The exact date of the Records 's completion is unknown, but it is certain that Sima Qian completed it before his death in approximately 86 BC, with one copy residing in the imperial capital of Chang'an (present-day Xi'an) and the other copy probably being stored in his home. After his death in 110 BC, the project was continued and completed by his son and successor Sima Qian, who is generally credited as the work's author. Sima Tan drafted plans for the ambitious work and left behind some fragments and notes that may have been incorporated into the final text. The work that became Records of the Grand Historian was begun by Sima Tan, who was Grand Astrologer ( Taishi 太史) of the Han dynasty court during the late 2nd century BC. įurther information: Chinese historiography In contrast to Western historical works, the Records do not treat history as "a continuous, sweeping narrative", but rather break it up into smaller, overlapping units dealing with famous leaders, individuals, and major topics of significance. After Confucius and the First Emperor of Qin, "Sima Qian was one of the creators of Imperial China, not least because by providing definitive biographies, he virtually created the two earlier figures." The Records set the model for the 24 subsequent dynastic histories of China. The Records has been called a "foundational text in Chinese civilization". The work covers the world as it was then known to the Chinese and a 2,500-year period from the age of the legendary Yellow Emperor to the reign of Emperor Wu of Han in the author's own time. The Records of the Grand Historian, also known by its Chinese name Shiji, is a monumental history of ancient China and the world finished around 94 BC by the Western Han Dynasty historian Sima Qian after having been started by his father, Sima Tan, Grand Astrologer to the imperial court. " Shiji" in Traditional (top) and Simplified (bottom) Chinese characters
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