Sima Guang

Abstract

Sima Guang was one of China�s leading political figures and the author of Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government (Zizhi tongjian), a historical account of over a thousand years (403 BCE�959 CE) of China�s early imperial past. Produced in the context of fierce disputes at the eleventh- century imperial court, Zizhi tongjian�s didactic message of how to maintain imperial power and ensure dynastic longevity helped to shape a belief in China�s unbroken political tradition and contributed to the formation of a Chinese self-identity. He is often associated with his opposition to the reform proposals of his rival Wang Anshi. Show more