Sima Qian (before 145 or before 135, before 87? ), a historian and writer of the Western Han Dynasty. Zichang, Zuo Fengyi, was born in xia yang (now southwest of Hancheng, Shaanxi). In the first year of Tai Chu (before I04), Sima Qian began to write historical records and later defended Li Ling. He was sentenced to prison and punished for corruption. After he was released from prison, he served as secretary of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, continued to write angrily, and finally finished the writing of Historical Records. He called his book Taishi Gongshu (1) Sima Qian, who was born in a historian's family in his youth. Since the Zhou Dynasty, his ancestors have served as royal teachers in charge of literature and history. After his father Sima Tan succeeded to the throne, he served as Taishilingda for 30 years. Sima Qian 10 years old began to read "ancient prose" and received his father's enlightenment education. His long-term family research had a far-reaching impact on his later academic career. Later, he went to Chang 'an with his father, and studied the History of Ancient Chinese Literature and the Spring and Autumn Annals under the famous Confucian classics masters Kong Antong and Dong Zhongshu at that time. 19 years old is a doctor's child. Traveling around the world began his travel life at the age of 20. His footprints reached Huiji, and he visited the ruins of Yu Xia: he visited Gusu and overlooked the five lakes where Fan Li blinked his boat; He went to Huaiyin and visited Han Xin's story: he visited abundance and visited the hometown of Liu Bang and Xiao He; He visited Daliang and Yimen, and inspected the situation of water diversion and girder filling in Qin Jun. He visited the State of Chu and visited the ruins of Shen Jun's palace. He visited the snow bank and inspected the feudal city of Meng Changjun. He did it. In addition, he also crossed Zhuolu in the north, climbed the Great Wall, traveled to Yuanxiang in the south and reached Kongtong in the west. Intense travel broadened his horizons and increased his knowledge. When Sima Qian's father died, he took his son by the hand and said to him with tears: "... after I die, you must continue to be a teacher." Don't forget my wish to write a general history in my life. You must inherit my career, don't forget! " Sima Qian was deeply shocked by this earnest entrustment. He saw his father's rare sense of mission and responsibility as a historian, and he also knew that his father had pinned his unfinished business on Bai Ji. In the first year (BC 104), Sima Qian reformed the calendar with Hu Ai, Li Guan, Luo and astronomers. With the joint efforts of these experts, the new calendar was finally completed in May this year. This is the second year of the famous taichu calendar (the first 99 years). Li Ling went to Xiongnu, was besieged, and surrendered to Xiongnu when there was no food. Emperor Wu was furious, and the officials of the civil and military also cursed Li Ling for his shameful surrender. Sima Qian argued: "Li Ling fought thousands of miles, but he was at the end of his tether, and so were ancient famous soldiers. Although he surrendered, he was excusable. I thought that as long as he didn't die, he would still be loyal to the Han Dynasty. " Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was furious at Sima Qian's remarks, thinking that Sima Qian intended to exonerate Li Ling, threw him into prison and convicted him of corruption. The unfortunate experience of humiliation, especially corruption, greatly stimulated Sima Qian's spirit and once wanted to commit suicide. But he remembered his father's last words, was encouraged by Confucius, Qu Yuan, Zuo Qiuming, Sun Tzu and Han Fei, and finally survived with amazing will. After six years' imprisonment, I finally finished the representative work Historical Records-Historical Records System Historical Records, and created a "biographical style". What is biographical style? Ji refers to this Ji, that is, the biography of the emperor: Biography refers to the biographies of general ministers and various figures. The five-body structure of biographies in Historical Records, namely, biographies, biographies and biographies, creatively explores the methods of historical compilation with characters as the main body. Sima Qian creatively integrated these five genres to form a complete and unified system. Historical Records, a comprehensive compilation method of history, has created a comprehensive compilation method of political, economic, ethnic and cultural knowledge. For the first time, Historical Records included all aspects of politics, economy and culture into the scope of historical research, thus opening up a new field of historical research and promoting the development of China's history. (2) Comments by famous artists (Song Dynasty) Su Zhe: He traveled all over the world, visited famous mountains and rivers, and made friends with Yan and Zhao, so his writing was sparse and quite strange. (Ming) Mao Kun: Confusion, like the Grand Canyon, is inexhaustible, containing hundreds of articles, including Sima Zichang, and a ten thousand generations. Bai Shouyi: If there is anything wrong with Sima Qian, it is that he is very rough. However, his universality embodies the vitality of that era and the vigorous development of feudal society in that era of Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty.