Shiji (史記) — Chinese ink painting

司馬遷 Sima Qian

史記

Records of the Grand Historian

The foundational work of Chinese historiography, composed by Sima Qian during the Western Han dynasty. Covering more than two thousand years from the Yellow Emperor to Emperor Wu of Han, the Shiji established the biographical-annalistic form (紀傳體) that all subsequent dynastic histories would follow. Sima Qian completed the work despite suffering castration as punishment for defending a disgraced general — a circumstance he addressed in one of the most famous letters in Chinese literature.

By Augustin Chan with AI · Published January 2025 · Updated March 2026

Historical Context

Sima Qian inherited the Grand Historian position from his father Sima Tan, who had begun collecting materials for the work. The Shiji comprises 130 chapters organized into five sections: Basic Annals (本紀), Chronological Tables (表), Treatises (書), Hereditary Houses (世家), and Biographies (列傳).

The chapters presented here focus on the Warring States period and its immediate context — the state annals and hereditary houses that trace each kingdom’s rise and fall, and the biographies of the diplomats, generals, and strategists who shaped the era.

Chapters by Section 各部篇目

表 Tables

Chronological tables
13三代世表Genealogical Table of the Three Dynasties14十二諸侯年表Chronological Table of the Twelve Feudal Lords15六國年表Chronological Table of the Six States16秦楚之際月表Monthly Table of the Qin-Chu Transition17漢興以來諸侯王年表Chronological Table of Feudal Kings Since the Rise of Han18高祖功臣侯者年表Chronological Table of Meritorious Ministers Enfeoffed by Gaozu19惠景間侯者年表Chronological Table of Marquises Between the Hui and Jing Reigns20建元以來侯者年表Chronological Table of Marquises Since the Jianyuan Era21建元以來王子侯者年表Chronological Table of Marquises from Royal Sons Since the Jianyuan Era22漢興以來將相名臣年表Chronological Table of Generals, Ministers and Notable Officials Since the Rise of Han

世家 Hereditary Houses

Histories of feudal states
31吳太伯世家Hereditary House of Wu Taibo32齊太公世家Hereditary House of Qi — The Grand Duke33魯周公世家Hereditary House of Lu — The Duke of Zhou34燕召公世家Hereditary House of Yan35管蔡世家Hereditary House of Guan and Cai36陳杞世家Hereditary House of Chen and Qi37衛康叔世家Hereditary House of Wei — Kang Shu38宋微子世家Hereditary House of Song — Weizi39晉世家（上）Hereditary House of Jin — Part 139晉世家（下）Hereditary House of Jin — Part 240楚世家Hereditary House of Chu41越王勾踐世家Hereditary House of King Goujian of Yue42鄭世家Hereditary House of Zheng43趙世家Hereditary House of Zhao44魏世家Hereditary House of Wei45韓世家Hereditary House of Han46田敬仲完世家Hereditary House of Tian Jingzhong Wan47孔子世家Hereditary House of Confucius48陳涉世家Hereditary House of Chen She49外戚世家Hereditary House of the Imperial Consort Families50楚元王世家Hereditary House of Prince Yuan of Chu51荊燕世家Hereditary House of Jing and Yan52齊悼惠王世家Hereditary House of King Daohui of Qi53蕭相國世家Hereditary House of Chancellor Xiao54曹相國世家Hereditary House of Chancellor Cao55留侯世家Hereditary House of the Marquis of Liu56陳丞相世家Hereditary House of Chancellor Chen57絳侯周勃世家Hereditary House of the Marquis of Jiang, Zhou Bo58梁孝王世家Hereditary House of King Xiao of Liang59五宗世家Hereditary House of the Five Lineages60三王世家Hereditary House of the Three Kings

列傳 Biographies

Lives of notable individuals
100季布欒布列傳Biographies of Ji Bu and Luan Bu101袁盎晁錯列傳Biographies of Yuan Ang and Chao Cuo102張釋之馮唐列傳Biographies of Zhang Shizhi and Feng Tang103萬石張叔列傳Biographies of Wanshi and Zhang Shu104田叔列傳Biography of Tian Shu105扁鵲倉公列傳Biographies of Bian Que and the Master of the Granary106吳王濮列傳Biography of Liu Bi, King of Wu107魏其武安侯列傳Biographies of the Marquises of Weiqi and Wuan108韓長孺列傳Biography of Han Changru109李將軍列傳Biography of General Li110匈奴列傳（上）Account of the Xiongnu (Part 1)110匈奴列傳（下）Account of the Xiongnu (Part 2)111衛將軍驃騎列傳Biographies of General Wei and the Swift Cavalry112平津侯主父偃列傳Biographies of the Marquis of Pingjin and Zhufu Yan113南越列傳Account of the Southern Yue114東越列傳Account of the Eastern Yue115朝鮮列傳Account of Joseon116西南夷列傳Account of the Southwestern Yi117司馬相如列傳（上）Biography of Sima Xiangru (Part 1)117司馬相如列傳（下）Biography of Sima Xiangru (Part 2)118淮南衡山列傳Biographies of the Kings of Huainan and Hengshan119循吏列傳Biographies of Conscientious Officials120汲鄭列傳Biographies of Ji An and Zheng Dangshi121儒林列傳Biographies of the Confucian Scholars122酷吏列傳Biographies of Harsh Officials123大宛列傳Account of Dayuan (Ferghana) and the Western Regions124遊俠列傳Biographies of Knight-Errants125佞幸列傳Biographies of Imperial Favorites126滑稽列傳Biographies of Jesters and Wits127日者列傳Biography of the Diviner128龜策列傳Account of Turtle Shell and Yarrow Stalk Divination129貨殖列傳Biographies of the Money-Makers130太史公自序（上）The Grand Historian's Preface (Part 1)130太史公自序（下）The Grand Historian's Preface (Part 2)61伯夷列傳Biography of Bo Yi and Shu Qi62管晏列傳Biographies of Guan Zhong and Yan Ying63老子韓非列傳Biographies of Laozi and Han Fei64司馬穰苴列傳Biography of Sima Rangju65孫子吳起列傳Biographies of Sunzi and Wu Qi66伍子胥列傳Biography of Wu Zixu67仲尼弟子列傳（上）Biographies of the Disciples of Confucius — Part 1: The Inner Circle67仲尼弟子列傳（下）Biographies of the Disciples of Confucius — Part 2: The Broader Circle68商君列傳Biography of Lord Shang69蘇秦列傳Biography of Su Qin70張儀列傳Biography of Zhang Yi71樗里子甘茂列傳Biographies of Chulizi and Gan Mao72穰侯列傳Biography of the Marquis of Rang73白起王翦列傳Biographies of Bai Qi and Wang Jian74孟子荀卿列傳Biographies of Mencius and Xun Qing75孟嘗君列傳Biography of Lord Mengchang76平原君虞卿列傳Biographies of Lord Pingyuan and Yu Qing77魏公子列傳Biography of the Prince of Wei (Lord Xinling)78春申君列傳Biography of Lord Chunshen79范雎蔡澤列傳Biographies of Fan Sui and Cai Ze80樂毅列傳Biography of Yue Yi81廉頗藺相如列傳Biographies of Lian Po and Lin Xiangru82田單列傳Biography of Tian Dan83魯仲連鄒陽列傳Biographies of Lu Zhonglian and Zou Yang84屈原賈生列傳Biographies of Qu Yuan and Jia Yi85呂不韋列傳Biography of Lü Buwei86刺客列傳Biographies of the Assassins87李斯列傳Biography of Li Si88蒙恬列傳Biography of Meng Tian89張耳陳餘列傳Biographies of Zhang Er and Chen Yu90魏豹彭越列傳Biographies of Wei Bao and Peng Yue91黥布列傳Biography of Qing Bu (Ying Bu)92淮陰侯列傳Biography of Han Xin, Marquis of Huaiyin93韓信盧綰列傳Biographies of Han Xin, King of Han, and Lu Wan94田儋列傳Biography of the Tian Clan of Qi95樊酈滕灌列傳Biographies of Fan Kuai, Li Shang, Teng Gong, and Guan Ying96張丞相列傳Biographies of the Chancellors: Zhang Cang and Others97酈生陸賈列傳Biographies of Li Yiji and Lu Jia98傅靳蒯成列傳Biographies of Fu Kuan, Jin She, and the Marquis of Kuaicheng99劉敬叔孫通列傳Biographies of Liu Jing and Shusun Tong