[1]Life dates and identityXu Qianxue was born in 1631 and died in 1694, although 1632 is also given as a birth year; he is identified as an early-Qing politician and scholar, with classifications as a scholar of the Classics of Rites and a civil official.
CBDBXu Qianxue (30399)These fields provide the English name, dates, Qing affiliation, and classifications as a Classics of Rites scholar and civil official; the principal birth year is 1631.
Souyun徐乾學 (62655)The profile and biographical text confirm the person, his dates, early-Qing setting, and description as a politician and scholar.
WikidataXu Qianxue (Q11070296)The English label and description identify him as a Qing-dynasty politician; the claims contain both 1631 and 1632 as birth-year values and 1694 as the death year.
[2]Courtesy name and native placeHis courtesy name was Yuanyi, his sobriquet was Jian'an, and the sobriquet has the written variants 健菴 and 建庵; his native place is given as Jiangnan Kunshan or Changzhou.
CBDBXu Qianxue (30399)The name fields give Yuanyi, Jianan, and the written forms 健庵 and 健菴, while the address fields give Kunshan and Changzhou.
Souyun徐乾學 (62655)The profile and biographical entries provide Yuanyi, Jian'an or Jian’an, and Jiangnan Kunshan as the courtesy name, sobriquet, and native place.
WikidataXu Qianxue (Q11070296)The alias collection independently includes Yuanyi, 健庵, and 健菴.
[3]Other namesOther names associated with Xu Qianxue include Chuanshilou, Guanshantang, Yiyantang, Danyuan, Jiaoxitang, Donghai, Yufengxiansheng, Bishan, Bishantang, Suiyuan, Yibaolou, Yuansuishi, and Sanxu.
CBDBXu Qianxue (30399)The alternate-name fields provide the listed names, including Sanxu.
WikidataXu Qianxue (Q11070296)The alias collection corroborates the listed alternate names apart from the separately listed Sanxu variant.
[4]Early education and societyAt eight Xu could write prose and was taught by Gu Yanwu; in 1650 he helped organize the Ten-Prefecture Society at South Lake in Jiaxing.
Souyun徐乾學 (62655)The biographical text explicitly gives his precocious writing, Gu Yanwu’s instruction, and the 1650 literary society at South Lake in Jiaxing.
[5]Intellectual circleHis circle included Hu Wei, Gu Zuyu, Wan Sitong, Yan Ruoqu, Huang Yi, Zhu Yizun, Jiang Chenying, Huang Yuji, and Gu Mei.
Souyun徐乾學 (62655)The biographical text names these nine scholars as people with whom Xu Qianxue had dealings.
CBDBXu Qianxue (30399)The relationship entries identify the same nine people as friends or associates.
[6]Friends and studentsThe relationship entries identify Lu Longqi, Zhu Heling, and Lu Zhixi as friends, and Han Tan and Nalan Xingde as students.
CBDBXu Qianxue (30399)The relationship entries classify Lu Longqi, Zhu Heling, and Lu Zhixi as friends and Han Tan and Nalan Xingde as students.
[7]FamilyXu Qianxue’s younger brothers included Xu Bingyi, Xu Yuanwen, and Xu Hongji; Bingyi and Yuanwen were both high officials, and his grandsons included Xu Defen, Xu Deshu, and Xu Demian.
Souyun徐乾學 (62655)The biographical entry says that Xu Bingyi and Xu Yuanwen were both high officials.
CBDBXu Qianxue (30399)The kinship entries list the three younger brothers and three grandsons together with their relationships to Xu Qianxue.
[8]Educational statusesHis educational and examination statuses included county student, jiansheng, and xianggong juren.
CBDBXu Qianxue (30399)The examination and educational entries list xianggong juren, jiansheng, and county student statuses.
[9]Palace examinationIn 1670, Xu placed third in the first rank, the tanhua, and received an appointment as an editor in the Inner Hongwen Academy.
CBDBXu Qianxue (30399)The examination entry gives first rank, third place, and the office data give the editor appointment.
Souyun徐乾學 (62655)The biographical entries connect the ninth Kangxi year and 1670 with the tanhua result and the Inner Hongwen Academy editorship.
[10]Shuntian examinationIn 1672, Xu served as deputy chief examiner for the Shuntian Prefecture provincial examination with Cai Qiguan. One account gives improper candidate selection as the reason for his demotion and reassignment; another specifies omitted Han bannermen’s papers from the supplementary list and an impeachment by Yang Yongjian.
Souyun徐乾學 (62655)The biographical entries identify the eleventh Kangxi year, the deputy chief-examiner role, Cai Qiguan, and the Shuntian examination.
[11]Demotion and impeachmentThe reason for the demotion is summarized as improper candidate selection in one entry, while another gives the omitted Han bannermen’s papers and Yang Yongjian’s impeachment as the specific circumstances.
Souyun徐乾學 (62655)One biographical entry states that improper selection led to demotion and reassignment; another gives the omission of Han bannermen’s papers and Yang Yongjian’s impeachment.
[12]Restoration and court serviceIn 1675, Xu secured restoration of his original office after making a payment, became Left Palace Assistant, and entered the daily lecture and imperial diary office.
Souyun徐乾學 (62655)The biographical entries confirm the 1675 restoration, promotion to 左春坊左赞善, and appointment as 日讲起居注官.
[13]Mourning and historiographyAfter returning home for his mother’s mourning, Xu wrote the 120-juan 讀禮通考; after mourning he became a chief compiler of the History of Ming and was promoted to Academician Reader.
CBDBXu Qianxue (30399)The title and authorship-role fields identify 讀禮通考 as a 120-juan work associated with Xu as its author.
Souyun徐乾學 (62655)The biographical texts give his return for mourning, the writing of 讀禮通考, the post-mourning appointment as chief compiler of the History of Ming, and the promotion to Academician Reader.
[14]Date of chief compilershipThe appointment as chief compiler of the History of Ming is placed in a different chronological formulation and is also dated to 1682.
Souyun徐乾學 (62655)One entry places the chief compilership after the mourning period, while another explicitly dates the appointment to 1682; the chronological difference is retained.
[15]Official compilationsXu was commissioned to participate in compiling Da Qing Yitongzhi, Qing Hui Dian, and the History of Ming.
Souyun徐乾學 (62655)The biographical texts describe his chief-compiling and commissioned editorial work on the three official histories and reference works.
[16]Southern Study and editorial officesIn 1685, Xu came first in the palace examination, entered the Southern Study, taught imperial princes, became an Academician of the Grand Secretariat, served as deputy chief compiler of Qing Hui Dian and Da Qing Yitongzhi, and taught the shujishi.
Souyun徐乾學 (62655)The biographical entry gives the twenty-fourth Kangxi year and the palace examination, Southern Study, imperial teaching, Grand Secretariat, deputy-compilership, and shujishi appointments.
[17]Later officesIn the twenty-fifth year of Kangxi Xu became vice minister of rites and a lecturer at the classical lectures; in the twenty-sixth year he became Left Censor-in-Chief and Minister of Justice, and he served as an examiner in 1688.
CBDBXu Qianxue (30399)The office data provide the 1688 metropolitan-examination appointment and the Left Censor-in-Chief office.
Souyun徐乾學 (62655)The biographical entries confirm the twenty-fifth-year rites and classical-lecture appointments and the twenty-sixth-year promotions to Left Censor-in-Chief and Minister of Justice.
[18]ImpeachmentsXu’s association with Gao Shiqi and Wang Hongxu involved mutual self-promotion; his family members, household retainers, and nephews engaged in bribery and private dealings and acted oppressively in the countryside, leading to repeated impeachments.
Souyun徐乾學 (62655)The biographical text links mutual self-promotion, bribery and private dealings by his household circle, local oppression, and repeated impeachments.
[19]After dismissalAfter his dismissal, the emperor still ordered Xu to keep the book bureau with him.
Souyun徐乾學 (62655)The biographical text states that after his dismissal the emperor ordered him to take the book bureau with him.
[20]Classical learning and ritualXu’s expertise lay in the Classics of Rites; he knew court institutions and affairs of state well, and his views were used to settle court debates over ritual.
CBDBXu Qianxue (30399)The status field classifies Xu as a scholar of the Classics of Rites.
Souyun徐乾學 (62655)The literary evaluation describes his knowledge of court institutions and state affairs and his role in settling ritual discussions.
[21]PoetryXu’s poetry was described as refined and elegant, well formed in every genre, and very close in style to Gu Yanwu’s.
Souyun徐乾學 (62655)The poetic appraisal calls his verse refined and elegant, says that its genres were well judged, and compares it with Gu Yanwu’s poetry.
[22]Works and title variantsXu’s editorial and literary works included 讀禮通考, 通志堂經解, 傳是樓書目, and 憺園集; the collected-work title also appears as 澹園集 or 檐園集, and he wrote 教習堂條約 in one juan.
CBDBXu Qianxue (30399)The work fields list 憺園文集, 澹園集, 傳是樓書目, 讀禮通考, 通志堂經解, and 敎習堂條約, and identify 讀禮通考 and 敎習堂條約 as authored works.
Souyun徐乾學 (62655)The biographical entries name 讀禮通考, 通志堂經解, 傳是樓書目, and 憺園集 and preserve the 憺, 澹, and 檐 title variants.
[23]Chuanshilou libraryXu’s library at Chuanshilou held a rich collection of books, and he compiled its catalogue, 傳是樓書目.
CBDBXu Qianxue (30399)The work data list the eight-juan catalogue 傳是樓書目.
Souyun徐乾學 (62655)The biographical entry says that he had Chuanshilou, that its book collection was rich, and that he compiled its catalogue.
CBDB
