Records of the Grand Historian by Ssuma Ch’ien

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Including recounts and anecdotes from around 2600 BC to 85 BC (McMillin), Ssuma Ch’ien’s completed Records of the Grand Historian or Shiji (McMillin), should cover all the aspects needed to qualify a good government official. One of Ssuma Ch’ien’s intentions in writing these records was to emphasize the role of individual men in affecting Chinese government. The biography of magistrate Pu-shih in particular, holds several attributes concerning the emphasis on the roles of individual men in affecting Chinese government, or more specifically, the question of what qualities make a person a good government official. A summary, contextualization, inference, monitorship, and corroboration will aid in the answering of this question. Although the Records of the Grand Historian were compiled through the perspective of Ssuma Ch’ien himself, it was a privately written collection, which simply meant that he was not obligated to only write official history covering only those of high rank. This was considered a veritable record for it was written in a moderate and objective manner that later became an official format in the writing of Chinese history (McMillin). Ssuma Ch’ien’s primary account of how and why Pu-shih became a government official, gave a proficient insight to what qualities make a person a good government official. The most significant detail is when Pu-shih replies to emperor, “Every worthy man should be willing to fight to the death to defend the borders, and every person with wealth ought to contribute to the expense (Ch'ien and Watson).” And, “If there are poor men in my village, I lend them what they need, and if there are men who do not behave properly, I guide and counsel them (Ch'ien and Watson).” These two statements co... ... middle of paper ... ...y Ssuma Ch’ien, the most prominent qualities in this source are loyalty, humbleness, and wisdom. These are the characteristics that will not only make a person a good government official, but also a successful leader. Works Cited Ch'ien, Ssuma and Burton Watson. "Pu-Shih." Ch'ien, Ssuma. Records of the Grand Historian. 6th Centuray BCE. Volume II. Guide, Travel China. Liu CHe - Emperor Wu of Western Han. n.d. 27 Febuary 2014 . Kids, Britannica Online for. Han Dynasty: Location Map. n.d. 27 Febuary 2014 . McMillin, Maggie. Sima Qian(Ssupma Ch'ien). 15 October 2013. Riegel, Jeffrey. Stanford Encyclopaedia: Confucius. 3 July 2002. 27 Febuary 2014 .

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