Question: Select several events described in Sima Qian's writings and explain why we should think they did or did not really happen.
In the book, Sima Qian describes the first emperor through his own lens. The historical records by Sima Qian famously known as the (Shiji) describe various events that happened in ancient China. This draft aims at describing events that happened in ancient China during the First Emperor period.
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Sima Qian was a historian for the early Han dynasty. For his records of the grand historian, Sima Qian is considered the father of the Chinese historiography. The long tradition of China is much owed to Sima Qian. He was also the Grand Astrologer at the court of Emperor Wu of Han. He was also the author of China’s first comprehensive and systematic book on the history of the world. Sima Qian’s record is known as the Shiji. His works cover t as the Chinese History as the world saw it at that time. In his writings, Sima Qian wrote the complete historical record of civilization, his writings constitute as the primary sources of historical knowledge of ancient China. Sima Qian went through a lot to complete his writings, one of them being castration, which was a price that Sima Qian had to pay to see his work complete.
In his records, Sima Qian provides a detailed history of ancient China. With writings about the first emperor, the biography of the chief minister of Qin, An assassination attempt and more events that were recorded by Sima Qian. In the eighty fifth chapter of the historical records, Sima Qian describes the birth of the first emperor. The crown prince at that time had more than twenty sons, one of his sons Zichu was sent away and acted as a human shield, he was kept hostage in neighboring Zhao. Lu Buwei saw an heir to the throne in Zichu. Lu Buwei spent a great vent of time to make sure that Zichu was pronounced the rightful heir ( Dawson & Brashier 3).
Lu Buwei was an intermediary and an opportunist; he too acted as an opportunist when the wife to the first emperor, Queen Dowager had an affair with other men. Lu Buwei had to frame Lao Ai then faked his castration ( Dawson & Brashier 51).
. In the grand historian records, Simi Qian described Xiang Yu as a cunning and ruthless leader, he further stated the Xiang Yu was brave and had the capacity of treachery. Xiang Yu main opponent was the first emperor of the Han Dynasty known as Liu Bang. In those writings, Simi Qian stated that even though the leader was brave and had defeated his opponent in a series of war, he made a series of unwise military decisions that saw Liu Bang armies surrounded him.
In another event in Sima Qian’s writing, he gives an account of the assassination attempt. The story is recorded in the eighty sixth chapter of the historical records. The assassination attempt happened just before the unification of China by Qin. It was an assassination attempt that was targeted to the ruler of Qin. The plot to kill the leader was led by Jing Ke. The patron was exiled by the ruler of Qin and resorted to reside in a place called Yan. During his stay in Yan, Jing Ke found a friend, a dog butcher ( Dawson & Brashier 54). The butcher was an assassin who worked for his patron Yan Zhongzi., Killing his patron’s enemies. The butcher later killed himself so that he might not be recognized as the killer hired to kill Yan Zhongzi. Jing Ke together with a guitarist friend that he had made during his stay in Yan plotted to kill the leader of Qin during a festival. The attempt to kill the emperor failed and Jing Ke’s friend was killed.
The third event in Sima Qian’s writing was the letter he wrote to Ren Shaoqing. In his letter, he justifies his failure to kill himself, even though the circumstances required it to be done. Emperor Wu had condemned Sima Qian to castration and imprisonment, the main reason for this was that Sima Qian had spoken in defense of Li Ling. The general had surrendered to the enemy while his army had remained. It was expected for the general to die alongside his troops and not to surrender to the enemy. In his letter, Sima Qian addresses why he should not kill himself as it was expected men of honor had to kill themselves it was customary. Instead of committing suicide Sima Qian chooses to bear his disgrace and complete his writings and justify himself in the eyes of posterity. These writings by Simi Qian are authentic because they express what was happening at that particular time that he was alive. The writings are true because at one point he faced condemnation and was up to imprisonment.
Question: From what can be learned from Sima Qian, how did the Qin Dynasty arise, unify China, and fall?
The Qin dynasty was the first of its kind in imperial China; it was founded by Qin Shi Huang and was the first emperor of imperial China. It came to rise in the warring states period and by carrying out a series of conquests. The Qin dynasty ended the tyranny of the Zhou dynasty, and later they conquered the other six of the seven warring states. The regime took control for the shortest time in Chinese history, it only took the 15 years to rule consisting of only two emperors, but their system lasted for years. The Qin dynasty introduced a couple of various reforms like the introduction of standardized currency, standardized currency and measures. A uniform set of writing was also presented the seven warring states. The Qin dynasty rose to power smoothly because their military used the most sophisticated and recent machinery and weaponry. The Qin dynasty government was filled with a lot of bureaucracy, and it burnt books and scholars were discouraged in the states. Sima Qian was a scholar and him always in trouble with the government for his writings, at one point he faced imprisonment. The Qin dynasty tried to unify China but failed when the first emperor died. The advisers of the emperor attempted to place an heir on the throne but failed. These advisers quarreled among themselves leading to their death. This resulted in a popular revolt that broke out, and the dynasty soon fell. It was taken over by Xiang Yu, and he later founded the Han dynasty. The regime greatly influenced China’s future through its short reign. The Qin dynasty, therefore, tried to unify Chin but due to selfish motivates that came up right after the first emperor died.
In conclusion, Sima Qian writings played a crucial role in learning and knowing the historical records of ancient China, though some of its rulers were against scholars. Sima Qian went through a great deal in writing those historical records, at one point he almost was forced to kill himself.
References
Dawson , Raymond & Brashier, K. E. The first Emperor: Selections from the Historical Records. New York: Oxford World Classics. (2007). Print.
