Print  Font Size: 

Ban Gu

Ban Gu (AD 32-92) wrote the first dynastic history, Chronicles of the Han Dynasty. He belonged to the Eastern Han Dynasty(汉书) Chronicles of the Han Dynasty has 100 articles, recounting a history of 229 years from Emperor Gaozuto Wang Mang of the Han Dynasty.

Although Chronicles of the Han Dynasty cannot match Records of the Historian in terms of literary merit, it does include many accomplished biographical works such as "The Biography of Huo Guang," "The Biography of Su Wu," "Collected Biographies of imperial in-laws," "The Biography of Zhu Maichen." Unlike Sima Qian, who often incorporated his own feelings in his works, Ban Gu simply but effectively narrates or comments on facts and a figure's works and deeds. For example, "The Biography of Zhang Yu" vividly mirrors Zhang Yu's hypocritical, dishonest and greedy nature through his own words and deeds.

"The Biography of Su Wu" is so successfully written that it even rival articles in Records of the Historian. The story projected Su Wu's indomitable national integrity through many detailed and vivid descriptions.

The language in Chronicles of the Han Dynasty is formal and groomed, adopting lavish parallelism and ancient words. It forms a sharp contrast to Records of the Historian due to its flowery language and elegant style.

To do a quick search, highlighting any word(s) then click Help!