Sima Guang
Sima Guang 司馬光 | |
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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 |
| Parent |
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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 (17 November 1019 – 11 October 1086), courtesy name Junshi, was a Chinese historian, politician, and writer. He was a high-ranking Song dynasty scholar-official who authored the Zizhi Tongjian, a monumental work of history.
Born into a family of officials, Sima Guang displayed remarkable intelligence from a young age and quickly rose through the ranks of the Song bureaucracy. His early career was marked by his work in government administration, where he gained a reputation for his meticulous scholarship and principled stance on state affairs. As a prominent official, he strongly opposed Wang Anshi’s New Policies, arguing that they disrupted social stability and traditional governance. His criticisms led to his removal from political office when reformists held power.
After retiring from active politics, Sima devoted himself to historical research and writing. He spent years compiling and editing the Zizhi Tongjian, which he presented to Emperor Shenzong in 1084. In addition to his historical work, he advocated for the repeal of certain feudal institutions, promoting policies he believed would restore order and moral integrity to the empire. His legacy as a historian and political thinker had a lasting impact on Chinese historiography and conservative political thought.