Sima Qian was not only a historian,litterateur,and philosopher but also a military strategist well-versed in military texts and the strategies of warfare.He was knowledgeable about past and contemporary wars before and during the reign period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty.He believed that the key to victory in war lay in the commanders'abilities;"selecting and appointing generals and ministers"was a crucial guarantee for a ruler's success.Regarding the qualities of generals and commanders,he proposed requirements such as trustworthiness,integrity,benevolence,courage,wisdom,and strictness.He also emphasized that generals should always consider the country and its people rather than blindly following the ruler's orders.Sima Qian's thought greatly enriched the content of traditional Chinese military theories on generals and commanders.
Sima QianHistorical RecordsThought on Generals and Commanders
NETL
NSTL
万方数据
