This is a famous classical chronicle of China. It is a chronological and long history book edited by Sima Guang in the Northern Song Dynasty, with 294 volumes and 3 million words. The author Sima Guang and his important assistants Liu Shu, Liu Ban, Fan Zuyu and others spent 19 years writing a masterpiece about the complicated history from the Warring States to the Five Dynasties.

In addition to the official history, Tong Jian uses as many as 222 kinds of miscellaneous history.

The recorded history began in the 23rd year of Wei Lie Zhou (403 BC), when the three clans were divided into Jin (Warring States), and ended in the sixth year of Xiande after the Five Dynasties (959 AD), covering the Qin, Han, Jin, Sui, Tang, Seven Heroes of Warring States, Cao Wei, Wu Hu Sixteen States, and the North and South Dynasties 16.

It is a chronological general history and occupies an important position in China's history books. Zi Zhi Tong Jian has always been highly praised by historians. Many people imitate it and write chronicles of the same genre, which has had a great influence on China's historiography.

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Sima Guang's Zi Tongzhi Jian and Sima Qian's Historical Records are immortal works of Chinese historiography, and they are called "two Sima historians".

Wang Yinglin, a historian of the Southern Song Dynasty, commented: "Since the book was signed, there has been no one like Tong Jian."

At the end of the Song Dynasty and the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty, Hu Sansheng commented on this book: "If you don't know as a mirror, you will want to govern without knowing the source of autonomy;" If you are a minister and don't know the mirror, it has nothing to do with you. If you are a son and don't know the mirror, you will be humiliated first and can't do things. " Zi Zhi Tong Jian has no trace of chaos, but it is particularly detailed in music, calendar, astronomy and geography. Readers are like mice drinking water in the river, each taking what he needs. "

In the Qing Dynasty, Gu spoke highly of Zi Jian and Ma Duanlin's General Examination of Literature in the Record of Japanese Knowledge, and praised these two works as "both of them were made by their lifelong efforts, so they are indispensable books for future generations".

Wang Mingsheng believes: "This is an indispensable book between heaven and earth, and it is also a must-read book for scholars." "When reading the seventeenth history, you have to read it as a mirror at the same time. Most of the materials in Tong Jian are outside the official history, which can be corrected by investigating the similarities and differences of various histories. The ancients said that things are more important than before, and the text is not as good as the old, but Tong Jian can be regarded as it. "

As a mirror, it also has high literary value. Zeng Guofan wrote hundreds of miscellaneous notes on classics and history, among which Zi Zhi Tong Jian 1 1 was selected. Zeng Guofan commented on this book and said: "Stealing the book of sages that shocked the world is not good at Paulus Johannes's History as a Mirror, and its theory is not limited to the ancient and broadens the mind."

Liang Qichao, a famous scholar in modern times, commented on Tong Jian and said: "The Tong Jian written by Sima Wengong is also a great work in the world. Its magnificent structure and rich materials make it impossible for future generations who want to compile a general history to take it as a blueprint, but so far no one can rule it. Wen Gong is also a great man! "

Mao Zedong commented on Zi Tongzhi Jian for 17 times and "Seventeen times". Every time I read, I benefit a lot. A rare good book. I'm afraid this is the last time. It's not that I don't want to read it, but that I don't have time ... China has two famous works, Historical Records and History as a Mirror, both of which were written in the case of political frustration ... The war in History as a Mirror is really wonderful, vivid and full of dialectics. "

original manuscript

There are only 8 volumes of Zi Tong Zhi Jian in the National Library of China. The manuscript is 33.8× 130cm, ***29 lines and 465 words, which records the historical facts of the first year of Yongchang in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (322 years). From the time of Wang Dun's insurrection in the first month of the first year of Yongchang to December of the same year, Murong Hui sent his son into the branch to stop it. Every historical event begins with about one or two words or four or five words, followed by ".

There are Song Zhao Rushu, Ge Hong, Cheng Gai and Zhao Chong. Postscript of Guan Zhong, Huang Cheng, Yu Wengong, Liang, Zhu Derun and Zheng Ren.

The last paragraph of the manuscript was drafted by Sima Guang with a letter from Fan Chunren to Sima Dan. The original credit pen was erased, and the handwriting was clear and legible: "Pure benevolence will follow again, and it will be shown as brothers. Bokang is more calm than waiting for the blessing."

Pure kindness and reluctance lead to self-exhaustion ... ",there are still 79 words below" Suicide ",which have disappeared by the beginning of Qing Dynasty, probably have been cut off, and there are many inscriptions after the volume; Han Xing, who once wrote an inscription, said: "It can be seen that it is frugal to recite the manuscript with bamboo slips; The word must be sincere, which shows its sincerity; Things and books should be written in one or two words, indicating that they are rich; Although the words of thanks at the end of the paper are ordinary words, they are also written in calligraphy, which shows that they are meticulous. "

In addition, the National Library of the Republic of China also has a copy of Zi Tong Zhi Jian 1, which has been registered as a national treasure of the Republic of China.

Extended data:

Creation background

Sima Guang once suffered from a large number of historical books, and it was difficult for scholars to browse them all. Because he wanted to summarize the main points, he wrote a biographical history. Tongzhi, published in eight volumes, appeared in North Korea from the Warring States to Qin Ershi, which attracted the attention of Song Yingzong. In the third year of Zhiping (1066), he ordered the publishing house to be located in Chongwen Academy to continue compiling. Song Shenzong acceded to the throne and was given the title of "Zi Zhi Tong Jian", which was awarded in turn. This book was written in the seventh year of Yuanfeng (1084).

Mirror Mirror was composed by Sima Guang and co-edited by Liu Shu, Liu Ban and Fan Zuyu. Liu Shu learned from others and had a deep memory. He tried his best to compile Tong Jian Yi, from Xiashi in Historical Records to Private Miscellaneous Notes. Liu Ban in Hanshu and Fan Zuyu in Tang Shi both have deep research. They worked together and made important contributions to each other. Finally, it was revised, polished and finalized by Sima Guang. Among them, right and wrong were taken away, and light was extinguished.

There are abundant historical materials in Tongjian, besides Seventeen History, there are hundreds of miscellaneous history books. The narratives in books are often written in several materials. In those years, when there are differences in deeds, all of them are added to the textual research, and the reasons as appropriate are indicated, which is regarded as "textual research". Tongjian has high historical value, especially in Sui, Tang and Five Dynasties.

Tong Jian was carefully finalized by Sima Guang, with unified rhetoric, beautiful words and vivid narration, which has high literary value. It has been listed as a masterpiece of ancient historians in China along with Historical Records.

In addition to narratives, he also selected 97 historical papers of predecessors and wrote 1 18 historical papers in the form of Yue, which reflected the author's political historical view. It is an important progress of historical thought to take a critical attitude towards religious superstitions such as divination and Buddhism and Taoism in history.

After Tong Jian was written, in the eighth year of Yuanfeng, Fan Zuyu, Sima Kang, Huang Tingjian and Zhang Shunmin were ordered to revise it again. After the revision in the first year of Yuan You (1086), it was sent to Hangzhou for engraving and published in the seventh year of Yuanyou. Now, Yuan Youben is out of sight. In the second year of Emperor Gaozong Shaoxing in the Southern Song Dynasty (1 132), Yuyao reprinted it, which is also incomplete. Zhonghua Book Company, according to the original edition reprinted by Hu Kejia in Qing Dynasty, is a better version of Tong Jian.

References:

Baidu Encyclopedia-Purple Tongzhi Sword