Sima Guang facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sima Guang
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 17 November 1019 Guangshan County, Guāng Prefecture, Song dynasty |
| Died | October 11, 1086 (aged 66) Kaifeng, Song Empire |
| Spouse | Lady Zhang |
| Children | Sima Kang |
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| Occupation | Historian, politician, writer |
| Courtesy name | Junshi (君實) |
| Art name | Yusou (迂叟) |
| Posthumous name | Wenzheng (文正) |
| Other names | Sushui Xiansheng (涑水先生) |
| Sima Guang | |||||||||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 司馬光 | ||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 司马光 | ||||||||||||||||
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Sima Guang (born November 17, 1019 – died October 11, 1086), also known by his courtesy name Junshi, was a famous Chinese historian, politician, and writer. He was a high-ranking government official during the Song dynasty. Sima Guang wrote a very important history book called the Zizhi Tongjian. He was a political conservative, meaning he liked traditional ways and opposed the new ideas and changes (called "New Policies") suggested by another official, Wang Anshi.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Sima Guang was born in Guangshan County, which was part of Guāng Prefecture. He was named after this place. His father, Sima Chi, worked there as a local government leader. The Sima family came from Xia County and believed they were related to a famous official from the 3rd century, Sima Fu.
When Sima Guang was a young boy, a famous story tells how he saved a friend. His friend had fallen into a giant pot filled with water. While other children panicked, Sima Guang calmly picked up a rock. He smashed a hole in the bottom of the pot. The water drained out, and his friend was saved!
At age 6, Sima Guang heard a talk about the Zuo Zhuan, a history book from ancient times (4th century BC). He was so interested that he could retell the stories to his family. He became a very keen reader, often forgetting about hunger or thirst because he was so focused.
Sima Guang became a successful scholar and official at a young age. When he was just 20, he passed the difficult Imperial examination with the highest score. This allowed him to work in important government jobs for many years.
Sima Guang's Beliefs About Government
Sima Guang believed that society became civilized when wise ancient rulers taught people how to live. He thought that good government depended on good people, not just on rules. He wrote many ideas about how to make the government work better. He felt his ideas matched what history showed.
He believed a stable country with clear roles for everyone would last forever. Because of this, he did not like new business growth, as he thought it caused too many changes in society. He preferred a system where officials were chosen based on recommendations, not just exams.
Sima Guang thought rulers should focus on assigning jobs, rewarding success, punishing failures, and being good role models. He believed society would be stable if everyone knew their place. His strong dislike for change made him a political conservative. He thought being ethical meant accepting your social status. He also believed that people should control their desires.
Working for the Emperors
After some earlier reforms failed, Wang Anshi suggested many new changes to the government in 1058. Sima Guang also made suggestions in 1061, but his ideas were much more traditional.
Under Emperor Yingzong
In 1064, Sima Guang, who was a critic of government policies, spoke about a disagreement. This was about how to honor Emperor Yingzong of Song's biological father, Zhao Yurang, compared to Emperor Renzong, who was the emperor's official father. Sima Guang believed Emperor Renzong should be given more honor. However, Emperor Yingzong gave high honors to his biological father in 1066.
Under Emperor Shenzong
Emperor Shenzong of Song made Sima Guang a chief censor in 1067. Sima Guang believed in a peaceful approach to neighboring groups like the Uyghurs, Tibetans, Western Xia, and Liao dynasty. He hoped they would admire the Song dynasty's good government.
Because the Song dynasty still faced problems, different groups formed to find solutions. Sima Guang and other conservatives wanted a smaller government budget and slow changes. He strongly opposed the New Policies of Wang Anshi. These policies increased government power and spending. Sima Guang argued that more government money meant less for farmers. He thought it was wrong for the government to compete with businesses.
Sima Guang believed the emperor should manage officials with rewards and punishments. He retired to Luoyang in 1071, which became a center for those who opposed Wang Anshi's reforms. This left Wang Anshi largely in charge of the government. Sima Guang was worried about the New Policies controlling people and resources.
Sima Guang had several reasons for disliking the New Policies:
- He thought that if the government gained more money, it meant less for ordinary people.
- He believed that differences in wealth were good because they helped keep society stable.
- He felt the economy worked best with very little government involvement.
- He argued that money was not spread evenly across the empire. This meant peasants would struggle to pay new cash fees for the New Policies.
Retirement and Writing History
Sima Guang lived in Luoyang from 1071 to 1085. During this time, he worked on his great history book, the Zizhi Tongjian. He also became friends with other scholars like Shao Yong and Cheng Yi.
Many famines and droughts made people unhappy with Wang Anshi's policies. This helped Sima Guang gain more support. However, Sima Guang did not return to power right away after Wang Anshi retired in 1076. Emperor Shenzong decided to manage the New Policies himself.
Return to Power Under Emperor Zhezong
After Emperor Shenzong died, the government saw a back-and-forth between reformist and conservative groups for 40 years. Sima Guang was old and tired in Luoyang. But a friend convinced him to return to the capital. When he arrived in Kaifeng, a huge crowd gathered to greet him. Palace guards even saluted him as "Prime Minister Sima." He encouraged people to speak openly about their problems with the New Policies.
Sima Guang was soon made the chief minister by Empress Dowager Gao. She was the regent (ruler for the young emperor) and a strong conservative. Sima Guang and other recalled conservatives formed a group. Sima Guang strongly criticized Wang Anshi and his policies. He also blamed Wang Anshi's leadership for a military defeat. He presented himself as the "savior of the dynasty."
As the conservative leader, Sima Guang moved reformist leaders to less important jobs. He also brought conservatives into high positions. One by one, he got rid of many of the New Policies.
Ending Some New Policies
Sima Guang worked to abolish several of the New Policies:
- Baojia system: This system required nearly 7 million men to train for village defense. Sima Guang argued it took men away from farming and could create bandits. This system was mostly ended in 1085.
- Equal tax law: This law was about valuing land and collecting taxes. It was considered successful but was removed in late 1085.
- Market exchange law: This law created government groups that bought cheap goods and sold them for more. However, these groups ended up controlling the market and focused on making money. Sima Guang abolished this law entirely.
- Labor recruitment law: This law replaced forced labor with paid workers. Rich families paid fees to avoid forced labor. Sima Guang argued this was just another tax on common people. Despite some disagreement within his own group, Sima Guang pushed for its removal.
- Green sprouts law: This law was supposed to give low-interest loans to farmers. But it also became a way for the government to collect more money. Sima Guang and most conservatives were united in opposing this policy.
Sima Guang and the conservatives also wanted to make peace with the Western Xia after a long and costly war. They agreed to give up some land, which caused tension for many years. A peace agreement was signed in 1089.
Historical Work: The Zizhi Tongjian
Sima Guang is most famous for his amazing history book, Zizhi Tongjian. Some experts call him "perhaps the greatest of all Chinese historians."
In 1064, Sima Guang showed Emperor Yingzong of Song a five-volume book called "Chart of Successive Years." It summarized Chinese history from 403 BCE to 959 CE. This book was a plan for his much bigger history project. He chose these dates because 403 BCE was when the Warring States period began, and 959 CE was when the Song dynasty started.
In 1066, he presented a more detailed eight-volume book. The emperor then ordered him to create a complete history of China. He was given full access to imperial libraries and money to pay for research help from other historians.
After Emperor Yingzong died, Sima Guang showed his work to the new emperor, Emperor Shenzong of Song. The new emperor was also very interested. He even gave the book a new title: Zizhi Tongjian, which means "Comprehensive Mirror to Aid in Government." The "Mirror" in the title means the book was meant to be a guide for rulers. The emperor continued to support Sima Guang until the book was finished in 1084.
Sima Guang spent many years writing this history. To help him work more and sleep less, he used a special wooden pillow. It was designed to slip away if he rolled over, waking him up. He called it the "Alert Pillow."
Sima Guang believed that history was a "mirror" for the present. He thought it could help the government understand current situations. He structured his histories to show these ideas.
Death and Legacy
Emperor Shenzong died in 1085, shortly after Sima Guang finished his Zizhi Tongjian. Sima Guang was called back to lead the government under Emperor Zhezong of Song. He used this time to cancel many of the New Policies. However, he died the next year, in 1086. His death caused his conservative group to split, leading to a period of political problems from 1086 to 1093.
Besides being a great statesman and historian, Sima Guang also worked on dictionaries. He spent many years creating his 1066 Leipian dictionary, which included over 31,000 Chinese characters. His book Family Precepts of Sima Guang is also well-known and studied in China and Japan.
See also
Images for kids
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Sima Wengong Temple in Xia County, Shanxi, is the Sima family graveyard and shrine, and Sima Guang's resting place
