The first of the twenty-four histories of China, which are given the status of "authentic history," is the "Shiji," also known as the "Records of the Grand Historian." It was written by the Han dynasty historian Sima Qian in the 2nd century BCE. The "Shiji" covers Chinese history from the Yellow Emperor (2697–2597 BCE) to the contemporary period of the author's own time, making it one of the oldest and most comprehensive works of Chinese historiography.
~~~Harsha~~~