Who was Sima Qian and what did he do?
Sima Qian (l. 145/135-86 BCE) was a court scribe, astrologer, and historian of the Han Dynasty (202 BCE – 220 CE) of ancient China, famous for his historical work Records of the Grand Historian for which he is remembered as the Father of Chinese History.
Why was Sima Qian sentenced to death?
Sima was the only person to defend Li Ling, who had never been his friend but whom he respected. Emperor Wu interpreted Sima’s defence of Li as an attack on his brother-in-law, Li Guangli, who had also fought against the Xiongnu without much success, and sentenced Sima to death.
Why did Sima Qian write the Shiji?
At about the same time, Sima Qian began to undertake the unfulfilled ambition of his father to write a definitive history of the Chinese past, an ambition strengthened by his belief that under Wudi the Han had reached a peak of achievement that deserved to be recorded for posterity.
What did Sima Qian think of Qin Dynasty?
Qin Shihuang, however, remains a controversial figure in Chinese history. Most contemporary Chinese historians would disagree with Sima Qian’s assessment of him. They saw the First Emperor as a merciless ruler with few credited achievements.
Is Sima Qian influenced by the works of Confucius?
(also see Yates’s response on the matter in citation above) Also, while Sima Qian may be influenced by the Confucian Classics, he also stated that his work could not be compared with the Spring and Autumn Annals, because he claimed that, he unlike Confucius, was simply transmitting, not creating.
What did Confucius believe would happen if people showed loyalty and respect within the family?
Confucius believed that if people showed loyalty and respect within the family, a. China would become a world leader.
Who was Sima Qian and why was he important quizlet?
Sima Qian was a significant historian during the Han dynasty who described Liu Bang as crude and oafish. Why was Sima Qian sentenced to castration? He was sentenced to castration for defaming the emperor after defending a general (Li Ling) who the emperor wanted to punish after he surrendered.
What is the subject of Sima Qian Shiji quizlet?
also known by its Chinese name Shiji (Chinese: 史記; pinyin: Shǐjì; literally “Historical Records”), written from 109 to 91 BC, was the magnum opus of Sima Qian, in which he recounted Chinese history from the time of the Yellow Emperor until his own time.
What 2 principles did Confucius teach?
— The two principles that Confucius believed people should follow were ren, which means concern for people, and li, which means appropriate behavior.