In the long river of ancient Chinese history, there is an elegant literary giant, who led the political arena of the Northern Song Dynasty with superb political wisdom and profound Confucianism. Sima Guang, whose name is Junshi, is a native of Xia County, Shaanzhou, and is known as "Mr. Luanshui" by the world. Born in 1019 and died in 1086, he worked hard and was quite stylish throughout his life. Let's delve into Sima Guang's life and political views, as well as his magnum opus Zizhi Tongjian, to show the outstanding style of this Northern Song Dynasty politician, historian, and writer.
Sima Guang's family background is prominent, and his father once served as the commander of Guangshan County, Henan, so he was named Guang. He has shown intelligence since he was a Xi Confucian, and the incident of "smashing the cylinder to save friends" at the age of seven shows his brilliant side. At the age of 20, Sima Guang entered the official career, and went through the four dynasties of Renzong, Yingzong, Shenzong, and Zhezong, and his political career was full of twists and turns, witnessing the political changes in the Northern Song Dynasty.
During the reign of Emperor Shenzong of the Song Dynasty, Wang Anshi presided over the reform of the law, while Sima Guang resigned from Beijing because of his opposition to the change and was reappointed as the Imperial Historical Observatory of Xijing. During this period, Sima Guang adhered to the Confucian tradition and advocated the way to reduce expenditure, which led to clear differences with Wang Anshi on economic policy. This change not only affected the relationship between the two politicians, but also profoundly affected the entire political situation in the Northern Song Dynasty.
After leaving the capital, Sima Guang devoted himself to Luoyang, and after 15 years, presided over the compilation of the first chronicle in Chinese history, Zizhi Tongjian. This monumental work consists of 294 volumes, covering the history from the early Warring States period to the end of the Five Dynasties, taking the years and months as the meridian and the historical facts as the weft, systematically and comprehensively showing the development of ancient Chinese history. The clear description of the causes and consequences of major historical events in the "Zizhi Tongjian" won the great attention of Song Shenzong.
In his political career, Sima Guang took a clear stance against the reform of the law, and abolished the Baojia Law, the Fangtian Average Tax Law, the Shiyi Law, the Baoma Law, etc., and exhausted the wealth accumulated through the reform. In dealing with Western Xia, he restored Xining's previous compromise policy and relinquished the recovered four villages of Anjiang, Jialu, Futu, and Mizhi in order to seek peace on the border. This series of policy adjustments not only reflects Sima Guang's resolute opposition to the reform of the law, but also demonstrates his profound thinking on safeguarding national tranquility.
Sima Guang never had a concubine in his life, his wife did not give birth, and he lived a simple life, but he loved to read. He has written a lot, not only presiding over the "Zizhi Tongjian", but also "Tongjian Ju Calendar", "Ancient Records", "List of Hundred Officials and Ministers of the Dynasty" and many other works, covering literature, classics, philosophy, medicine and other fields. On the one hand, this shows his erudition and talent, and on the other hand, it also reflects his in-depth thinking and unique insights in various fields.
Sima Guang, as an outstanding politician, historian and writer in the Northern Song Dynasty, had a colorful life and left a rich historical legacy. He adhered to the Confucian tradition and presided over the compilation of the Zizhi Tongjian, which provided a unique historical perspective for future generations. He opposed the reform of the law, resumed the policy of compromise, and made an outstanding contribution to the peace of the country. Sima Guang's elegant demeanor has become a unique landscape in Chinese history, and has also set up a lofty political demeanor and literary model for future generations.