Historical Records

This is an English translation of "Shiji", a history of the Chinese world from its beginnings up to the late 2nd century BC. Its author, the Grand Historiographer Siam Qian (145-86 BC), is not only a famous Chinese historian, but also a writer whose work had a powerful influence on Chinese and other Far Eastern literatures. This edition translates material on the vital but short-lived Qin Dynasty, which unified China in 221 BC and created the empire that lasted until 1911. The famous terracotta warriors, excavated in 1974, guard the tomb of the First Emperor, the founder of the dynasty. This accessible translation is supplemented by notes. Its introduction examines Siam Qian in the tradition of historical writing and places the Qin dynasty in its wider historical context.