Zizhi Tongjian (Classic Edition)

"Zizhi Tongjian" is a chronological general history compiled by Sima Guang on the orders of Song Yingzong and Song Shenzong. Sima Guang himself served as the editor-in-chief, and with the assistance of Liu Xun, Liu Shu and Fan Zuyu, it took 19 years to compile it. Emperor Shenzong of the Song Dynasty believed that this book was "qualified for governing Taoism in view of the past events", so he gave it the name "Zi Zhi Tong Jian". The book is divided into 294 volumes and has more than three million words. It starts from the 23rd year of King Weilie of the Zhou Dynasty (403 BC) and ends in the 6th year of Xiande of Emperor Shizong of the Later Zhou Dynasty (959). It records a total of 1,362 years of history in 16 dynasties in chronological order. The historical materials cited in "Zizhi Tongjian" are extremely rich. In addition to the Seventeen Histories, there are also various miscellaneous histories, private writings, etc. According to the "Siku Synopsis", "Zizhi Tongjian" cites 322 kinds of previous works, which shows that it draws on a wide range of materials and has extremely high historical value. Sima Guang's "Zizhi Tongjian" and Sima Qian's "Historical Records" are listed as immortal masterpieces of Chinese history. Since its completion, "Zi Zhi Tong Jian" has been sought after by emperors, generals, ministers, and literati of all dynasties, and countless people have commented on it. "Zizhi Tongjian" preserved many historical materials that are no longer available. More importantly, it had a profound impact on subsequent historian creations, Chinese history compilation, and the development of philology.