Sima Qian

Laozi, 2000). In 1973, archaeologists discovered two copies of the Laozi in a library of texts inside a Mawangdui, South-Central China tomb that had been sealed in 168 B.C. (Henricks, 2000). Based upon the biography of Tao Tzu, that was written by Sima Qian, the entire book of the Tao Te Ching was written by Tao Tzu. A medieval copy of the Analects of Confucius was discovered in an archaeological dig in the Chinese Dunhang, and was dated at 890 CE (Eno, 2015). The Confucian approach to defining…

for writing “The Art of War”, an extremely influential Chinese novel on military strategy. Sun Wu has had a significant impact on Asian, especially Chinese, history and culture, both the an author but also as an important historical figure. Sima Qian along with other traditional historians place Sun Wu as a minister to King Helü of Wu and dated his lifetime to 544 to 496 BCE. Modern scholars however place the existing text of The Art of War in the…

Around 200 B.C. in ancient China, when the Qin Dynasty ruled, strict laws took effect, resulting in severe consequences such as being executed if soldiers arrived late to their post, regardless of the reason. Chen Sheng and Wu Guang stood up for their freedom from the cruel laws of the Qin Dynasty. This made a difference in society by inspiring others to fight for their freedom and stand up for their beliefs. During that time, the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty, Qin Shi Huangdi, had just…

Rome was a much more culturally tolerant empire than the Qin Dynasty, which was very culturally strict. In an edict of Augustus, written in 1 BCE, on the rights of the jewish people, he stated, “by the will of the people of the Romans, that the Jews shall use their own customs in accordance with their ancestral law, just as they used to use them in the time of Hyrcanus, the high priest of their highest god; and that their sacred offerings shall be inviolable and shall be sent to Jerusalem and…

Zoroastrianism is a religion that influenced the development of Christianity and Manichaeism. It believes in the role of individuals determining their own fate and emphasizes the duality of good and evil. Early Aryan influences on Persian religious traditions. Zarathustra (late 7th-early 6th centuries BCE) is the founder of Zoroastrianism. He believes that Ahura Mazda had chosen him to be a prophet. In the sixth century BCE, Zoroastrianism attracted Persian aristocrats and ruling elites. It also…

How did the Cultural Revolution impact in the production of historical knowledge in China? Timmy Lamwaikit SB420181 In Chinese history, Cultural Revolution has an important position.Most of Chinese know the word,but they do not know what do not mean clearly.So,what is a main mean about Cultural Revolution?And what does its impact? Cultural Revolution is a very complicated thing. Its results with the original purpose of the opposite claims, it makes an extremely tragic consequences. The…

The Han dynasty was China’s first long lasting Dynasties. This dynasty lasted from 206 BCE to 220 CE. The Han Dynasty was built from the remains of the dynasty prior, the Qin Dynasty. The Qin Dynasty Is China’s imperial Dynasty. The Qin Dynasty was notorious for having a very harsh government. This led to many people either being killed or leaving. Adventurer Liu Bang took part in a rebellion against the Qin Dynasty. He would later become the emperor of the Han Dynasty and rule from 206 BCE to…

themselves utterly, I would insist that they are well educated indeed” . Zixia and Confucius believed that beautiful appearance was opposed to ritual or good behavior, and for them, the beauty of women represented bad virtue and could be very harmful. Sima Qian wrote a story about how Confucius disdained the beautiful women in chapter “The House of Confucius” in the Shiji. When Confucius went to the State of Wei, Duke Ling of Wei sent a messenger, telling Confucius that Ling’s wife Nanzi was…

Pictorial Representation of Confucius and Others Portraits of Confucius and his followers were created during and after their times in heavy proliferation. While not many of these images remain due to their fragile nature, the few that are still relatively intact exhibit an amazing insight into the lives of their subjects. There is little mention of visual art or painting in the analects, but with Confucius’ thoughts on music being so positive, one can safely assume that he would have at least…

The reign of China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huangdi, in the third century BCE is known for its unprecedented unity of Chinese lands and for the establishment of the Chinese imperial system. While the 221 BCE unification of the Warring States into a single Chinese state may seem like the natural progression of events in hindsight, it and the subsequent unity in the Qin dynasty was not an inevitable outcome and required active effort to accomplish. Qin Shi Huangdi had to take many measures beyond…