Zizhi

Zizhi is a Chinese term meaning “to govern” or “to provide policy guidance,” and it appears in a variety of historical and literary contexts. In historiography, the phrase commonly appears as part of the title of major works that aim to guide rulers through reflective examples.

The best-known use is Zizhi Tongjian (資治通鑑), often translated as Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government. It is a monumental historical chronicle compiled during the Song dynasty under the direction of Sima Guang and a team of scholars, completed in 1084. The work comprises about 294 juan (scrolls) and covers Chinese history from 403 BCE to 959 CE. It presents events in a continuous, annalistic narrative focused on political and military affairs, and it is notable for its accompanying moral and practical judgments about governance. The compiler drew on a wide range of earlier histories and source materials to offer a cohesive frame of reference for rulers and officials.

Zizhi Tongjian has had a lasting influence on Chinese historiography and East Asian political thought. It became a standard reference for statecraft and history, used by officials and scholars for governance lessons and as a model of chronological narrative. The work has been studied, excerpted, and translated in part, and it shaped subsequent interpretations of Chinese history and the methods of historical writing, even as later historians revised or supplemented its conclusions.