Zizhi Tongjian
Section from one of the original scrolls of the Zizhi Tongjian
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| Author | Sima Guang et al. |
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| Country | China |
| Language | Classical Chinese |
| Subject | History of China |
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Publication date
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1084 |
| Media type | Scrolls |
| Zizhi Tongjian | |||||||||||||||||||||
.svg)
"Zizhi tongjian" in Traditional (top) and Simplified (bottom) Chinese characters
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| Traditional Chinese | 資治通鑑 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Simplified Chinese | 资治通鉴 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | "Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance" | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Transcriptions | |
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| Standard Mandarin | |
| Hanyu Pinyin | Zīzhì tōngjiàn |
| Wade–Giles | Tzu1-chih4 t'ung1-chien4 |
| IPA | [tsɨ́.ʈʂɨ̂ tʰʊ́ŋ.tɕjɛ̂n] |
| Yue: Cantonese | |
| Yale Romanization | Jī-jih tūng-gaam |
| Jyutping | Zi1-zi6 tung1-gaam3 |
| Southern Min | |
| Tâi-lô | Tsu-tī thong-kàm |
The Zizhi Tongjian (Chinese: 資治通鑑; literally: "Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance") is a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084 , in the form of a chronicle. In 1065 AD, Emperor Yingzong of Song ordered the great historian Sima Guang (1019–1086 AD) to lead with other scholars such as his chief assistants Liu Shu, Liu Ban and Fan Zuyu, the compilation of a universal history of China. The task took 19 years to be completed, and, in 1084 AD, it was presented to his successor Emperor Shenzong of Song. The Zizhi Tongjian records Chinese history from 403 BC to 959 AD, covering 16 dynasties and spanning across almost 1,400 years, and contains 294 volumes () and about 3 million Chinese characters.
The principal text of the Zizhi Tongjian was recorded on 294 juan (Chinese: ), which are scrolls corresponding to a volume, chapter, or section of the work. The text is a chronological narrative of the history of China from the Warring States to the Five Dynasties. The major contributor, Sima Guang, was active in each step from collecting events and dates from various previous works to drafting and publication.
Sima Guang left the traditional usage in Chinese historiography. For almost 1,000 years since the Shiji was written, standard Chinese dynastic histories had primarily divided chapters between annals () of rulers, and biographies () of officials. In Chinese terms, the book changed the format of histories from biographical style (Chinese: 紀傳體) to chronological style (Chinese: 編年體), which is better suited for analysis, activism and criticism. According to Wilkinson: "It had an enormous influence on later Chinese historical writing, either directly or through its many abbreviations, continuations, and adaptations. It remains an extraordinarily useful first reference for a quick and reliable coverage of events at a particular time."
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