Qian Sima

Born around 145 BCE in what is now Shaanxi, he was the son of Sima Tan, a court historian and astronomer. He inherited both his father’s scholarly mission and his official post, serving at the Han court while gathering material for an ambitious history of China.

His great work, the Shiji, traces more than two thousand years of rulers, states, and remarkable lives, ending near his own time. Written in 130 chapters, it became a model for later Chinese historical writing and is still valued for its range, narrative energy, and attention to individual character.

Readers also remember him for the determination behind the book. After suffering a severe court punishment, he continued writing and completed the history he believed he owed to his father and to posterity, which helps explain why his life and work still feel so striking today.