Ban Zhao

Ban Zhao

Ban Zhao (about 45 ~ 117 years), whose name is huiban, was born in anling, Fufeng (now Xianyang City, Shaanxi Province). She was a famous historian and writer in the Eastern Han Dynasty, the daughter of historian ban Biao and the sister of Ban Gu.

Ban Zhao is erudite and talented. Fourteen years old, married to Uncle Cao. Love history and finish the unfinished book of Han Dynasty by Ban Gu. When Emperor Hanhe ascended the throne, he called Ban Zhao to the palace many times, and made the empress and the nobles regard them as teachers and called them "everyone". Empress Dowager Deng took part in political affairs after she came to court.

There are seven works of Ban Zhao, which have great influence on later generations.

Life of the characters

Early experience

Ban Zhao was born in a Confucian family. His father, ban Biao, was a famous scholar at that time. Under the influence of his father's generation, Ban Zhao was knowledgeable and talented. At the age of 14, Ban Zhao married Cao Shishu, a native of Tongjun county. After her husband died in his early years, ban Zhaoqing followed the rules of women, behaved in line with etiquette, and had a very good integrity.

Please help me

In the 12th year (100th year) of emperor Yongyuan of the Han Dynasty, ban Chao lived in a remote place for a long time. He was old and missed his hometown. He wrote to the imperial court to ask for his return. In order to summon ban Chao back to China, Emperor shangshuhe said: "ban Chao was determined to die for his country when he was just out of the frontier. When Chen Mu was killed, ban Chao went to other places on his own. Thanks to his Majesty's blessing, he has been alive for 30 years. The people who followed him out of the fortress are dead. Ban Chao is over 70 years old, weak and ill. Even if he wants to do his best to serve his country, he can't do it. If there is an emergency, it is bound to damage the country's achievements.

I heard that the ancients joined the army on the 15th and returned to their hometown on the 60th. There was a time when they would rest or not serve. So I risked my life to ask your majesty to let ban Chao return. Ban Chao devoted all his loyalty and filial piety to the desert in his prime. When he was old, he was abandoned and died in the desolate and empty wilderness. How sad and pitiful! If ban Chao dies and dies in a foreign land, and the border changes, I hope ban Chao's family will be free from the crime of involvement. "

When he saw the memorial, he was very moved, so he sent Ren Shang, a Wuji school captain, to take over the post of governor of the western regions and replace ban Chao. Ban Chao was able to retire to his hometown.

Everybody in the court

Ban Zhao's brother, Ban Gu, wrote the book of Han Dynasty, and died before the eight tables and astronomical records were completed. Emperor Hanhe ordered Ban Zhao to go to Dongguan library to complete the continuation of Hanshu. Emperor Hanhe called Ban Zhao to the palace many times, and let the empress and nobles regard Ban Zhao as a teacher, known as "everyone (g ū)". Every time a place contributes precious and rare things, it is called Ban Zhao's tribute.

After the Empress Dowager Deng listened to the government, she chartered Ban Zhao to participate in political affairs. Ban Zhao was diligent in politics, and the Empress Dowager Deng was very satisfied. Cao, the son of Ban Zhao, became the Marquis of Guannei and the Prime Minister of Qi.

When the book of Han was first published, many people couldn't understand it. Ma Rong of the same county bowed to his book collector and followed Ban Zhao to learn the book of Han. Later, the emperor ordered Ma Xu, Ma Rong's brother, to replace Ban Zhao and complete the book of Han.

Old age experience

In the first month of the seventh year of Yongchu (113), Cao Cheng, the son of Ban Zhao, became the head of Chenliu county (now Changyuan County, Henan Province). Ban Zhao took office in Changyuan with his son. After entering Changyuan, Ban Zhao recalled the sages, touched the scene, imitated ban Biao's Fu on the Northern Expedition and wrote Fu on the eastern expedition.

Ban Zhao passed away in his seventies. Wearing plain clothes, Empress Dowager Deng mourned and sent envoys to supervise Ban Zhao's funeral.

Main achievements

Continued into the Han Dynasty

Ban Zhao played three main roles in the process of completing Han Shu: sorting out Han Shu, completing eight tables and disseminating Han Shu.

In the first year of emperor Yongyuan of the Han Dynasty (AD 89), Dou Xian was killed because of his power violation, and Ban Gu was implicated and died in prison. The book of Han was not finished and the manuscripts were scattered. Following his father's and brother's will, Ban Zhao read a lot of historical books for many years, collated and collated the scattered chapters left by his father and brother, and added eight tables on the basis of the original manuscript: the table of princes with different surnames, the table of princes, the table of meritorious officials of Gao Hui and Gao Houwen, the table of successful officials of Jingwu Zhao Xuanyuan, the table of relatives' Enze, the table of officials and ministers, the table of ancient and modern people, etc . In addition to sorting out and writing Hanshu, Ban Zhao also made great contributions to the dissemination and popularization of Hanshu. He once taught Ma Rong, a great scholar, to read Hanshu.

Main works

According to the biography of lienvzhuan in the book of the later Han Dynasty, there are 16 works written by Ban Zhao, including Fu, song, Ming, Lei, Wen, Zhu, elegy, Shu, Yu, Shangshu, Yiling, etc. Ban Zhao's works exist in seven chapters, such as "the eastern expedition Fu" and "women's commandments" included in "Quan Hou Han Wen · Juan 96" by Yan Kejun of Qing Dynasty. Ban Zhao once annotated Ban Gu's "you Tong Fu", which can be seen in Li Shan's annotation of "Wen Xuan".

Women's view

Master data: Women's commandments

Ban Zhao advocated that women should have "the way of three obediences" and "the instrument of four virtues". His view on women mainly includes two aspects: emphasizing the idea that men are superior to women and emphasizing obedience.

Ban Zhao believes that women should first realize their humble position and clear their gender roles. From this point of view, she advocates that women should bear the social responsibilities determined by their gender roles, such as hard work at home, housework and serving their husbands. It also gives a concrete explanation of women's morality, women's speech, women's appearance and women's merit. Ban Zhao emphasized the idea that men are superior to women, so he thought that women's world lies in the family, and there is no need to have talent. If there is talent, it is also "the talent of governing the country". He put women into the system designed by Confucianism, which helps to maintain the family relationship. Ban Zhao also derived from the idea that men are superior to women and that women are absolutely obedient to men, and stressed that the wife should be obedient not only to her husband, but also to her mother-in-law.

As one of the historical norms of "women's freedom" in ancient China, the four commandments for women advocated by Zhaodi for more than 1000 years.

have a niche in history

The book of the later Han Dynasty Volume 84 lie Nu Zhuan No.74

Anecdotes of characters

Remonstrate the Empress Dowager

During the Yongchu period, the Empress Dowager's elder brother, general Deng, wrote to the imperial court for his resignation on the grounds of his mother's death. The Empress Dowager didn't plan to approve it and asked Ban Zhao.

Ban Zhao then said in Shangshu: "the virtue of the Empress Dowager prevails. She adheres to the policy of Yao and Shun, speaks widely, and listens to the opinions of mad men and villagers. My servants are stupid. They have to meet the emperor. They dare to repay the emperor's kindness.

I heard that the most noble moral character is humility, so I was praised and blessed by the gods. The sages Boyi and Shuqi gave way to the monarch, and the world admired their noble demeanor; Taibo gave way to Jili, and Confucius praised them again and again. Therefore, their virtues are well-known in the world. The Analects of Confucius says, "if you can manage the country with comity, what's the dilemma in politics?" It can be seen that the virtue of concession has far-reaching influence.

Now the four uncles stick to their loyalty and filial piety and resign to seclusion on their own initiative. If they refuse because the border is not peaceful, the uncles may make minor mistakes in the future. They are afraid that the name of humility will not be regained. Chen Yan is here to fulfill my humble opinion. I know that I can't get enough words, so I'll talk about insects and ants in order to repay the Empress Dowager's kindness. "

The Empress Dowager listened to Ban Zhao's suggestion and agreed to Deng's request, so Deng and others were able to resign and return home.

Women's commandments for writing books

Ban Zhao was ill in his later years, and the women in his family were just at the age of marriage. He worried that they did not understand women's etiquette, which would make the future husband's family lose face and disgrace the clan. In his spare time, he wrote seven chapters of "women's commandments" as encouragement. After the completion of the book, it would be very helpful for the education of women in the palace.

Ma Rong thought it was very good to let his wife and daughter learn.

Cao Fengsheng, the younger sister of Ban Zhao's husband, Cao Shishu, was also very talented. She disagreed with the seven commandments and wrote a book to refute it. The diction was also very impressive.

Character evaluation

Fan Ye: (Ban Zhao) erudite and talented, (husband) my uncle died early, and he had the discipline to do it.

Zhao Fu: a continuation of history, ode and Xian.

Xu Jun: if there is a woman, who can be like a virtuous man. It is not necessary to continue the history of the Han Dynasty. The female ring can be handed down from the world.

Xiao Liang: Ban Zhao, Han history, Cai Yan, Hu Jia. Phoenix Lulu, parrot lute.

Liu Kezhuang: mending history for Meng Jian, Ban Zhao's talent and learning, Zhonglang's biography, Cai Yan's poems.

Liu tixin: Ban Zhao continued the book of Han Dynasty. At that time, Ma Rong was also a learned scholar. He asked Fuge to read it from Ban Zhao. His knowledge is far from great.

Qingxi xuman Xianwan LAN: toppling Ban Zhao to continue his talent in history, ten years away from the dream of traveling around Sutai.

Kang Youwei: he is listed among men with facial features by respecting Jiang Zhide, Ban Zhao, Qin Liangyu, Xin Xianying, Li Yian and song ruoxian.

Family members

Grandfather: ban Zhi was once the prefect of Guangping during the reign of emperor AI of the Han Dynasty.

Father: ban Biao, the word uncle skin, official to Xu county magistrate. He wrote more than 60 chapters of Hou Zhuan, which laid the foundation for Ban Gu to revise Han Shu.

Elder brother: Ban Gu, named Meng Jian, is an official of the central guard. According to the imperial edict, the book of Han was completed.

Second brother: ban Chao, the word Zhongsheng, official to Shesheng Xiaowei, granted Dingyuan marquis.

Husband: Cao Shishu, or Cao Shou.

Son: Cao Cheng, Zi Gu. He was the commander of Nagasaki.

Daughter in law: Ding.

Commemoration of later generations

Tomb of Cao Jia

Cao Jia's tomb is located about 500 meters northeast of Dagu village, Fengyi Town, Xingping City, Xianyang City, Shaanxi Province. The tomb is located on a high platform. The tomb is cone-shaped, 10 meters long from east to west and about 4 meters high, surrounded by cultivated land. In December 1982, it was announced as a key cultural relics protection unit at the county level by the people's Government of Xingping county. Dagu village is still preserved in the first iron bell in the 11th year of Qianlong reign of Qing Dynasty. The article records Ban Zhao's life history and the landform at that time.

Artistic image

Drama image

The new version of Kun Opera Ban Zhao premiered in Shanghai Kun Opera Troupe in 2001: Zhang Jingxian plays Ban Zhao.

"Ban Zhao" is performed by Hangzhou Yue Opera Theater: Chen Xiaohong plays Ban Zhao.

Film and television image

In 2014, the TV drama "Legend of ban Shu" (also known as "female Fu"), tianniu acted as Ban Zhao.

Chinese PinYin : Ban Zhao