{"id":8879,"date":"2026-11-06T13:27:36","date_gmt":"2026-11-06T13:27:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.chinaculturepro.com\/?p=8879"},"modified":"2026-11-06T13:27:36","modified_gmt":"2026-11-06T13:27:36","slug":"records-grand-historian-shiji","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chinaculturepro.com\/ja\/records-grand-historian-shiji\/","title":{"rendered":"Records of the Grand Historian: Shiji and Its Structure"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<section class=\"tcjdi-quick-answer\"><h2>Quick Answer: What Is the Shiji?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\">Records of the Grand Historian, usually called the Shiji (\u53f2\u8bb0, Sh\u01d0j\u00ec), is a foundational history associated with Sima Qian (\u53f8\u9a6c\u8fc1, S\u012bm\u01ce Qi\u0101n), a court official under the Han dynasty (\u6c49\u671d, H\u00e0n Ch\u00e1o). Compiled around the late second and early first centuries BCE, it ranges from legendary antiquity to the historian\u2019s own era.<sup>[1]<\/sup> <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Structure:<\/strong> Its 130 chapters fall into five divisions that organize the past through different kinds of account.<sup>[2]<\/sup> <\/li>\n<li><strong>Reading value:<\/strong> It is both historical writing and accomplished narrative prose, with lives, speeches, conflicts and explicit judgments.<sup>[3]<\/sup> <\/li>\n<li><strong>Starting point:<\/strong> Choose a chapter that interests you and an English edition whose contents actually include it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p1\">The Shiji is neither a modern textbook nor a novel. Its surviving text brings together earlier materials and later textual changes, so a vivid scene is not automatically an exact transcript of an ancient event.<sup>[3]<\/sup> <\/p><\/section>\n<figure class=\"tcjdi-infographic\" style=\"width:500px;max-width:100%;margin:24px auto;text-align:center\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.chinaculturepro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Shiji-guide-to-five-divisions-chapter-choices-historical-evidence-and-translations.webp\" alt=\"Shiji guide to five divisions chapter choices historical evidence and translations\" title=\"Shiji guide to five divisions chapter choices historical evidence and translations\" width=\"1440\" height=\"2560\" style=\"width:500px;max-width:100%;height:auto;margin:0 auto\" \/><figcaption>Six reading stations explain the Shiji\u2019s structure, chapter choices, evidence and English editions.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"p1\">You do not need to begin the Shiji on page one and read straight through. Its architecture makes selective reading possible, but also creates a common surprise: the same person or event can appear in more than one place. One chapter gives a political sequence; another follows someone whose choices changed that sequence.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">For readers exploring <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chinaculturepro.com\/chinese-literature\/\">Chinese literature<\/a>, the attraction is this combination of historical ambition and narrative attention. Understanding the layout helps you find a story, recognize what kind of account you are reading and decide what further evidence to consult.<\/p>\n<h2>What the Shiji Covers and Who Compiled It<\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\">The project began with Sima Tan (\u53f8\u9a6c\u8c08, S\u012bm\u01ce T\u00e1n), Sima Qian\u2019s father, and was carried forward by his son. How much of the text each contributed remains uncertain.<sup>[1]<\/sup> <\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Its scope extends from the legendary Yellow Emperor (\u9ec4\u5e1d, Hu\u00e1ng D\u00ec) to the era of Emperor Wu (\u6c49\u6b66\u5e1d, H\u00e0n W\u01d4d\u00ec). This range crosses successive periods of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chinaculturepro.com\/chinese-history\/\">Chinese history<\/a>, including the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chinaculturepro.com\/qin-dynasty\/\">Qin dynasty<\/a> (\u79e6\u671d, Q\u00edn Ch\u00e1o) and early <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chinaculturepro.com\/han-dynasty\/\">Han empire<\/a>; it is not confined to the dynasty in which it was compiled.<sup>[1]<\/sup> <\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Sima Qian\u2019s punishment after defending the general Li Ling (\u674e\u9675, L\u01d0 L\u00edng) became inseparable from the work\u2019s reception. The Letter to Ren An (\u62a5\u4efb\u5b89\u4e66, B\u00e0o R\u00e8n \u0100n Sh\u016b), traditionally attributed to him, connects his decision to endure castration and live on with completing his historical project. Scholars have also disputed the letter\u2019s authenticity; it is an important text in that reception, not an unquestionable window into every authorial intention.<sup>[4]<\/sup> <\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Chapter 130 gives the work\u2019s account of its family background, purposes and organization. Read it alongside the text rather than using the historian\u2019s suffering as a single explanation for every chapter. Our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chinaculturepro.com\/sima-qian\/\">Sima Qian guide<\/a> provides the fuller biographical context.<sup>[2]<\/sup> <\/p>\n<h2>The Five-Part Structure: 130 Chapters<\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\">The five divisions offer complementary ways to organize historical material. English labels vary between translators, so the Chinese terms and overall chapter numbers are useful reference points.<\/p>\n<div style=\"overflow-x:auto;max-width:100%;max-height:800px\">\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr><th>Division<\/th><th>Chapters<\/th><th>Main function<\/th><\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr><td>Basic annals (\u672c\u7eaa, b\u011bnj\u00ec)<\/td><td>12: chapters 1\u201312<\/td><td>Accounts centered on rulers, reigns and the main political succession.<sup>[11]<\/sup> <\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Tables (\u8868, bi\u01ceo)<\/td><td>10: chapters 13\u201322<\/td><td>Parallel chronologies that coordinate events, states and lineages.<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Treatises (\u4e66, sh\u016b)<\/td><td>8: chapters 23\u201330<\/td><td>Topical accounts of institutions and practices such as ritual, calendars, waterways and finance.<sup>[10]<\/sup> <\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Hereditary houses (\u4e16\u5bb6, sh\u00ecji\u0101)<\/td><td>30: chapters 31\u201360<\/td><td>Accounts of ruling houses, states and selected figures of exceptional standing.<sup>[6]<\/sup> <\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Biographies (\u5217\u4f20, li\u00e8zhu\u00e0n)<\/td><td>70: chapters 61\u2013130<\/td><td>Individual and collective lives, accounts of peoples and the final autobiographical postface.<sup>[12]<\/sup> <\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\">The total is 12 + 10 + 8 + 30 + 70 = 130. The last division includes chapter 130, the autobiographical postface; it is misleading to describe all seventy chapters as seventy conventional individual lives.<sup>[2]<\/sup> <\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">There are also two numbering systems to watch. Chapter 7 is the seventh basic annal, but chapter 47 is the seventeenth hereditary-house account. A translator\u2019s \u201cHereditary House 17\u201d can therefore refer to overall chapter 47. Recording the overall number prevents confusion when comparing editions.<sup>[2][6]<\/sup> <\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Use the format that answers your question. Follow a reign in the first division, coordinate overlapping events with a table, investigate an institution in a treatise, or follow a person through a narrative account. A separate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chinaculturepro.com\/chinese-dynasties-timeline\/\">dynastic timeline<\/a> can orient you without replacing these different views of the past.<\/p>\n<h2>Five Chapters to Read First<\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\">These are five entry choices, not a ranking. Pick by subject, then check whether your edition gives the whole chapter or an excerpt.<\/p>\n<div style=\"overflow-x:auto;max-width:100%;max-height:800px\">\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr><th>Starting chapter<\/th><th>Subject<\/th><th>What to notice<\/th><\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr><td>Chapter 6<\/td><td>Qin Shi Huang (\u79e6\u59cb\u7687, Q\u00edn Sh\u01d0hu\u00e1ng)<\/td><td>The presentation of imperial rule and the first emperor\u2019s legacy; compare the chapter with a modern account of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chinaculturepro.com\/qin-shi-huang\/\">Qin Shi Huang<\/a>.<sup>[9]<\/sup> <\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Chapter 7<\/td><td>Xiang Yu (\u9879\u7fbd, Xi\u00e0ng Y\u01d4)<\/td><td>A powerful rival in the struggle following Qin\u2019s collapse; watch decisions and exchanges as well as military outcomes.<sup>[5]<\/sup> <\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Chapter 47<\/td><td>Confucius (\u5b54\u5b50, K\u01d2ngz\u01d0)<\/td><td>A life of travel, political hopes and disappointment, placed among the hereditary houses. Compare this narrative with the different form of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chinaculturepro.com\/analects-confucius\/\">the Analects<\/a>.<sup>[6]<\/sup> <\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Chapter 86<\/td><td>Assassin-retainers, including Jing Ke (\u8346\u8f72, J\u012bng K\u0113)<\/td><td>A collective account that places dangerous acts beside questions of loyalty, purpose and reputation.<sup>[7]<\/sup> <\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td>Chapter 129<\/td><td>Money-makers<\/td><td>Production, trade, regional resources and wealth bring economic life into historical writing.<sup>[8]<\/sup> <\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.chinaculturepro.com\/confucius\/\">Confucius\u2019s broader life and influence<\/a> and a chapter about him are different reading tasks. Similarly, a collective account is not necessarily a sequence of disconnected anecdotes: grouping people can itself invite comparison.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">The choices also show why the book is larger than a succession of rulers. A reader interested in economic life can enter through chapter 129 without first finishing every political account. This does not mean that five chapters substitute for the whole work; they give you manageable points of entry.<\/p>\n<h2>Historical Writing: Narrative, Judgment and Evidence<\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\">A close example is the Hongmen banquet (\u9e3f\u95e8\u5bb4, H\u00f3ngm\u00e9n Y\u00e0n) in chapter 7. Liu Bang (\u5218\u90a6, Li\u00fa B\u0101ng) meets Xiang Yu under threat. Fan Zeng (\u8303\u589e, F\u00e0n Z\u0113ng) signals that action should be taken against the visitor, while Xiang Bo (\u9879\u4f2f, Xi\u00e0ng B\u00f3) uses his own sword dance to shield him. Gestures and interruptions make competing intentions visible before the political outcome is settled.<sup>[5]<\/sup> <\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">When you read that scene, distinguish three things: what the account says happened, how it stages the encounter, and what evidence establishes the details independently. Literary analysis can explain why an exchange is effective without proving that the words were recorded exactly as spoken.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">The formula Taishigong yue (\u592a\u53f2\u516c\u66f0, T\u00e0ish\u01d0g\u014dng yu\u0113), often translated as \u201cthe Grand Historian remarks,\u201d introduces explicit assessment. In chapter 7, the closing comment challenges Xiang Yu\u2019s explanation of his defeat. The judgment belongs to the account\u2019s interpretation of the past. Distinguish it from later commentary and a translator\u2019s own notes.<sup>[5]<\/sup> <\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">For historical use, read the notes on sources, variants and later additions. The received Shiji has a long transmission history, and some material was supplemented or replaced. Its different accounts also preserve different perspectives. Neither dramatic storytelling nor textual complexity makes the whole work worthless; both change the questions you should ask of a particular passage.<sup>[3]<\/sup> <\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">A practical distinction is especially important near the beginning: the presence of the Yellow Emperor in the narrative does not establish a secure modern chronology for legendary antiquity. Our guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chinaculturepro.com\/chinese-history-vs-legend\/\">Chinese history and legend<\/a> explains why a traditional account and an archaeologically supported date are different kinds of claim.<\/p>\n<h2>English Translations: Check the Chapters Included<\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\">Two established translation routes have different editorial scopes. The title on the cover is not enough to establish completeness.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Burton Watson\u2019s Qin Dynasty volume:<\/strong> This selection includes chapters 5 and 6 and several accounts of Qin figures. Its contents mark chapter 86 as an excerpt, so buying it does not necessarily supply the entire assassin-retainers chapter.<sup>[9]<\/sup> <\/li>\n<li><strong>Burton Watson\u2019s Han Dynasty, Volume 2:<\/strong> This selection includes institutional material, accounts of peoples, collective lives and chapter 129 on money-makers. Its chosen arrangement is not the complete 130-chapter sequence.<sup>[10]<\/sup> <\/li>\n<li><strong>The Grand Scribe\u2019s Records:<\/strong> Edited by William H. Nienhauser, Jr., with a team of translators, this scholarly series distributes the text across volumes. Volume I contains overall chapters 1\u20137; Volume XI contains the final nine chapters of the memoirs division, including the postface. Match a volume\u2019s subtitle and contents to the chapter you want.<sup>[11][12]<\/sup> <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p1\">Older editions may spell the author\u2019s name Ssu-ma Ch\u2019ien and the work Shih chi. These are romanization differences, not different authors or books. Chapter numbers, translator names and contents help you compare them.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">For <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chinaculturepro.com\/chinese-classic-books\/\">choosing Chinese classics in translation<\/a>, look for an introduction, maps where useful, names and chronology aids, and notes that separate translator explanation from the translated account. An abridgment or retelling can be approachable, but it serves a different purpose from a chapter translation.<\/p>\n<h2>How to Read a Shiji Chapter<\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\">Use this sequence for a first reading, then return to the passages that raise questions.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Identify the chapter:<\/strong> Record its overall chapter number, division and translator.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Orient yourself:<\/strong> Place the main events on a timeline and list the central people.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Read for action:<\/strong> Follow decisions, dialogue and changes of allegiance without treating speeches as transcripts.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Separate narrative and judgment:<\/strong> Where present, notice how the closing historian\u2019s comment evaluates the account.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Compare and check:<\/strong> Use notes, another relevant chapter and modern scholarship to investigate an important claim.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p class=\"p1\">For chapter 7, your first pass might follow the danger at the banquet; your second can track who notices a threat and who intervenes. Only then compare the scene with the closing judgment. This keeps the account\u2019s narrative force visible while leaving room for historical questions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">If an episode reappears in later fiction or drama, return to the cited chapter before assuming the retelling preserves its details. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chinaculturepro.com\/chinese-literary-allusions\/\">Chinese literary allusions<\/a> often draw their force from a particular moment within a longer narrative.<\/p>\n<h2>FAQs About the Shiji<\/h2>\n<h3>Is the Shiji a novel or a history book?<\/h3>\n<p class=\"p1\">It is historical writing with strong literary qualities. Its dialogue, characterization and dramatic scenes help explain its place in literary study, but it was not composed as a modern historical novel.<sup>[3]<\/sup> <\/p>\n<h3>Was the Shiji the first Chinese historical text?<\/h3>\n<p class=\"p1\">No. Earlier chronicles, documents and narrative traditions existed, and the Shiji drew on earlier materials. Its distinctive achievement lies in the breadth and organization of its historical synthesis.<sup>[1][3]<\/sup> <\/p>\n<h3>Do I need to read all 130 chapters in order?<\/h3>\n<p class=\"p1\">No. A selected chapter is a reasonable beginning. Keep a timeline nearby and follow references when a person or event needs context; the five divisions offer complementary accounts rather than one uninterrupted narrative.<\/p>\n<h3>Does one English volume contain the whole Shiji?<\/h3>\n<p class=\"p1\">Do not assume so. Familiar editions include selections and volumes covering particular parts. Check the chapter list, excerpt labels, translator and volume subtitle before choosing an edition.<sup>[9][10][11][12]<\/sup> <\/p>\n<h2>Sources<\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\">[1] William H. Nienhauser, Oxford University Press. <a href=\"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/book\/9284\/chapter\/156027551\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sima Qian and the Shiji<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">[2] Sima Qian, Wikisource Chinese text. <a href=\"https:\/\/zh.wikisource.org\/wiki\/\u53f2\u8a18\/\u5377130\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shiji, Chapter 130: Taishigong Zixu<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">[3] Martin Kern, Cambridge University Press. <a href=\"https:\/\/mkern.scholar.princeton.edu\/sites\/g\/files\/toruqf2716\/files\/mkern\/files\/kern_cambridge_history_of_chinese_literature.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Early Chinese Literature, Beginnings through Western Han: Historical and Anecdotal Narrative<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">[4] University of Washington Press. <a href=\"https:\/\/uwapress.uw.edu\/book\/9780295743646\/the-letter-to-ren-an-and-sima-qians-legacy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Letter to Ren An and Sima Qian\u2019s Legacy<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">[5] Sima Qian, Wikisource Chinese text. <a href=\"https:\/\/zh.wikisource.org\/wiki\/\u53f2\u8a18\/\u5377007\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shiji, Chapter 7: Xiang Yu<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">[6] Sima Qian, Wikisource Chinese text. <a href=\"https:\/\/zh.wikisource.org\/wiki\/\u53f2\u8a18\/\u5377047\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shiji, Chapter 47: Confucius<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">[7] Sima Qian, Wikisource Chinese text. <a href=\"https:\/\/zh.wikisource.org\/wiki\/\u53f2\u8a18\/\u5377086\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shiji, Chapter 86: Assassin-retainers<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">[8] Sima Qian, Wikisource Chinese text. <a href=\"https:\/\/zh.wikisource.org\/wiki\/\u53f2\u8a18\/\u5377129\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shiji, Chapter 129: Money-makers<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">[9] Columbia University Press. <a href=\"https:\/\/cup.columbia.edu\/book\/records-of-the-grand-historian\/9780231081696\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Records of the Grand Historian: Qin Dynasty<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">[10] Columbia University Press. <a href=\"https:\/\/cup.columbia.edu\/book\/records-of-the-grand-historian\/9780231081672\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Records of the Grand Historian: Han Dynasty, Revised Edition, Volume 2<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">[11] Indiana University Press. <a href=\"https:\/\/iupress.org\/9780253038555\/the-grand-scribes-records-volume-i\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Grand Scribe\u2019s Records, Volume I: The Basic Annals of Pre-Han China<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">[12] Indiana University Press. <a href=\"https:\/\/iupress.org\/9780253046109\/the-grand-scribes-records-volume-xi\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Grand Scribe\u2019s Records, Volume XI: The Memoirs of Han China, Part IV<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Understand the Shiji through its 130 chapters, five-part structure, Sima Qian\u2019s historical writing and practical guidance for choosing an English translation.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8880,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[414],"tags":[415,416,417],"class_list":["post-8879","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-literature-stories","tag-chinese-literature","tag-classical-novels","tag-hub-chinese-literature"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO Pro 5.0.3 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Understand the Shiji through its 130 chapters, five-part structure, Sima Qian\u2019s historical writing and practical guidance for choosing an English translation.\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, 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