Day 13
At the top of page 48, in The Yin, Basic Annals 3, while addressing the passing of Emperor Hsiao-yi, Sima Qian comments on the emperor's son, "For three years he did not say a word" (48T). I find Emperor Wu-ting's three-year silence somewhat fascinating and wonder why Sima Qian notes it. Throughout the opening chapters of the Records of the Grand Historian, Sima Qian repeatedly acknowledges the transition of power from one emperor to another, often stating: "When Emperor X passed away, his _______ was enthroned." (Sima Qian notes this four times on page 46 and nine times on page 47.) Only on a couple of occasions in the opening chapters of the Records of the Grand Historian does Sima Qian mention the three-year mourning period in relation to an emperor's passing (see pgs. 10B,13B, and 36M); yet, it is only with Wu-ting that Sima Qian mentions three years of silence. One possible explanation for not acknowledging the three-year mourning period is that Sima Qian does not find it necessary to note the proper three-year mourning period (silence) in relation to every emperor's passing. However, Sima Qian acknowledges Wu-ting's silence and, in doing so, gently reminds his reader of the proper cultural obligations concerning filial piety. Such a reading may be overly reductionistic, and thus, I think Sima Qian notes Emperor Wu-ting's silence for other reasons.
One way of assessing Wu-ting's silence is to see it as a commentary on how obligations regarding proper mourning have fallen out of fashion during this period of Chinese history—and thus, society and the empire are in moral decline. In the opening pages of Basic Annals 3, leading up to the death of Emperor Hsiao-yi, over 20 emperors die, and not once does Sima Qian mention silence or the three-year mourning period. Thus, Emperor Wu-ting's three-year silence is an outlier, giving the reader a contrasting reaction to an emperor's death. By noting Emperor Wu-ting's three years of silent mourning, the reader apprehends the presence of proper filial piety. Another possible reading of Wu-ting's silence is that it reveals Wu-ting's virtue and ability to meaningfully reflect as a leader. In the passages surrounding Emperor Wu-ting's enthronement, Sima Qian notes that Yin was in decline (47T&B) and that Wu-ting "wished to make it prosperous again" (48T). Thus, one could read Wu-ting's silence as a moment of meaningful reflection on behalf of the state. Sima Qian, in his brief retelling of Emperor Wu-ting's reign, does note that Wu-ting "practiced virtuous deeds" and that "Yin's way of government again prospered" (48B). Wu-ting's three years of silence present the new emperor as a virtuous son who respected the mourning rituals, revealing him to be a moral individual and a righteous ruler.
Final Reflection on Records of the Grand Historian
My reading of Sima Qian this term has been an incredibly enriching experience. Sima Qian's text reframed my thinking regarding the art of history and the underlying task of the historian. Sima Qian's text also deepened my understanding of the historical epoch that shaped Confucian and Daoist thinking, providing great historical context for the texts I was reading in seminar. The most rewarding aspect of Sima Qian's text was Shi Ji 130: The Postface of The Grand Historian. Reading Sima Qian's autobiography not only humanized Sima Qian, the historian, but it also humanized and contextualized Sima Qian's entire text. Reading Shi Ji 130 late in the term reframed the entirety of the Records of the Grand Historian and gave me some sense of what Sima Qian was attempting to accomplish through his historical writings. I deeply appreciated Sima Qian's reflection on early historical works, the Odes, the Documents, and the Spring and Autumn Annals. (Shi Ji 130, 50-55). Although I have yet to come to a meaningful conclusion regarding Sima Qian's goal and approach to history, I was left with the sense that Sima Qian does not reduce history to the retelling of past events or the mere remembrances of great individuals. Rather, Sima Qian conceived his text as an ethical treatise or handbook for future emperors and government officials. For Sima Qian, the past provided moving examples of enlightened leaders who should be revered and followed, as well as immoral rulers whose approaches to governance should be criticized and shunned. At times, Sima Qian ostensibly suggests that the success or failure of a given regime ultimately resides in the moral behavior of those in power.
My main frustration with the Records of the Grand Historian was Sima Qian's unwillingness to meaningfully address the underlying cause(s) of certain events or periods, especially during the Waring States Period. Sima Qian would repeatedly describe a historical event—the what, who, when, and where. However, rarely would Sima Qian meaningfully contextualize the why. For example, at the top of page 29 in Shi Ji 5: The Basic Annals of Qin, Sima Qian notes, "…the five states of Qi, Hann, Wei, Zhao, and Song, along with Zhongshan, joined in an attack on Qin, advancing as far as Yanshi before withdrawing" (29T). Here, Sima Qian merely asserts the historical facts without context or explanation. I never got a meaningful appreciation of the underlying causes of the horrific violence that dominated the Waring States Period. Were these rulers/states fighting over natural recourse, trade routes, family honor, or power? I wish Sima Qian had provided some context for these conflicts or stated that the historical record was unclear regarding the underlying causes of the numerous conflicts that arose during the Waring States Period. Ultimately, Sima Qian's lack of explanation forced me to reflect on the possible causes of a given historical event presented in the text while simultaneously confronting the terrifying possibility that underlying causes may be nonexistent or unknowable.
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