SIMA QIAN'S SHIJI WORK: HISTORICAL TRUTH OR IDEOLOGICAL CONSTRUCTION?

Abstract

The authors of this article conduct a critical analysis of Sima Qian's
work Shi Ji. The article examines how historical events are described, especially
interpretations related to the Xiongnu and the peoples of Central Asia. The study
discusses that Shi Ji is not just a collection of historical facts, but a text that was
formed as an ideological construction of the Chinese Empire. Using the methods of
deconstruction and comparative analysis, the extent to which Sima Qian adhered to
the principle of objectivity and how history is formed is considered. The results show
that although Shi Ji is based on reliable historical data, the descriptions presented in
it could have been formed taking into account the state ideology of China