Records of the Grand Historian

By Sima Qian
Translated by Burton Watson

Qin: 1993 xviii + 221 pages
ISBN 0231-08168-5
Han I: 1993 xxvii + 499 pages
ISBN 0231-08164-2
Han II: 1993 xviii + 506 pages
ISBN 0231-08166-9

Order: Vol. I  Vol. II  Vol. III

Table of Contents (Qin)

Introduction ix
Translator’s Note on Text xviii
Shi ji 5: The Basic Annals of Qin 1
Shi ji 6: The Basic Annals of The First Emperor of the Qin 35
Shi ji 15: Reflections on the Rise of the Qin 85
Shi ji 68: The Biography of Lord Shang 89
Shi ji 71 The Biographies of the Shuli Zi and Gan Mou 101
Shi ji 72 The Biography of the Marquis of Rang 113
Shi ji 73: The Biography of Bai Qi and Wang Jian 121
Shi ji 79: The Biographies of Fan Ju and Cai Ze 131
Shi ji 85: The Biography of Lü Buwei 159
Shi ji 86: The Biographies of the Assassin-retainers (Excerpt) 167
Shi ji 87: The Biography of Li Si 179
Shi ji 88: The Biography of Meng Tian 207
Shi ji 126: The Biographies of Wits and Humorists (Excerpt) 215
Index 217

Table of Contents (Han I)

Sima Qian to his friend Ren An xiii
General Introduction xv
Translator’s Note on the Text xxi
The Founding of the Han Dynasty (Parts I–VI) xxiii
Part I: The Beginning of the Revolt
Shi ji 48: The Hereditary House of Chen She 3
Part II: The Vanquished
Shi ji 7: The Basic Annals of Xiang Yu 17
Part III: The Victor
Shi ji 8: The Basic Annals of Emperor Gaozu 51
Shi ji 16 (Excerpt): Reflections on the Rise of Emperor Gaozu 87
Part IV: The Great Ministers
Shi ji 53: The Hereditary House of Prime Minister Xiao 91
Shi ji 55: The Hereditary House of the Marquis of Liu (Zhang Liang) 99
Shi ji 56: The Hereditary House of Prime Minister Chen 115
Part V: The Disaffected
Shi ji 89: The Biographies of Zhang Er and Chen Yu 131
Shi ji 90: The Biographies of Wei Bao and Peng Yue 147
Shi ji 91: The Biography of Qing Bu 153
Shi ji 92: The Biography of the Marquis of Huaiyin (Han Xin) 163
Shi ji 93: The Biographies of Hann Xin and Lu Wan 185
Shi ji 94: The Biography of Tian Dan 197
Part VI: The Loyal Followers
Shi ji 95: The Biographies of Fan Kuai, Li Shang, Lord Teng, and Guan Ying: Concluding Remarks 205
Shi ji 96: The Biography of Chancellor Zhang 207
Shi ji 97: The Biographies of Li Yiji and Lu Jia 219
Shi ji 98: The Biographies of Fu Kuan, Jin Xi, and the Marquis of Kuaicheng: Concluding Remarks 233
Shi ji 99: The Biographies of Liu Jing and Shusun Tong 235
Shi ji 100: The Biographies of Ji Bu and Luan Bu 247
The Second Era of Han History (195 BC–141 BC) (Parts VII–XI) 255
Part VII: The Rulers
Shi ji 9: The Basic Annals of Empress Lü 267
Shi ji 10: The Basic Annals of Emperor Wen the Filial 285
Shi ji 11: The Basic Annals of Emperor Jing the Filial 311
Shi ji 12: The Basic Annals of Emperor Wu (Fragment) 319
Part VIII: The Empresses
Shi ji 49: The Hereditary Houses of the Families Related to the Emperors by Marriage 323
Part IX: The Great Families
Shi ji 50: The Hereditary House of King Yuan of Chu 337
Shi ji 51: The Hereditary Houses of Jing and Yan 341
Shi ji 52: The Hereditary House of King Daohui of Qi 347
Shi ji 54 (Excerpt): The Hereditary House of Prime Minister Cao 363
Shi ji 57: The Hereditary House of Zhou Bo, the Marquis of Jiang 369
Shi ji 58: The Hereditary House of King Xiao of Liang 381
Shi ji 59: The Hereditary Houses of the Five Families 389
Part X: The Leaders of the Revolt
Shi ji 106: The Biography of Liu Pi, the King of Wu 403
Some Remarks on the Han Peers: I
Shi ji 17: The Chronological Table of the Feudal Lords from the Beginning of the Han, Introduction 423
Some Remarks on the Han Peers: II
Shi ji 18: The Chronological Table of the Distinguished Followers of Gaozu who became Marquises, Introduction 427
Some Remarks on the Han Peers: III
Shi ji 19: The Chronological Table of the Marquises during the Reigns of Emperors Hui to Jing, Introduction 431
Part XI: The Eminent Officials
Shi ji 84: The Biographies of Qu Yuan and Master Jia 435
Shi ji 101: The Biographies of Yuan Ang and Chao Cuo 453
Shi ji 102: The Biographies of Zhang Shizhi and Feng Tang 467
Shi ji 103: The Biographies of Lord Wanshi and Zhang Shu 477
Shi ji 104: The Biography of Tian Shu 489
Finding List of Chapters of the Shi ji 495
Maps
The Topography of Han China 497
Principal Feudal Kingdom of Late Zhou and Early Han Times 498
Principal Cities and Areas Mentioned in the Text 499

Table of Contents (Han II)

Introduction xi
Translator’s Note xviii
Part I: Heaven, Earth, and Men
Shi ji 28: The Treatise on the Feng and Shan Sacrifices 3
Shi ji 29: The Treatise on the Yellow River and Canals 53
Shi ji 30: The Treatise on the Balanced Standard 61
Part II: Statesmen, Generals, and Foreign Peoples
Shi ji 107: The Biographies of the Marquises of Weiqi and Wuan 89
Shi ji 108: The Biography of Han Changru 107
Shi ji 109: The Biography of General Li Guang 117
Shi ji 110: The Account of the Xiongnu 129
Shi ji 111: The Biographies of General Wei Qing and the Swift Cavalry General Huo Qubing 163
Shi ji 20: The Chronological Table of Marquises Enfeoffed from the Jianyuan Era on: Introduction 185
Shi ji 112: The Biographies of the Marquis of Pingjin and Zhufu Yan 187
Shi ji 113: The Account of Southern Yue 207
Shi ji 114: The Account of Eastern Yue 219
Shi ji 115: The Account of Chaoxian 225
Shi ji 123: The Account of Dayuan 231
Shi ji 116: The Account of the Southwestern Barbarians 253
Shi ji 117: The Biography of Sima Xiangru 259
Shi ji 120: The Biographies of Ji An and Zheng Dangshi 307
Part III: The Plotters of Revolt
Shi ji 118: The Biographies of the Kings of Huainan and Hengshan 321
Part IV: The Collective Biographies
Shi ji 121: The Biographies of the Confucian Scholars 355
Shi ji 119: The Biographies of the Reasonable Officials 373
Shi ji 122: The Biographies of the Harsh Officials 379
Shi ji 124: The Biographies of the Wandering Knights 409
Shi ji 125: The Biographies of the Emperors’ Male Favourites 419
Shi ji 127: The Biographies of the Diviners of Lucky Days 425
Shi ji 129: The Biographies of the Money-makers 433
Finding List of Chapters of the Shi ji 455
Index 457
Map
China and Its Neighbours in the Former Han 506