Sima Qian

Sima Qian
Born	c. 145 or 135 BC Longmen, Han China (now Hejin, Shanxi)
Died	86 BC
Occupation	Historian
Known for	Records of the Grand Historian
Relatives	Sima Tan (father)

Sima Qian
"Sima Qian" in Traditional (top) and Simplified (bottom) Chinese characters
Traditional Chinese	司馬遷
Simplified Chinese	司马迁
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Sīmǎ Qiān Gwoyeu Romatzyh Symaa Chian Wade–Giles Ssu1-ma3 Ch'ien1 IPA [sɨ́mà tɕʰi̯ɛ́n] Wu Romanization Sy-ma Tsiẽ Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Sī-máh Chīn Jyutping Si1maa5 Cin1 Southern Min Hokkien POJ Su-má Chhian Tâi-lô Su-má Tshian Old Chinese Baxter-Sagart *s-lə mˤraʔ [tsʰ]ar
Courtesy name
Traditional Chinese	子長
Simplified Chinese	子长
Literal meaning	(courtesy name)
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Zǐzhǎng Wade–Giles Tzu3-chang3 Wu Romanization Tsy-tsaon Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Jí-jéung Jyutping Zi2-zoeng2 Southern Min Hokkien POJ Tzú-tiúnn

Sima Qian (pronounced [sɨ́mà tɕʰi̯ɛ́n]; c. 145 or 135 – 86 BC), formerly romanized Ssu-ma Chien, was a Chinese historian of the Han dynasty. He is considered the father of Chinese historiography for his Records of the Grand Historian, a Jizhuanti-style (history presented in a series of biographies) general history of China, covering more than two thousand years from the Yellow Emperor to his time, during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, a work that had much influence for centuries afterwards on history-writing not only in China, but in Korea, Japan and Vietnam as well. Although he worked as the Court Astrologer (Chinese: 太史令; Tàishǐ Lìng), later generations refer to him as the Grand Historian (Chinese: 太史公; Tàishǐ Gōng or tai-shih-kung) for his monumental work; a work which in later generations would often only be somewhat tacitly or glancingly acknowledged as an achievement only made possible by his acceptance and endurance of punitive actions against him, including imprisonment, castration, and subjection to servility.

Sima Qian was born at Xiayang in Zuopingyi (near modern Hancheng, Shaanxi Province) around 145 BC, though some sources give his birth year as around 135 BC. Sima's precise year of birth is still debated, but it is generally agreed that he lived most of his life during the reign of the Emperor Wu whose long reign lasted from 141-87 BC. His father, Sima Tan, around 136 BC received an appointment to the relatively low-ranking position of "grand historian" (tàishǐ 太史, alt. "grand scribe" or "grand astrologer"). The grand historian's primary duty was to formulate the yearly calendar, identifying which days were ritually auspicious or inauspicious, and present it to the emperor prior to New Year's Day. Besides these duties, the grand historian was also to travel with the emperor for important rituals and to record the daily events both at the court and within the country. 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 Confucian environment, and Sima always regarded his historical work as an act of Confucian filial piety to his father.