014960_4-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKnechtges2014960_4-4"><sup><i><b>e</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFKnechtges2014">Knechtges (2014)</a>, p. 960.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000291-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000291_5-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000291_5-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000291_5-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000291_5-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000291_5-4"><sup><i><b>e</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFHughes-Warrington2000">Hughes-Warrington (2000)</a>, p. 291.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEWatson195847-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEWatson195847_6-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFWatson1958">Watson (1958)</a>, p. 47.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEWatson195857–67-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEWatson195857–67_7-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFWatson1958">Watson (1958)</a>, pp. 57–67.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-8"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-8">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFKuiper2014" class="citation book cs1">Kuiper, Kathleen, ed. (2014). "Sima Qian". <i>Classical Authors : 500 BCE to 1100 CE</i> (High school textbook) (1st ed.). New York, NY: Britannica Educational Publishing in association with Rosen Educational Services, LLC. pp. 112–116. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781622750047" title="Special:BookSources/9781622750047"><bdi>9781622750047</bdi></a>. <a href="/wiki/OCLC_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="OCLC (identifier)">OCLC</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/852251903">852251903</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=Sima+Qian&rft.btitle=Classical+Authors+%3A+500+BCE+to+1100+CE&rft.place=New+York%2C+NY&rft.pages=112-116&rft.edition=1st&rft.pub=Britannica+Educational+Publishing+in+association+with+Rosen+Educational+Services%2C+LLC&rft.date=2014&rft_id=info%3Aoclcnum%2F852251903&rft.isbn=9781622750047&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASima+Qian" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-:0-9"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-:0_9-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-:0_9-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFDurrantLiNylanEss2016" class="citation book cs1">Durrant, Stephen W.; Li, Wai-yee; <a href="/wiki/Michael_Nylan" title="Michael Nylan">Nylan, Michael</a>; Ess, Hans van (2016). <i>The letter to Ren An and Sima Qian's legacy</i>. Seattle: University of Washington Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780295806389" title="Special:BookSources/9780295806389"><bdi>9780295806389</bdi></a>. <a href="/wiki/OCLC_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="OCLC (identifier)">OCLC</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/946359303">946359303</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+letter+to+Ren+An+and+Sima+Qian%27s+legacy&rft.place=Seattle&rft.pub=University+of+Washington+Press&rft.date=2016&rft_id=info%3Aoclcnum%2F946359303&rft.isbn=9780295806389&rft.aulast=Durrant&rft.aufirst=Stephen+W.&rft.au=Li%2C+Wai-yee&rft.au=Nylan%2C+Michael&rft.au=Ess%2C+Hans+van&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASima+Qian" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-10"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-10">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFKnechtges2008" class="citation journal cs1"><a href="/wiki/David_R._Knechtges" title="David R. Knechtges">Knechtges, David R.</a> (2008). "<span class="cs1-kern-left"></span>"Key Words," Authorial Intent, and Interpretation: Sima Qian's Letter to Ren An". <i>Chinese Literature: Essays, Articles, Reviews</i>. <b>30</b>: 75–84. <a href="/wiki/ISSN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISSN (identifier)">ISSN</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0161-9705">0161-9705</a>. <a href="/wiki/JSTOR_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="JSTOR (identifier)">JSTOR</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/25478424">25478424</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Chinese+Literature%3A+Essays%2C+Articles%2C+Reviews&rft.atitle=%22Key+Words%2C%22+Authorial+Intent%2C+and+Interpretation%3A+Sima+Qian%27s+Letter+to+Ren+An&rft.volume=30&rft.pages=75-84&rft.date=2008&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jstor.org%2Fstable%2F25478424%23id-name%3DJSTOR&rft.issn=0161-9705&rft.aulast=Knechtges&rft.aufirst=David+R.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASima+Qian" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000292-12"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000292_12-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000292_12-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000292_12-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000292_12-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000292_12-4"><sup><i><b>e</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFHughes-Warrington2000">Hughes-Warrington (2000)</a>, p. 292.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000292–293-13"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000292–293_13-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFHughes-Warrington2000">Hughes-Warrington (2000)</a>, pp. 292–293.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000293-14"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000293_14-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000293_14-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000293_14-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000293_14-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000293_14-4"><sup><i><b>e</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000293_14-5"><sup><i><b>f</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000293_14-6"><sup><i><b>g</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000293_14-7"><sup><i><b>h</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000293_14-8"><sup><i><b>i</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000293_14-9"><sup><i><b>j</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFHughes-Warrington2000">Hughes-Warrington (2000)</a>, p. 293.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294-15"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294_15-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294_15-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294_15-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294_15-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294_15-4"><sup><i><b>e</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294_15-5"><sup><i><b>f</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294_15-6"><sup><i><b>g</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294_15-7"><sup><i><b>h</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294_15-8"><sup><i><b>i</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294_15-9"><sup><i><b>j</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294_15-10"><sup><i><b>k</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294_15-11"><sup><i><b>l</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294_15-12"><sup><i><b>m</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294_15-13"><sup><i><b>n</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000294_15-14"><sup><i><b>o</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFHughes-Warrington2000">Hughes-Warrington (2000)</a>, p. 294.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEChin2010318-319-16"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEChin2010318-319_16-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFChin2010">Chin (2010)</a>, p. 318-319.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEChin2010320-17"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEChin2010320_17-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFChin2010">Chin (2010)</a>, p. 320.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEChin2010321-18"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEChin2010321_18-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFChin2010">Chin (2010)</a>, p. 321.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEChin2010311-354-19"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEChin2010311-354_19-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFChin2010">Chin (2010)</a>, p. 311-354.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000295-20"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000295_20-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000295_20-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000295_20-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000295_20-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000295_20-4"><sup><i><b>e</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000295_20-5"><sup><i><b>f</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000295_20-6"><sup><i><b>g</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000295_20-7"><sup><i><b>h</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFHughes-Warrington2000">Hughes-Warrington (2000)</a>, p. 295.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEChin2010325-21"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEChin2010325_21-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFChin2010">Chin (2010)</a>, p. 325.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEChin2010325-326-22"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEChin2010325-326_22-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFChin2010">Chin (2010)</a>, p. 325-326.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEChin2010328-329-23"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEChin2010328-329_23-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFChin2010">Chin (2010)</a>, p. 328-329.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEChin2010333-334-24"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEChin2010333-334_24-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFChin2010">Chin (2010)</a>, p. 333-334.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEChin2010334-25"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEChin2010334_25-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFChin2010">Chin (2010)</a>, p. 334.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEChin2010340-26"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEChin2010340_26-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFChin2010">Chin (2010)</a>, p. 340.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000296-27"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000296_27-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHughes-Warrington2000296_27-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFHughes-Warrington2000">Hughes-Warrington (2000)</a>, p. 296.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-28"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-28">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFDurrantLiNylanEss2018" class="citation book cs1">Durrant, Stephen; Li, Wai-yee; <a href="/wiki/Michael_Nylan" title="Michael Nylan">Nylan, Michael</a>; Ess, Hans van (2018). <i>The Letter to Ren An and Sima Qian's Legacy</i>. University of Washington Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780295743646" title="Special:BookSources/9780295743646"><bdi>9780295743646</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Letter+to+Ren+An+and+Sima+Qian%27s+Legacy&rft.pub=University+of+Washington+Press&rft.date=2018&rft.isbn=9780295743646&rft.aulast=Durrant&rft.aufirst=Stephen&rft.au=Li%2C+Wai-yee&rft.au=Nylan%2C+Michael&rft.au=Ess%2C+Hans+van&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASima+Qian" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-29"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-29">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1"><i>Shi ji zong lun</i>. Zhang xue cheng, (1972- ), 张学成, (1972- ). Bei jing: Jiu zhou chu ban she. 2011. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/9787510810381" title="Special:BookSources/9787510810381"><bdi>9787510810381</bdi></a>. <a href="/wiki/OCLC_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="OCLC (identifier)">OCLC</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/862521140">862521140</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Shi+ji+zong+lun&rft.place=Bei+jing&rft.pub=Jiu+zhou+chu+ban+she&rft.date=2011&rft_id=info%3Aoclcnum%2F862521140&rft.isbn=9787510810381&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASima+Qian" class="Z3988"></span><span class="cs1-maint citation-comment"><code class="cs1-code">{{<a href="/wiki/Template:Cite_book" title="Template:Cite book">cite book</a>}}</code>: CS1 maint: others (<a href="/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_others" title="Category:CS1 maint: others">link</a>)</span></span> </li> </ol></div></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Sources">Sources</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Sima_Qian&action=edit&section=17" title="Edit section: Sources"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239549316">.mw-parser-output .refbegin{margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .refbegin-hanging-indents>ul{margin-left:0}.mw-parser-output .refbegin-hanging-indents>ul>li{margin-left:0;padding-left:3.2em;text-indent:-3.2em}.mw-parser-output .refbegin-hanging-indents ul,.mw-parser-output .refbegin-hanging-indents ul li{list-style:none}@media(max-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .refbegin-hanging-indents>ul>li{padding-left:1.6em;text-indent:-1.6em}}.mw-parser-output .refbegin-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .refbegin-columns ul{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .refbegin-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .refbegin{font-size:90%}}</style><div class="refbegin" style=""> <ul><li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFChin2010" class="citation journal cs1">Chin, Tamara (December 2010). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/40930904">"Defamiliarizing the Foreigner: Sima Qian's Ethnography and Han-Xiongnu Marriage Diplomacy"</a>. <i>Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies</i>. <b>70</b> (2): 311–354. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1353%2Fjas.2010.0004">10.1353/jas.2010.0004</a>. <a href="/wiki/JSTOR_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="JSTOR (identifier)">JSTOR</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/40930904">40930904</a>. <a href="/wiki/S2CID_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="S2CID (identifier)">S2CID</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:153189373">153189373</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Harvard+Journal+of+Asiatic+Studies&rft.atitle=Defamiliarizing+the+Foreigner%3A+Sima+Qian%27s+Ethnography+and+Han-Xiongnu+Marriage+Diplomacy&rft.volume=70&rft.issue=2&rft.pages=311-354&rft.date=2010-12&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.semanticscholar.org%2FCorpusID%3A153189373%23id-name%3DS2CID&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jstor.org%2Fstable%2F40930904%23id-name%3DJSTOR&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.1353%2Fjas.2010.0004&rft.aulast=Chin&rft.aufirst=Tamara&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jstor.org%2Fstable%2F40930904&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASima+Qian" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFde_Crespigny2007" class="citation book cs1">de Crespigny, Rafe (2007). <i>A Biographical Dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms (23–220 AD)</i>. Leiden: Brill. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-90-04-15605-0" title="Special:BookSources/978-90-04-15605-0"><bdi>978-90-04-15605-0</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=A+Biographical+Dictionary+of+Later+Han+to+the+Three+Kingdoms+%2823%E2%80%93220+AD%29&rft.place=Leiden&rft.pub=Brill&rft.date=2007&rft.isbn=978-90-04-15605-0&rft.aulast=de+Crespigny&rft.aufirst=Rafe&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASima+Qian" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFHughes-Warrington2000" class="citation book cs1">Hughes-Warrington, Marnie (2000). <i>Fifty Key Thinkers on History</i>. London: Routledge.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Fifty+Key+Thinkers+on+History&rft.place=London&rft.pub=Routledge&rft.date=2000&rft.aulast=Hughes-Warrington&rft.aufirst=Marnie&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASima+Qian" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFKnechtges2014" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/David_R._Knechtges" title="David R. Knechtges">Knechtges, David R.</a> (2014). "Sima Qian 司馬遷". In Knechtges, David R.; Chang, Tai-ping (eds.). <i>Ancient and Early Medieval Chinese Literature: A Reference Guide, Part Two</i>. Leiden, South Holland: Brill. pp. 959–965. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-90-04-19240-9" title="Special:BookSources/978-90-04-19240-9"><bdi>978-90-04-19240-9</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=Sima+Qian+%E5%8F%B8%E9%A6%AC%E9%81%B7&rft.btitle=Ancient+and+Early+Medieval+Chinese+Literature%3A+A+Reference+Guide%2C+Part+Two&rft.place=Leiden%2C+South+Holland&rft.pages=959-965&rft.pub=Brill&rft.date=2014&rft.isbn=978-90-04-19240-9&rft.aulast=Knechtges&rft.aufirst=David+R.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASima+Qian" class="Z3988"></span></li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFWatson1958" class="citation book cs1">Watson, Burton (1958). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/ssumachiengrandh012602mbp"><i>Ssu-ma Ch'ien: Grand Historian of China</i></a>. New York, NY: Columbia University Press.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Ssu-ma+Ch%27ien%3A+Grand+Historian+of+China&rft.place=New+York%2C+NY&rft.pub=Columbia+University+Press&rft.date=1958&rft.aulast=Watson&rft.aufirst=Burton&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fssumachiengrandh012602mbp&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASima+Qian" class="Z3988"></span></li></ul> </div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Further_reading">Further reading</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Sima_Qian&action=edit&section=18" title="Edit section: Further reading"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li>Markley, J. <i>Peace and Peril. Sima Qian's portrayal of Han - Xiongnu relations</i> (<i>Silk Road Studies</i> XIII), Turnhout, 2016, <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-2-503-53083-3" title="Special:BookSources/978-2-503-53083-3">978-2-503-53083-3</a></li> <li>Allen, J. R. "An Introductory Study of Narrative Structure in the <i>Shi ji</i>" pages 31–61 from <i>Chinese Literature: Essays, Articles, Reviews</i>, Volume 3, Issue 1, 1981.</li> <li>Allen, J. R. "Records of the Historian" pages 259–271 from <i>Masterworks of Asian Literature in Comparative Perspective: A Guide for Teaching</i>, Armonk: Sharpe, 1994.</li> <li>Beasley, W. G. & Pulleyblank, E. G. <i>Historians of China and Japan</i>, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1961.</li> <li>Dubs, H. H. "History and Historians under the Han" pages 213-218 from <i>Journal of Asian Studies</i>, Volume 20, Issue # 2, 1961.</li> <li>Durrant S. W. "Self as the Intersection of Tradition: The Autobiographical Writings of Ssu-Ch'ien" pages 33–40 from <i>Journal of the American Oriental Society</i>, Volume 106, Issue # 1, 1986.</li> <li>Cardner, C. S. <i>Traditional Historiography</i>, Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1970.</li> <li>Hardy, G. R. "Can an Ancient Chinese historian Contribute to Modern Western Theory?" pages 20–38 from <i>History and Theory</i>, Volume 33, Issue # 1, 1994.</li> <li>Kroll, J. L. "Ssu-ma Ch'ien Literary Theory and Literary Practice" pages 313-325 from <i>Altorientalische Forshungen</i>, Volume 4, 1976.</li> <li>Li, W. Y. "The Idea of Authority in the <i>Shi chi</i>" pages 345-405 from <i>Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies</i>, Volume 54, Issue # 2, 1994.</li> <li>Moloughney, B. "From Biographical History to Historical Biography: A Transformation in Chinese Historical Writings" pages 1–30 from <i>East Asian History</i>, Volume 4, Issue 1, 1992.</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Sima_Qian&action=edit&section=19" title="Edit section: External links"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1235681985">.mw-parser-output .side-box{margin:4px 0;box-sizing:border-box;border:1px solid #aaa;font-size:88%;line-height:1.25em;background-color:var(--background-color-interactive-subtle,#f8f9fa);display:flow-root}.mw-parser-output .side-box-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output .side-box-text{padding:0.25em 0.9em}.mw-parser-output .side-box-image{padding:2px 0 2px 0.9em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .side-box-imageright{padding:2px 0.9em 2px 0;text-align:center}@media(min-width:500px){.mw-parser-output .side-box-flex{display:flex;align-items:center}.mw-parser-output .side-box-text{flex:1;min-width:0}}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .side-box{width:238px}.mw-parser-output .side-box-right{clear:right;float:right;margin-left:1em}.mw-parser-output .side-box-left{margin-right:1em}}</style><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1237033735">@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .sistersitebox{display:none!important}}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .sistersitebox img[src*="Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg"]{background-color:white}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .sistersitebox img[src*="Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg"]{background-color:white}}</style><div class="side-box side-box-right plainlinks sistersitebox"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1126788409">.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul{line-height:inherit;list-style:none;margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol li,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul li{margin-bottom:0}</style> <div class="side-box-flex"> <div class="side-box-image"><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/38px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png" decoding="async" width="38" height="40" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/57px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/76px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="410" data-file-height="430" /></span></span></div> <div class="side-box-text plainlist">Chinese <a href="/wiki/Wikisource" title="Wikisource">Wikisource</a> has original text related to this article: <div lang="zh" style="margin-left: 10px;"><b><a href="https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/zh:%E5%8F%B2%E8%A8%98" class="extiw" title="s:zh:史記">Shiji (in Chinese)</a></b> </div></div></div> </div> <ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/26330">Works by Sima Qian</a> at <a href="/wiki/Project_Gutenberg" title="Project Gutenberg">Project Gutenberg</a></li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/search.php?query=%28%28subject%3A%22Qian%2C%20Sima%22%20OR%20subject%3A%22Sima%20Qian%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22Qian%2C%20Sima%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22Sima%20Qian%22%20OR%20creator%3A%22Qian%2C%20S%2E%22%20OR%20title%3A%22Sima%20Qian%22%20OR%20description%3A%22Qian%2C%20Sima%22%20OR%20description%3A%22Sima%20Qian%22%29%20OR%20%28%22145-86%22%20AND%20Qian%29%29%20AND%20%28-mediatype:software%29">Works by or about Sima Qian</a> at the <a href="/wiki/Internet_Archive" title="Internet Archive">Internet Archive</a></li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://openlibrary.org/authors/OL7811273A">Works by Sima Qian</a> at <a href="/wiki/Open_Library" title="Open Library">Open Library</a> <span class="mw-valign-text-top noprint" typeof="mw:File/Frameless"><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9372#P648" title="Edit this at Wikidata"><img alt="Edit this at Wikidata" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8a/OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg/10px-OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg.png" decoding="async" width="10" height="10" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8a/OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg/15px-OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8a/OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg/20px-OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="20" data-file-height="20" /></a></span></li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20041014190649/http://english.ccnt.com.cn/?catog=literature&file=040201&ads=service_001">Significance of <i>Shiji</i> on literature</a></li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19835484">Sima Qian: China's 'grand historian'</a>, article by Carrie Gracie in BBC News Magazine, 7 October 2012</li></ul> <div class="navbox-styles"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236075235">.mw-parser-output .navbox{box-sizing:border-box;border:1px solid #a2a9b1;width:100%;clear:both;font-size:88%;text-align:center;padding:1px;margin:1em auto 0}.mw-parser-output .navbox .navbox{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .navbox+.navbox,.mw-parser-output .navbox+.navbox-styles+.navbox{margin-top:-1px}.mw-parser-output .navbox-inner,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup{width:100%}.mw-parser-output .navbox-group,.mw-parser-output .navbox-title,.mw-parser-output .navbox-abovebelow{padding:0.25em 1em;line-height:1.5em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .navbox-group{white-space:nowrap;text-align:right}.mw-parser-output .navbox,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup{background-color:#fdfdfd}.mw-parser-output .navbox-list{line-height:1.5em;border-color:#fdfdfd}.mw-parser-output .navbox-list-with-group{text-align:left;border-left-width:2px;border-left-style:solid}.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-group,.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-image,.mw-parser-output tr+tr>.navbox-list{border-top:2px solid #fdfdfd}.mw-parser-output .navbox-title{background-color:#ccf}.mw-parser-output .navbox-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output .navbox-group,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup .navbox-title{background-color:#ddf}.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup .navbox-group,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup .navbox-abovebelow{background-color:#e6e6ff}.mw-parser-output .navbox-even{background-color:#f7f7f7}.mw-parser-output .navbox-odd{background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .navbox .hlist td dl,.mw-parser-output .navbox .hlist td ol,.mw-parser-output .navbox .hlist td ul,.mw-parser-output .navbox td.hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .navbox td.hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .navbox td.hlist ul{padding:0.125em 0}.mw-parser-output .navbox .navbar{display:block;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .navbox-title .navbar{float:left;text-align:left;margin-right:0.5em}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .navbox-image img{max-width:none!important}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .navbox{display:none!important}}</style></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="Notable_Han_dynasty_historians" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239400231">.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:inline;font-size:88%;font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .navbar-collapse{float:left;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .navbar-boxtext{word-spacing:0}.mw-parser-output .navbar ul{display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;line-height:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::before{margin-right:-0.125em;content:"[ "}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::after{margin-left:-0.125em;content:" ]"}.mw-parser-output .navbar li{word-spacing:-0.125em}.mw-parser-output .navbar a>span,.mw-parser-output .navbar a>abbr{text-decoration:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-mini abbr{font-variant:small-caps;border-bottom:none;text-decoration:none;cursor:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-full{font-size:114%;margin:0 7em}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-mini{font-size:114%;margin:0 4em}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}@media(prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}}@media print{.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:none!important}}</style><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Han_dynasty_historians" title="Template:Han dynasty historians"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Han_dynasty_historians" title="Template talk:Han dynasty historians"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Han_dynasty_historians" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Han dynasty historians"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="Notable_Han_dynasty_historians" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em">Notable <a href="/wiki/Han_dynasty" title="Han dynasty">Han dynasty</a> historians</div></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Ban_Biao" title="Ban Biao">Ban Biao</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ban_Gu" title="Ban Gu">Ban Gu</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ban_Zhao" title="Ban Zhao">Ban Zhao</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cai_Yong" title="Cai Yong">Cai Yong</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Liu_Xiang_(scholar)" title="Liu Xiang (scholar)">Liu Xiang</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Liu_Xin_(scholar)" title="Liu Xin (scholar)">Liu Xin</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Sima Qian</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sima_Tan" title="Sima Tan">Sima Tan</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1130092004">.mw-parser-output .portal-bar{font-size:88%;font-weight:bold;display:flex;justify-content:center;align-items:baseline}.mw-parser-output .portal-bar-bordered{padding:0 2em;background-color:#fdfdfd;border:1px solid #a2a9b1;clear:both;margin:1em auto 0}.mw-parser-output .portal-bar-related{font-size:100%;justify-content:flex-start}.mw-parser-output .portal-bar-unbordered{padding:0 1.7em;margin-left:0}.mw-parser-output .portal-bar-header{margin:0 1em 0 0.5em;flex:0 0 auto;min-height:24px}.mw-parser-output .portal-bar-content{display:flex;flex-flow:row wrap;flex:0 1 auto;padding:0.15em 0;column-gap:1em;align-items:baseline;margin:0;list-style:none}.mw-parser-output .portal-bar-content-related{margin:0;list-style:none}.mw-parser-output .portal-bar-item{display:inline-block;margin:0.15em 0.2em;min-height:24px;line-height:24px}@media screen and (max-width:768px){.mw-parser-output .portal-bar{font-size:88%;font-weight:bold;display:flex;flex-flow:column wrap;align-items:baseline}.mw-parser-output .portal-bar-header{text-align:center;flex:0;padding-left:0.5em;margin:0 auto}.mw-parser-output .portal-bar-related{font-size:100%;align-items:flex-start}.mw-parser-output .portal-bar-content{display:flex;flex-flow:row wrap;align-items:center;flex:0;column-gap:1em;border-top:1px solid #a2a9b1;margin:0 auto;list-style:none}.mw-parser-output .portal-bar-content-related{border-top:none;margin:0;list-style:none}}.mw-parser-output .navbox+link+.portal-bar,.mw-parser-output .navbox+style+.portal-bar,.mw-parser-output .navbox+link+.portal-bar-bordered,.mw-parser-output .navbox+style+.portal-bar-bordered,.mw-parser-output .sister-bar+link+.portal-bar,.mw-parser-output .sister-bar+style+.portal-bar,.mw-parser-output .portal-bar+.navbox-styles+.navbox,.mw-parser-output .portal-bar+.navbox-styles+.sister-bar{margin-top:-1px}</style><div class="portal-bar noprint metadata noviewer portal-bar-bordered" role="navigation" aria-label="Portals"><span class="portal-bar-header"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Contents/Portals" title="Wikipedia:Contents/Portals">Portals</a>:</span><ul class="portal-bar-content"><li class="portal-bar-item"><span class="nowrap"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="flag" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Flag_of_the_People%27s_Republic_of_China.svg/21px-Flag_of_the_People%27s_Republic_of_China.svg.png" decoding="async" width="21" height="14" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Flag_of_the_People%27s_Republic_of_China.svg/32px-Flag_of_the_People%27s_Republic_of_China.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Flag_of_the_People%27s_Republic_of_China.svg/42px-Flag_of_the_People%27s_Republic_of_China.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="900" data-file-height="600" /></span></span> </span><a href="/wiki/Portal:China" title="Portal:China">China</a></li><li class="portal-bar-item"><span class="nowrap"><span typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/fd/Portal-puzzle.svg/21px-Portal-puzzle.svg.png" decoding="async" width="21" height="18" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/fd/Portal-puzzle.svg/32px-Portal-puzzle.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/fd/Portal-puzzle.svg/42px-Portal-puzzle.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="32" data-file-height="28" /></span></span> </span><a href="/wiki/Portal:China/Categories" title="Portal:China/Categories">China/Categories</a></li><li class="portal-bar-item"><span class="nowrap"><span typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4b/Books-aj.svg_aj_ashton_01.svg/21px-Books-aj.svg_aj_ashton_01.svg.png" decoding="async" width="21" height="19" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4b/Books-aj.svg_aj_ashton_01.svg/32px-Books-aj.svg_aj_ashton_01.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4b/Books-aj.svg_aj_ashton_01.svg/42px-Books-aj.svg_aj_ashton_01.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="309" data-file-height="274" /></span></span> </span><a href="/wiki/Portal:Literature" title="Portal:Literature">Literature</a></li><li class="portal-bar-item"><span class="nowrap"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Nuvola_apps_bookcase.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="icon" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/Nuvola_apps_bookcase.svg/19px-Nuvola_apps_bookcase.svg.png" decoding="async" width="19" height="19" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/Nuvola_apps_bookcase.svg/29px-Nuvola_apps_bookcase.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/Nuvola_apps_bookcase.svg/38px-Nuvola_apps_bookcase.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="128" data-file-height="128" /></a></span> </span><a href="/wiki/Portal:Books" title="Portal:Books">Books</a></li></ul></div><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236088147">.mw-parser-output .sister-bar{display:flex;justify-content:center;align-items:baseline;font-size:88%;background-color:#fdfdfd;border:1px solid #a2a9b1;clear:both;margin:1em 0 0;padding:0 2em}.mw-parser-output .sister-bar-header{margin:0 1em 0 0.5em;padding:0.2em 0;flex:0 0 auto;min-height:24px;line-height:22px}.mw-parser-output .sister-bar-content{display:flex;flex-flow:row wrap;flex:0 1 auto;align-items:baseline;padding:0.2em 0;column-gap:1em;margin:0;list-style:none}.mw-parser-output .sister-bar-item{display:flex;align-items:baseline;margin:0.15em 0;min-height:24px;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .sister-bar-logo{width:22px;line-height:22px;margin:0 0.2em;text-align:right}.mw-parser-output .sister-bar-link{margin:0 0.2em;text-align:left}@media screen and (max-width:960px){.mw-parser-output .sister-bar{flex-flow:column wrap;margin:1em auto 0}.mw-parser-output .sister-bar-header{flex:0 1}.mw-parser-output .sister-bar-content{flex:1;border-top:1px solid #a2a9b1;margin:0;list-style:none}.mw-parser-output .sister-bar-item{flex:0 0 20em;min-width:20em}}.mw-parser-output .navbox+link+.sister-bar,.mw-parser-output .navbox+style+.sister-bar,.mw-parser-output .portal-bar+link+.sister-bar,.mw-parser-output .portal-bar+style+.sister-bar,.mw-parser-output .sister-bar+.navbox-styles+.navbox,.mw-parser-output .sister-bar+.navbox-styles+.portal-bar{margin-top:-1px}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .sister-bar{display:none!important}}</style><div class="noprint metadata sister-bar" role="navigation" aria-label="sister-projects"><div class="sister-bar-header"><b>Sima Qian</b> at Wikipedia's <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikimedia_sister_projects" title="Wikipedia:Wikimedia sister projects"><span id="sister-projects" style="white-space:nowrap;">sister projects</span></a>:</div><ul class="sister-bar-content"><li class="sister-bar-item"><span class="sister-bar-logo"><span typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/14px-Commons-logo.svg.png" decoding="async" width="14" height="19" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/21px-Commons-logo.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/28px-Commons-logo.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1024" data-file-height="1376" /></span></span></span><span class="sister-bar-link"><b><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Sima_Qian" class="extiw" title="c:Category:Sima Qian">Media</a></b> from Commons</span></li><li class="sister-bar-item"><span class="sister-bar-logo"><span typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg/16px-Wikiquote-logo.svg.png" decoding="async" width="16" height="19" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg/24px-Wikiquote-logo.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg/32px-Wikiquote-logo.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="300" data-file-height="355" /></span></span></span><span class="sister-bar-link"><b><a href="https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Sima_Qian" class="extiw" title="q:Sima Qian">Quotations</a></b> from Wikiquote</span></li><li class="sister-bar-item"><span class="sister-bar-logo"><span typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/18px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png" decoding="async" width="18" height="19" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/28px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/36px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="410" data-file-height="430" /></span></span></span><span class="sister-bar-link"><b><a href="https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Author:Sima_Qian" class="extiw" title="s:Author:Sima Qian">Texts</a></b> from Wikisource</span></li><li class="sister-bar-item"><span class="sister-bar-logo"><span typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Wikidata-logo.svg/21px-Wikidata-logo.svg.png" decoding="async" width="21" height="12" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Wikidata-logo.svg/32px-Wikidata-logo.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Wikidata-logo.svg/42px-Wikidata-logo.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1050" data-file-height="590" /></span></span></span><span class="sister-bar-link"><b><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9372" class="extiw" title="d:Q9372">Data</a></b> from Wikidata</span></li></ul></div> <div class="navbox-styles"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236075235"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1038841319">.mw-parser-output .tooltip-dotted{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}</style></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox authority-control" aria-labelledby="Authority_control_databases_frameless&#124;text-top&#124;10px&#124;alt=Edit_this_at_Wikidata&#124;link=https&#58;//www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9372#identifiers&#124;class=noprint&#124;Edit_this_at_Wikidata" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks hlist mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><div id="Authority_control_databases_frameless&#124;text-top&#124;10px&#124;alt=Edit_this_at_Wikidata&#124;link=https&#58;//www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9372#identifiers&#124;class=noprint&#124;Edit_this_at_Wikidata" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/wiki/Help:Authority_control" title="Help:Authority control">Authority control databases</a> <span class="mw-valign-text-top noprint" typeof="mw:File/Frameless"><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9372#identifiers" title="Edit this at Wikidata"><img alt="Edit this at Wikidata" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8a/OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg/10px-OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg.png" decoding="async" width="10" height="10" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8a/OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg/15px-OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8a/OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg/20px-OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="20" data-file-height="20" /></a></span></div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">International</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"><ul><li><span class="uid"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://isni.org/isni/0000000121200536">ISNI</a></span></li><li><span class="uid"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://viaf.org/viaf/9817411">VIAF</a></span></li><li><span class="uid"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://id.worldcat.org/fast/1847579/">FAST</a></span></li><li><span class="uid"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://id.oclc.org/worldcat/entity/E39PBJvd8BrVpBYxBpQQQMR7pP">WorldCat</a></span></li></ul></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">National</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"><ul><li><span class="uid"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://d-nb.info/gnd/11895895X">Germany</a></span></li><li><span class="uid"><span class="rt-commentedText tooltip tooltip-dotted" title="Sima, Qian, approximately 145 B.C.-approximately 86 B.C."><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://id.loc.gov/authorities/n50027264">United States</a></span></span></li><li><span class="uid"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb12128943q">France</a></span></li><li><span class="uid"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://data.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb12128943q">BnF data</a></span></li><li><span class="uid"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://id.ndl.go.jp/auth/ndlna/00316341">Japan</a></span></li><li><span class="uid"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://nla.gov.au/anbd.aut-an36730231">Australia</a></span></li><li><span class="uid"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://aleph.nkp.cz/F/?func=find-c&local_base=aut&ccl_term=ica=jn19981002154&CON_LNG=ENG">Czech Republic</a></span></li><li><span class="uid"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://catalogo.bne.es/uhtbin/authoritybrowse.cgi?action=display&authority_id=XX4722802">Spain</a></span></li><li><span class="uid"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://id.bnportugal.gov.pt/aut/catbnp/1199056">Portugal</a></span></li><li><span class="uid"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://data.bibliotheken.nl/id/thes/p139445889">Netherlands</a></span></li><li><span class="uid"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://authority.bibsys.no/authority/rest/authorities/html/14068411">Norway</a></span><ul><li><span class="uid"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://authority.bibsys.no/authority/rest/authorities/html/90682129">2</a></span></li></ul></li><li><span class="uid"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://aleweb.ncl.edu.tw/F/?func=accref&acc_sequence=002186836&CON_LNG=ENG">Taiwan</a></span></li><li><span class="uid"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://kopkatalogs.lv/F?func=direct&local_base=lnc10&doc_number=000202174&P_CON_LNG=ENG">Latvia</a></span></li><li><span class="uid"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://katalog.nsk.hr/F/?func=direct&doc_number=000127469&local_base=nsk10">Croatia</a></span></li><li><span class="uid"><a 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href="https://wikidata-externalid-url.toolforge.org/?p=8034&url_prefix=https://opac.vatlib.it/auth/detail/&id=495/63471">2</a></span></li><li><span class="uid"><a class="external text" href="https://wikidata-externalid-url.toolforge.org/?p=8034&url_prefix=https://opac.vatlib.it/auth/detail/&id=495/63473">3</a></span></li></ul></li><li><span class="uid"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://olduli.nli.org.il/F/?func=find-b&local_base=NLX10&find_code=UID&request=987007304154105171">Israel</a></span></li><li><span class="uid"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://cantic.bnc.cat/registre/981058521721406706">Catalonia</a></span></li><li><span class="uid"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://opac.kbr.be/LIBRARY/doc/AUTHORITY/14666479">Belgium</a></span></li></ul></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Academics</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div 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