What was the first official history book in China?

The first official history book was the Dong Guan Han Ji.

The Dong Guan Han Ji was the first official biographical history of China, which recorded the history of the Eastern Han Dynasty for more than a hundred years from the reign of Emperor Guangwu to that of Emperor Lingdi of the Han Dynasty. After the book came out, it had a great influence at that time, and was called the "Three Histories" together with the "Records of the Grand Historian" and the "Book of Han". The later generations regarded it, together with the Book of the Later Han Dynasty, the Chronicle of the Later Han Dynasty, and the Ziji Tongjian, as an important historical source for the study of the history of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

The rulers of the Eastern Han Dynasty, recognizing the importance of mastering the discourse of the history books, began to set up special institutions to take charge of the compilation of the history books. Empress Ma of the Han Ming Emperor was involved in the compilation of the history of the Han Ming Emperor's dynasty.

She ordered the deletion of her elder brother Ma Fang's labor for the illness of Han Mingdi. Emperor Zhang of Han felt puzzled and asked Empress Dowager Ma: Isn't it a bit unfair that not only was there no commendation for his uncle's service to the late emperor for almost a year, but now even his merits are not recorded?

Expanded:

The Dongguan Hanji was gradually compiled and perfected over several generations before it finally became a book, and its compilation went through three phases, in which three people made the greatest contributions.

1, Ban Gu and "Shizu Benji"

Ban Gu, Fufeng Anling, the famous historian and literary scholar of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Ban Gu came from a Confucian family, and his father, Ban Biao, was a famous scholar at that time. In his later years, Ban Biao devoted himself to continue writing the Records of the Grand Historian, and under the influence of his father, Ban Gu also began to pay attention to the history of the Han Dynasty.

2, Liu Zhen and the "Records of the Han Dynasty"

Liu Zhen, a native of Caiyang County in Nanyang County, was a historian of the Eastern Han Dynasty, who served as a servant of the Visitors, a minister, a lieutenant of the Yuezhi Riding School, a Zongzheng, and a Weiweiwei, among other positions. Liu Zhen writes a lot of works, has written "since Jianwu famous ministers biography", "Dongguan Hanji", "interpretation of the name", now exists "Dongguan Hanji Guangwu Syllabus", "Zhang Di Syllabus" and so on.

3, Cai Yong and the Ten Zhi

Cai Yong, Chenliu County, Mining County people, the Eastern Han Dynasty, a famous writer, calligrapher, talented Cai Wenji's father. Cai Yong had been enlisted for the Stuart bridge Xuan's puisne, Dong Zhuo in power, called Cai Yong for the wine, within three days of moving to the left of the post of general, known as "Cai Zhonglang". Dong Zhuo was killed, Cai Yong because in the seat of Wang Yun sighing and was imprisoned, and soon died in prison.

Baidu Encyclopedia - Dongguan Hanji