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.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Berkshire Dictionary of Chinese Biography |
| Editors | Kerry Brown |
| Place of Publication | Great Barrington, MA, USA |
| Publisher | Berkshire Publishing Group |
| Pages | 664-683 |
| Edition | 1st |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781933782669 |
| Publication status | Published - 2014 |