Sīmǎ Guāng () (1019-1086) was a
Chinese historian, scholar, and high chancellor of the
Song Dynasty.
Life, profession, and works
Sima Guang was born in 1019 in present-day
Yuncheng, Shanxi to a wealthy family, and obtained early success as a scholar and officer. When he was barely twenty, he passed the
Imperial examination with the highest rank of
jìnshì (進士 "metropolitan graduate"), and spent the next several years in official positions.
In 1064, Sima presented to
Emperor Yingzong of Song a book of five volumes (
巻), the
Liniantu (歷年圖 "Chart of Successive Years"). It chronologically summarized events in
Chinese history from 403 BCE to 959 CE, and was something like a prospectus for sponsorship of his ambitious project in
historiography. These dates were chosen because 403 BCE was the beginning of the
Warring States period, when the ancient
State of Jin was subdivided, which eventually led to the establishment of the
Qin Dynasty; and because 959 CE was the end of the
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period and the beginning of the Song Dynasty.
In 1066, he presented a more detailed 8-volume
Tongzhi (通志; "Comprehensive Records"), which chronicled Chinese history from 403 BCE to 207 BCE (the end of the Qin Dynasty). The emperor issued an edict for compiling a groundbreaking
universal history of China, granting full access to the imperial libraries, and allocating funds for all the costs of compilation, including research assistance by experienced historians such as Liu Ban (劉攽, 1022-88), Liu Shu (劉恕, 1032-78), and Fan Zuyu (范祖禹, 1041-98). After Yingzong died in 1067, Sima was invited to the palace to introduce his work in progress to
Emperor Shenzong of Song. The new emperor not only confirmed the interest his father had shown, but proclaimed his favor by changing the title from
Tongzhi ("Comprehensive Records") to the honorific
Zizhi Tongjian ("Comprehensive Mirror to Aid in Government"). Scholars interpret this titular "Mirror" to mean a work of reference and guidance; indicating that Shenzong accepted Sima as his mentor in the science of history and its application to government. The emperor maintained his support for compiling this comprehensive history for decades until it was completed in 1084.
Such loyalty is notable, especially since Sima was a leader of the conservative faction at court, resolutely opposed to the reformist policies of Chancellor
Wang Anshi. Sima presented increasingly critical memorials to the throne until 1070, when he refused further appointment and withdrew from court. In 1071, he took up residence in
Luoyang, where he remained with an official sinecure, providing sufficient time and resources to continue compilation. Indeed, though the historian and the emperor continued to disagree on policies, Sima's enforced retirement proved essential for him to fully complete his chronological history.
Sima Guang was also a
lexicographer (who perhaps edited the
Jiyun), and spent decades compiling his 1066
Leipian (類篇; "Classified Chapters", cf. the
Yupian) dictionary. It was based on the
Shuowen Jiezi, and included 31,319
Chinese characters, many of which were coined in the Song and
Tang Dynasty.
Sima Guang is best remembered for his
Zizhi Tongjian masterwork, and
Rafe de Crespigny describes him as "perhaps the greatest of all Chinese historians" .
There is a folktale that Sima Guang broke a great ceramic container where a boy was drowning, titled "Sima Guang Da Po Gang," which could simply be a play on his name for rhyming. He was also supposed to have created a wooden log to sleep on when he wrote the book Zizhi Tongjian so as to work more and sleep less. He called this JingJen (Alert Pillow), and used it for 19 years.
See also
