Jixia Academy | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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Traditional Chinese | 稷下學宮 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Simplified Chinese | 稷下学宫 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Jixia Academy or Academy of the Gate of Chi [1] was a scholarly academy during the Warring States period. [1] It was located in Linzi,the capital of Qi (present-day Shandong). The academy took its name from its position outside the city's western gate, [2] named for the harvest god Ji or Hou ji
Based on passages in the Records of the Grand Historian , [3] the academy is generally credited to King Xuan and given a foundation date around 318 BC. However,Xu Gan credited the academy to King Xuan's grandfather,Duke Huan of Tian Qi,not to be confused with Duke Huan of Qi. Sima Qian's passages are consistent with King Xuan having restored – rather than established – the institution. [4]
The academy has been characterized as "the first time on record a state began to act as a patron of scholarship out of the apparent conviction that this was a proper function of the state", [5] though some have argued that its Huanglao political theories,and the prestige produced by the project,were undertaken merely to bolster the Tian clan's legitimacy following Duke Tai's overthrow of Qi's previous Jiang dynasty [6] and Duke Huan of Tian Qi execution of his brother,nephew,and mother. [7]
Scholars – including the most renowned of the era – came from great distances to lodge in the academy:the Taoist philosophers Tian Pia,Shen Dao,Peng Meng,and possibly Zhuangzi; [1] Zou Yan,the founder of the School of Naturalists;the Mohist philosopher Song Xing;and the Confucian philosophers Mencius, [8] Xun Zi, [9] and Chunyu Kun. The famous scenes of the Mencius dealing with King Xuan arose from the philosopher's time at the academy. The Jixia Academy was also the original center of the Huanglao school and was involved with the compilation of the Guanzi essay Neiye "Inward Training" that is the oldest received writing concerning "cultivation of qi" and meditation. [5] Some have argued it was the probable location for the editing and redaction that produced the current Tao Teh Ching . [2]
The academy was popular not only because of the mansions [3] and stipends provided, [9] but because of the honors bestowed by King Xuan:the chief scholar held the rank of "Grand Prefect"[ clarification needed ] and other leaders of the academy were called "Master" (先生,xiānshēng) and honored as if they were high ministers of state (上大夫,shàngdàifū) rather than lowly scholar gentry and they were exempt from corvee. [9] According to the anti-Confucian chapter eleven of Discourses on Salt and Iron (81 BC),"King Xuan of Qi appreciated the scholars and their teachings. Mencius,Chunyu Kun,and others neglected the high offices they were given,preferring to make speeches about affairs of state. There were more than one thousand of these scholars disputing at the Jixia Academy in Qi. You admit that people like Gongsun Hong were everywhere then." [10]
The Jixia Academy thrived until the reign of King Min. In 284 BC,it was scattered by Yan's sack of Linzi. However,Sima Qian credited its example with the creation of other academies,particularly those of the Four Lords:Lord Mengchang's within Qi,as well as Lord Pingyuan's in Zhao,Lord Chunshen's in Chu,and Lord Xinling's in Wei. [11] In Qin,the chancellor LüBuwei supported thousands of scholars between 250 and 238 BC.
In February 2022,archaeologists announced the discovery of the ruins of the academy in Zibo city,Shandong province. The excavation,which had been going for 5 years before the announcement,turned up four rows of building foundations that belonged to the academy complex,along with architectural components that "would glow with colorful lights when the sun shines on them". The site measures about 210 m from east to west at its widest and 190 m long from north to south,shaped roughly like a right-angled trapezoid from above,with a total area of nearly 40,000 square meters. [12]
Qi,or Ch'i in Wade–Giles romanization,was a regional state of the Zhou dynasty in ancient China,whose rulers held titles of Hou (侯),then Gong,before declaring themselves independent Kings. Its capital was Linzi,located in present-day Shandong. Qi was founded shortly after the Zhou conquest of Shang,c. 1046 BCE. Its first monarch was Jiang Ziya,minister of King Wen and a legendary figure in Chinese culture. His family ruled Qi for several centuries before it was replaced by the Tian family in 386 BCE. Qi was the final surviving state to be annexed by Qin during its unification of China.
Xunzi,born Xun Kuang,was a Chinese philosopher of Confucianism during the late Warring States period. After his predecessors Confucius and Mencius,Xunzi is often ranked as the third great Confucian philosopher of antiquity. By his time,Confucianism had suffered considerable criticism from Daoist and Mohist thinkers,and Xunzi is traditionally regarded as a synthesizer of these traditions with earlier Confucian thought. The result was a thorough and cohesive revision of Confucianism,which was crucial to the philosophy's ability to flourish in the Han dynasty and throughout the later history of East Asia. His works were compiled in the eponymous Xunzi,and survive in excellent condition. Unlike other ancient compilations,his authorship of these texts is generally secure,though it is likely that Western Han dynasty historian Liu Xiang organized them into their present form centuries after Xunzi's death.
Duke Huan of Qi,personal name Xiǎobái (小白),was the ruler of the State of Qi from 685 to 643 BC. Living during the chaotic Spring and Autumn period,as the Zhou dynasty's former vassal states fought each other for supremacy,Duke Huan and his long-time advisor Guan Zhong managed to transform Qi into China's most powerful polity. Duke Huan was eventually recognized by most of the Zhou states as well as the Zhou royal family as Hegemon of China. In this position,he fought off invasions of China by non-Zhou peoples and attempted to restore order throughout the lands. Toward the end of his more than forty-year-long reign,however,Duke Huan's power began to decline as he grew ill and Qi came to be embroiled in factional strife. Following his death in 643 BC,Qi completely lost its predominance.
Lu was a vassal state during the Zhou dynasty of ancient China located around modern Shandong. Founded in the 11th century BC,its rulers were from a cadet branch of the House of Ji (姬) that ruled the Zhou dynasty. The first duke was Boqin,a son of the Duke of Zhou,who was brother of King Wu of Zhou and regent to King Cheng of Zhou.
Linzi was the capital of the ancient Chinese state of Qi during the Zhou dynasty. The ruins of the city lie in modern-day Linzi District,Shandong,China. The city was one of the largest and richest in China during the Spring and Autumn period. Upon occupying Linzi in 221 BC,King Ying Zheng of Qin completed his conquest of the Chinese rival states and declared himself the first emperor of China shortly afterwards. The ruins of the ancient city were excavated in 1926 by Japanese archaeologists and in 1964 by Chinese archaeologists.
Zou Yan was a Chinese philosopher and spiritual writer of Warring States-era. He was best known as the representative thinker of the Yin and Yang School during the Hundred Schools of Thought era in Chinese philosophy.
Marquess Wen of Wei was the first Marquess to rule the State of Wei during the Warring States period of Chinese history. Born Wei Si (魏斯),he belonged to the House of Wei,one of the noble houses that dominated Jin politics in the 5th and 6th centuries BC.
The Mencius is an anthology of conversations and anecdotes attributed to the Confucian philosopher Mencius. The book is one of the Chinese Thirteen Classics,and explores Mencius's views on the topics of moral and political philosophy,often as a dialogue with the ideas presented by Confucianism. The interviews and conversations are depicted as being either between Mencius and the various rulers of the Warring States period,or with his students and other contemporaries. The book documents Mencius's travel across the states,and his philosophical conversations and debates with those he meets on his journey. A number of scholars suggest that the text was not written by Mencius himself,but rather by his disciples. The text is believed to have been written during the late 4th century BC.
Chunyu Kun was a wit,Confucian philosopher,emissary,and official during the Chinese Warring States period. He was a contemporary and colleague of Mencius.
King Min of Qi was a notoriously unsuccessful king of the northeastern Chinese state of Qi during the Warring States period. "Famous for his paranoia and megalomania,the king was the archetype of the unworthy and unaware ruler." A generation later,the philosopher Xunzi wrote of King Min:"The king of Qi perished and his state was destroyed,punished by all under Heaven. When later generations speak of bad men,they are sure to mention him."
Li Yiji was a Chinese philosopher and politician. He served as a political adviser to Liu Bang,the founding emperor of the Han dynasty. His brother Li Shang,served as a military general under the Han dynasty.
Duke Jing of Qi was ruler of the State of Qi from 547 to 490 BC. Qi was a major power during the Spring and Autumn period of ancient China. His personal name was LüChujiu (呂杵臼),ancestral name Jiang,and Duke Jing was his posthumous title. After the years of unrest as two powerful ministers,Cui Zhu and Qing Feng,sought to control the state of Qi,Duke Jing appointed Yan Ying as his prime minister,and Qi entered a period of relative peace and prosperity.
An Ruzi,also called Yan Ruzi,was for a few months in 489 BC ruler of the State of Qi,a major power during the Spring and Autumn period of ancient China. His personal name was LüTu (呂荼),ancestral name Jiang,and An Ruzi was his posthumous title,ruzi meaning "little boy". Due to his short reign and young age he was not given the normal ducal title. He was known as Prince Tu before ascending the throne.
Duke Xuan of Qi was from 455 to 405 BC the titular ruler of the State of Qi during the transition from the Spring and Autumn to the Warring States period of ancient China. His personal name was LüJi (呂積),ancestral name Jiang,and Duke Xuan was his posthumous title.
Duke Kang of Qi was from 404 to 386 BC the titular ruler of the State of Qi during the early Warring States period of ancient China. His personal name was LüDai (呂貸),ancestral name Jiang,and Duke Kang was his posthumous title. He was the final Qi ruler from the House of Jiang.
Duke Tai of Tian Qi was from 386 to 384 BC ruler of the State of Qi,a major power during the Warring States period of ancient China. He was the first Qi ruler from the House of Tian,replacing the House of Jiang that had ruled the state for over six centuries.
Yan,Marquis of Tian was from 383 to 375 BC ruler of the State of Qi,a major power during the Warring States period of ancient China. His personal name was Tián Yǎn (田剡),and ancestral name Gui.
Duke Huan of Tian Qi was from 374 to 357 BC ruler of the State of Qi,a major power during the Warring States period of ancient China. Duke Huan's personal name was Tian Wu (田午),and ancestral name Gui. His official posthumous title was simply Duke Huan of Qi,but he is commonly called Duke Huan of Tian Qi to be distinguished from the original Duke Huan of Qi from the House of Jiang,who was the first of the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn period.
King Xuan of Qi was from 319 to 301 BC ruler of Qi,one of the seven major states of the Warring States period of ancient China. King Xuan's personal name was Tian Bijiang (田辟疆),ancestral name Gui,and King Xuan was his posthumous title.
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