Liu Chih-chi

Liu Chih-chi (lyō jûr-jē) [key], 661–721, Chinese T'ang dynasty historian. Drawing on experience gained while working on histories of the preceding dynasties, he wrote the first important Chinese work on historiography, the Understanding of History ( Shih-t'ung ). In a series of essays Liu discusses the origin, development, and relative merits of various forms of historical writing.

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