The first dynastic history of China was the Shiji 史記 "Records of the Grand Scribe", written by Sima Qian 司馬遷 (145-86 BC) during the Former Han Dynasty.
The pattern of Sima Qian's historiographic work was unique and should serve as model for the official standard histories of the imperial dynasties for the next two thousand years. The Hanshu, written by Ban Biao 班彪 and his son Ban Gu 班固, a historian who also took part in the compilation of the political compendium Baihutong 白虎通 and the history Dongguan Hanji 東觀漢記, helped to standardize the style of the official dynastic histories that has been established with the Shiji. Like Sima Qian, Ban Gu used the biographical-thematical sty�e with four different types of chapters. But the imperial biographies are much more written in an annalistic year-by-year style and report only officially recorded events. Sima Qian's imperial biographies are written in a more narrative style.
The chapters of the Houhanshu are:

1.-10. 紀 Ji Imperial Biographies 1-10: Emperors Guangwudi; Mingdi; Zhangdi; Hedi and Shangdi; Andi; Shundi, Chongdi, and Zhidi; Huangdi; Lingdi; Xiandi; Empresses 11.-90. 傳 Zhuan Biographies 1-80: (only the most important and interesting are presented here:) 11 Liu Xuan (the short-time emperor) 劉玄劉盆子 35 Zheng Xuan 張曹鄭 40 Ban Biao and Ban Gu 班彪 49 Wang Chong and Wang Fu 王充王符仲長統 60a Ma Rong 馬融 60b Cai Yong 蔡邕 72 Dong Zhuo 董卓 74 Yuan Shao 袁紹劉表 78 Eunuchs 宦者 82 Magicians 方術 84 Eminent Women 列女 85 the eastern barbarians 東夷 86 barbarians in the south and southwest 南蠻西南夷 87 rulers of the western Qiang tribes 西羌 88 the western territories 西域 89 the southern Xiongnu tribes 南匈奴 90 the Wuhuan and Xianbei tribes 烏桓鮮卑 志 Zhi Treatises 1-30: Measurements and Calendar 律曆 (1-3), Rites 禮儀 (4-6), Sacrifices 祭祀 (7-9), Astronomy 天文 (10-12), Five Phases 五行 (13-18), Geography 郡國 (19-23), Offices 百官 (24-28), Chariots and Garments 輿服 (29-30)

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