【英文摘要】
The main purpose of Sima Guang in compiling ZiZhi TongJian was to provide admonishment against undue governance. Targeting the successive emperors as his intended readers, and to caution future emperors, Sima Guang detailed the tragic dismiss of the lost dynasties. However, not all emperors of the lost kingdoms were of "insatiable" and "stubbornly ignorant" characters as generally stereotyped. Sima Guang categorized the last emperors in his "On Virtues and Talents" into four kinds, namely those without talents and virtues, those with talents but no virtues, those with fully developed virtues and talents but no talented subjects, and those with consummated virtues and talents. Sima Guang placed a great value on the “wisdom” of the ruler, for its relation to the art of “leadership”, which in turns determine the success of governance, and even the thriving of the kingdom. Although the virtuous and untalented ones were not to be ranked on the same level as the first two categories who were promiscuous and cruel in nature, but one weakness they did have in common was the lack of wisdom in leadership. On the other hand, those who possessed both the talents and virtues, were, however, doomed because of improper leadership, the negligent and procrastinated governance inherited from the predecessors that resulted in the erosion of the foundation, and eventually lead to the collapse of the kingdom. In ZiZhi TongJian, Sima Guang had spared no effort in describing the dire consequences of the emperors who lost the kingdoms or the entire ruling clan in minute details, some survived in humiliation, some merely maintained a shameful living, others executed or committed suicide. The purport was to arouse caution and fear, hence enabled them to be self-disciplined in governing the kingdom, without worrying about no heirs to succeed which leads to no worship or offerings for the ancestral shrine and fall of a country.
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