Liu Zhiji (劉知幾 Liú Zhījī) (661–721), courtesy name
Zixuan (子玄), was a Chinese historian and author of the
Shitong born in present-day Xuzhou, Jiangsu during the
Tang Dynasty. Liu's father Liu Zangqi and elder brother Liu Zhirou were officials, famous for their literary compositions. He received his Imperial Examination degree in 680, and began working on several compilations with others in the court in 699. In 708, he decided to resign himself and started compiling the
Shitong.
Stephen W. Durrant calls Liu Zhiji "one of ancient China's most critical and brilliant readers" (The Cloudy Mirror, 71-72: Liu is quoted criticizing Sima Qian's style for verbosity and deliberately setting apart the chronologically close accounts).
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劉知幾（661年 - 721年），字
子玄，出于彭城劉氏，
唐代官員、史學家。
Read more...: 生平 關于劉氏源流的考証
生平
永隆年間（680年）以弱冠舉進士，官至左散騎常侍。他歷任著作佐郎、中書舍人、著作郎，又撰起居注，兼修國史二十餘年。期間深感宰相大臣監修，多所幹預，不能秉筆直書其言。
景龍二年（708年）辭去史職，從事私人修史工作。劉知幾一生從事史書編輯工作，著有《劉氏家乘》十五卷、《劉氏譜考》三卷、《史通》二十卷、《睿宗實錄》十卷、《劉子玄集》三十卷；合著有《三教珠英》一千三百一十三卷、《姓族系錄》二百卷、《唐書》八十卷、《高宗實錄》二十卷、《中宗實錄》二十卷、《則天皇后實錄》三十卷。僅有《史通》傳世，對中國唐朝以前的史籍作了全面的分析和批評，是中國第一部史學理論專著。他在史通中提出史家須有三長：史才、史學、史識；對著史強調直筆，提倡「不掩惡、不屬善」、「愛而知其醜、憎而知其善」的態度。
開元九年（721年），六十歲的他時因營救長子犯罪流配一事而被唐玄宗貶為安州都督府別駕，不久便去世，享年六十一歲。有六子：劉貺、劉餗、劉匯、劉秩、劉迅、劉迥。有一女劉氏（714年—771年三月）嫁李神通玄孫洺州清漳縣尉李衡。
關于劉氏源流的考証
劉知幾考証劉氏不是堯的後裔，而是陸終的苗裔，彭城叢亭里劉氏也不是楚元王劉交的後裔，而是漢宣帝之子楚孝王劉囂曾孫居巢侯劉愷的後裔。
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