Editing Historiography (section)

====East Asia====
=====China=====
{{Main|Chinese historiography|Twenty-Four Histories}}
{{further|Chinese literature}}
[[File:Shiji.jpg|upright|thumb|First page of the ''[[Shiji]]'']]

The [[Han dynasty]] [[eunuch]] [[Sima Qian]] (145–86&nbsp;BC) was the first in China to lay the groundwork for [[Chinese historiography|professional historical writing]]. His work superseded the older style of the ''[[Spring and Autumn Annals]]'', compiled in the 5th century BC, the ''[[Bamboo Annals]]'', the ''[[Classic of History]]'', and other court and dynastic [[annals]] that recorded history in a [[chronological]] form that abstained from [[analysis]] and focused on moralistic teaching.<ref name="Vann-2023"/> In 281&nbsp;AD the tomb of [[King Xiang of Wei]] ({{died in|296&nbsp;BC}}) was opened, inside of which was found a historical text called the ''Bamboo Annals'', after the writing material. It is similar in style to the ''Spring and Autumn Annals'' and covers events from the mythical [[Yellow Emperor]] to 299&nbsp;BC. Opinions on the authenticity of the text has varied throughout the centuries, and it was rediscovered too late to gain the same status as the ''Spring and Autumn Annals''.<ref>Wilkinson, Endymion (2018). ''Chinese History: A New Manual''. Self-published. p. 681 {{ISBN|978-0998888309}}</ref>

Sima's ''[[Shiji]]'' (''[[Records of the Grand Historian]]''), initiated by his father the [[Chinese astronomy|court astronomer]] [[Sima Tan]] (165–110&nbsp;BC), pioneered the "Annals-biography" format, which would become the standard for prestige history writing in China. In this genre a history opens with a chronological outline of court affairs, and then continues with detailed biographies of prominent people who lived during the period in question.<ref>Thomas R. Martin, ''Herodotus and Sima Qian: The First Great Historians of Greece and China: A Brief History with Documents'' (2009). {{ISBN|978-0312416492}}</ref> The scope of his work extended as far back as the 16th century&nbsp;BC with the founding of the [[Shang dynasty]]. It included many treatises on specific subjects and individual biographies of prominent people. He also explored the lives and deeds of commoners, both contemporary and those of previous eras.

Whereas Sima's had been a universal history from the beginning of time down to the time of writing, his successor [[Ban Gu]] wrote an annals-biography history limiting its coverage to only the [[Western Han dynasty]], the ''[[Book of Han]]'' (96&nbsp;AD). This established the notion of using dynastic boundaries as start- and end-points, and most later Chinese histories would focus on a single dynasty or group of dynasties.

The Records of the Grand Historian and Book of Han were eventually joined by the ''[[Book of the Later Han]]'' (AD 488) (replacing the earlier, and now only partially extant, Han Records from the Eastern Pavilion) and the ''[[Records of the Three Kingdoms]]'' (AD 297) to form the "Four Histories". These became mandatory reading for the [[Imperial Examinations]] and have therefore exerted an influence on Chinese culture comparable to the [[Thirteen Classics|Confucian Classics]]. More annals-biography histories were written in subsequent dynasties, eventually bringing the number to between twenty-four and twenty-six, but none ever reached the popularity and impact of the first four.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Wilkerson, Endymion |title=Chinese History: A New Manual |year=2017 |isbn=978-0998888309 |edition=5th |pages=692–695|publisher=Endymion Wilkinson, c/o Harvard University Asia Center }}</ref>

Traditional Chinese historiography describes history in terms of [[dynastic cycle]]s. In this view, each new dynasty is founded by a morally righteous founder. Over time, the dynasty becomes morally corrupt and dissolute. Eventually, the dynasty becomes so weak as to allow its replacement by a new dynasty.<ref>{{cite book|author=Jörn Rüsen|title=Time and History: The Variety of Cultures|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SvGyzu-nLaUC&pg=PA54|year=2007|publisher=Berghahn Books|isbn=978-1-84545-349-7|pages=54–55}}</ref>