Records of the Grand Historian: Hereditary Houses
Tags
Summary
The Records of the Grand Historian is China's first general history. Unlike the earlier Spring and Autumn Annals, a chronological history arranged by year, the Intrigues of the Warring States and similar works, which are regional histories limited to particular states, or the Book of Documents, a political history preserved in the form of announcements and archival records, it is a general history spanning thousands of years, comprehensive in scope yet coherent and clearly ordered. The biographical (ji-zhuan) general history was Sima Qian's invention. It comprises the Basic Annals, Tables, Treatises, Hereditary Houses, and Biographies. Thereafter, dynastic histories from the Book of Han to the History of Ming, though their section names changed, all retained basic annals and biographies and followed the structure of the Records of the Grand Historian.
Editor's review
The Hereditary Houses of the Records of the Grand Historian presents one of the five divisions of the work, the "Hereditary Houses," gathering chiefly the chapters devoted to the noble houses of the feudal states; it is a key part of understanding the biographical general history that Sima Qian created. This division records both the rise and fall of the feudal states and the family lines of important historical figures, combining the strengths of chronological and biographical writing: the reader finds both a timeline and personal detail. Compared with the Basic Annals, which focus on rulers, and the Biographies, which focus on individuals, the Hereditary Houses better show how a regime or family rose and fell over centuries, and are especially helpful for grasping the political landscape from pre-Qin times to the early Han. This volume works well as a middle stage in reading the Records as a whole: first read the Basic Annals to establish a chronological frame, then the Hereditary Houses to see how the feudal states divided and merged, and finally the Biographies to fill in individual portraits. There is no need to read quickly; begin with a feudal state you know, and compare with maps and chronological tables for best results.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers who have read the Basic Annals or Biographies and want to complete their understanding of the whole structure
- General history enthusiasts interested in the rise and fall of pre-Qin feudal states and family lines
- Middle school and university students who need to prepare knowledge of the Records' structure for literature and history courses
- Readers who enjoy ancient history told through interwoven figures and events
Not a good fit for
- Beginners who want plain-language stories and are unwilling to engage with the classical Chinese text
- Readers who only want quick summaries of famous chapters and do not care about structure
- Researchers seeking systematic historiographical analysis and modern scholarly annotation
Reading tips
- Start with the table of contents and choose familiar hereditary houses (such as Jin, Chu, or Qi) to read first, lowering the barrier to entry.
- As you read, compare with maps of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods and chronological tables of major events, anchoring the timeline in geography.
- After each chapter, summarize the turning points of that house's rise and fall in a few sentences, then review Sima Qian's narrative choices.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 目录
- 公版书总序
- 告读者书
- 才识卓绝千古，经纬旷达百家——司马迁
- 史家之绝唱，无韵之离骚——《史记》
- 谥法表
- 正文
- 卷三十一 吴太伯世家第一
- 卷三十二 齐太公世家第二
- 卷三十三 鲁周公世家第三
- 卷三十四 燕召公世家第四
- 卷三十五 管蔡世家第五
- 卷三十六 陈杞世家第六
- 卷三十七 卫康叔世家第七
- 卷三十八 宋微子世家第八
- 卷三十九 晋世家第九
- 卷四十 楚世家第十
- 卷四十一 越王句践世家第十一
- 卷四十二 郑世家第十二
- 卷四十三 赵世家第十三
- 卷四十四 魏世家第十四
- 卷四十五 韩世家第十五
- 卷四十六 田敬仲完世家第十六
- 卷四十七 孔子世家第十七
- 卷四十八 陈涉世家第十八
- 卷四十九 外戚世家第十九
- 卷五十 楚元王世家第二十
- 卷五十一 荆燕世家第二十一
- 卷五十二 齐悼惠王世家第二十二
- 卷五十三 萧相国世家第二十三
- 卷五十四 曹相国世家第二十四
- 卷五十五 留侯世家第二十五
- 卷五十六 陈丞相世家第二十六
- 卷五十七 绛侯周勃世家第二十七
- 卷五十八 梁孝王世家第二十八
- 卷五十九 五宗世家第二十九
- 卷六十 三王世家第三十
- 如是我闻
- 一、《史记·世家》三家注本所涉书目
FAQ
Where do the "Hereditary Houses" stand among the five divisions of the Records of the Grand Historian?
The Records is divided into Basic Annals, Tables, Treatises, Hereditary Houses, and Biographies. The Basic Annals record rulers, the Hereditary Houses mainly record feudal lords and important families, and the Biographies record figures of various kinds. The Hereditary Houses sit between the Basic Annals and the Biographies, carrying forward the chronological frame while unfolding concrete people and events; they are a key part of understanding the structure of the biographical general history.
Can I read the Hereditary Houses directly without having read other parts of the Records?
Yes, but it is best to skim the Basic Annals first to establish a timeline, or at least have a table of major events on hand. The chapters of the Hereditary Houses are relatively self-contained, and beginning with a familiar feudal state is a workable entry point; without an overall frame, however, events are easily read in isolation.
What is most easily overlooked when reading the Hereditary Houses?
It is easy to remember only the stories and overlook the structure. The Hereditary Houses describe the long rise and fall of feudal lords and families; as you read, notice how Sima Qian moves between chronological record and biography, and how he varies the detail he gives the same event in different chapters.
Comments
Find this book
This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.
About the author
Sima Qian
Author · Chinese (Western Han)
Sima Qian was a historian, man of letters, and thinker of the Western Han dynasty. His courtesy name was Zichang, and he was a native of Xiayang in Zuo Fengyi (present-day Hancheng, Shaanxi). Succeeding his father Sima Tan as Grand Astrologer, he traveled widely to collect historical materials. Later, having suffered punishment in connection with the Li Ling affair, he endured humiliation and devoted himself to his work, ultimately completing the Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji, originally titled Taishigong shu), China's first comprehensive history in the biographical (jizhuanti) style. The work covers events from the Yellow Emperor down to Emperor Wu of Han, organizing three thousand years of history through the five sections of annals, tables, treatises, hereditary houses, and biographies. Its narrative is concise and richly literary, its characters vividly drawn, and it has been praised as "the supreme swan song of historians." Later generations have often classified his writings under historical reading and Eastern philosophy, and his influence on Chinese historiography and literature has been profound.
