History Literature / ZiZhiTongJian

[[caption-width-right:350:[[ArchiveBinge Good luck reading through the whole thing]]. [[note]] 2019 compilation of the original 294 volumes compressed into 20 books[[/note]] ]]

Wang Fuzhi, a Chinese essayist, historian, and philosopher of the late Ming to early Qing dynasties, wrote a commentary on the work, titled "Comments after reading the Tongjian" (讀通鑑論/读通鉴论, ''Dútōng Jiànlùn''). Before that, students of famed Southern Song philosopher Zhu Xi compiled one of his works: "The String and Mesh of Zizhi Tongjian" (資治通鑑綱目/资治通鉴纲目, ''Zīzhì Tōngjiàn Gāngmù''). One crucial idea promoted in the work was that Shu-Han was the legitimate successor to the Han dynasty, instead of Cao-Wei or the Western Jin.

Wang Fuzhi, a Chinese essayist, historian, and philosopher of the late Ming to early Qing dynasties, wrote a commentary on the work, titled "Comments after reading the Tongjian" (讀通鑑論/读通鉴论, ''Dútōng Jiànlùn''). Before that, students of famed Southern Song philosopher Zhu Xi compiled one of his works: "The String and Mesh of Zizhi Tongjian" (資治通鑑綱目/资治通鉴纲目, ''Zīzhì Tōngjiàn Gāngmù'') One crucial idea promoted in the work was that Shu-Han was the legitimate successor to the Han dynasty, instead of Cao-Wei or the Western Jin.

Compare and contrast ''Literature/TheBookOfLordShang'', which is more theoretical and written more than a millennium earlier. The work can also be seen as a continuation of the ''Records of the Grand Historian'' (also just called the ''Shiji'' 史記, literally "Scribal Records"), a 1st-century BCE text recording Chinese history from the legendary Yellow Emperor down to the author's day. This comparison is one of which Sima Guang was particularly proud, as the "Grand Historian" in question was Sima Qian, whom Sima Guang believed was an ancestor or at least distant relative of his, and whom he greatly admired personally.

Compare and contrast ''Literature/TheBookOfLordShang'', which is more theoretical and written more than a millennium earlier.

''Zīzhì Tōngjiàn'' (Chinese: 資治通鑑/资治通鉴, "Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance") is a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084. Compiled by a team led by Sima Guang, ''Tongjian'' took 19 years to be completed, and records Chinese history from 403 BC[[note]]The first historical event recorded is how 3 clans who held great power in the state of Jin (Han, Zhao and Wei) managed to defeat another great clan (Zhi) whose might was greater than the trio combined. After defeating the Zhi clan in 453 BC, the three clans then eventually carved up the state of Jin between them, creating 3 of the 7 major powers during the Warring States Era. The Zhou King acknowledged this partition in 403 BC by conferring Marquessates to the heads of the 3 clans. In 386 BC, the 3 states finally deposed the last duke of Jin and divided the last remaining Jin territory between themselves, which marked the final end of the Jin state.[[/note]] to 959 AD, covering 16 [[UsefulNotes/DynastiesFromShangToQing dynasties]] and spanning across almost 1,400 years [[note]]As a comparison, ''Tongjian'' covered parts of ''Shiji'' (written by Sima Qian, who is not related to Sima Guang), and entire eras covered by the next ''18'' of the official ''24 Histories'' (of China; no. 24 covered the Ming Dynasty)[[/note]]. It contains 294 volumes (巻, ''juan'') and about 3 million Chinese characters.

* WrittenByTheWinners: Averted. Sima Guang had little motive or interest in intentionally defaming dynasties which fell centuries before his time. As he clearly stated in the preface, the objective of ''Tongjian'' was to teach emperors on governance. Of particular interest is his dispassionate treatment of the Jin Dynasty of the 3rd-5th centuries CE, whose imperial house were Sima Guang's own kinsmen (he claimed descent from Sima Fu, a brother of Sima Yi, whose grandson was Emperor Wu of Jin, the founder of that dynasty). [[note]]It probably helped that Fu was famously loyal to the previous Cao Wei dynasty, to the extent that even after his grandnephew Sima Yan became emperor of the new Jin dynasty, Fu continued to deem himself an official of Cao Wei. Since his granduncle was then already well into his 80s, Yan decided not to pursue the matter.[[/note]]
* YesMan: Frowned upon, as a)they give bad advice to the emperor and b)they set bad examples for others to follow, particularly if the emperor rewards them without them having earned any merit to justify the rewards.