[1]Identity and datesRuan Yuan lived from 1764 to 1849 and was a Qing official and scholar of the Confucian classics.
CBDBRuan Yuan (29653)The main person entry gives the name Ruan Yuan, the years 1764 and 1849, and the Qing dynasty affiliation.
Souyun阮元 (72011)The profile and biographical entries identify Ruan Yuan as a Qing person living from 1764 to 1849 and describe his official and classical-scholar identity.
DILA Buddhist Authority Database阮元 (A004870)The authority entry gives his name, Qing affiliation, birth year, death year, and the description of him as a Qing official and scholar of the Confucian classics.
WikidataRuan Yuan (Q716358)The entity label gives the English name Ruan Yuan, while the English description supplies the 1764–1849 dates and identifies him as a Chinese historian, politician, and writer.
[2]Names and birthplaceHis courtesy name was Boyuan; his style names included Yuntai and Leitang Anzhu, with Yixing Laoren used in later life, and he came from Yizheng in Jiangsu.
CBDBRuan Yuan (29653)The alternate-name entries identify Boyuan as a courtesy name and list Yuntai, Leitang Anzhu, and Yixing Laoren; the address entry gives Yizheng as his native place.
Souyun阮元 (72011)The profile lists Boyuan, Yuntai, Yuntai in the alternate character form, Leitang Anzhu, and Yixing Laoren, and gives Jiangsu Yizheng as his hometown; the biographical text explains the courtesy and style names.
DILA Buddhist Authority Database阮元 (A004870)The authority entry lists Ruan Boyuan, Ruan Yuntai, Leitang Anzhu, Yixing Laoren, and Yuntai, and identifies Yizheng as the birthplace.
WikidataRuan Yuan (Q716358)The entity's alias collection includes Boyuan, Yuntai, Leitang Anzhu, and Yixing Laoren among the names associated with Ruan Yuan.
[3]Examination and first appointmentsIn 1789 Ruan Yuan passed the jinshi examination, ranked third in the second class, entered the Hanlin Academy as a shujishi, and became a compiler.
CBDBRuan Yuan (29653)The examination entries identify him as a jinshi and give the rank as third in the second class.
Souyun阮元 (72011)The biographical entries state that he passed in the fifty-fourth year of Qianlong, was made a shujishi, and received appointment as a compiler; one entry gives the year as 1789.
DILA Buddhist Authority Database阮元 (A004870)The authority note states that after the Qianlong fifty-fourth-year jinshi examination he was selected as a Hanlin Academy shujishi.
[4]Provincial governorshipsIn 1798 he became governor of Zhejiang and later served as governor-general of Huguang, Liangguang, and Yunnan–Guizhou.
DILA Buddhist Authority Database阮元 (A004870)The authority note explicitly gives the third year of Jiaqing for the Zhejiang governorship and names the later Huguang, Liangguang, and Yunnan–Guizhou governor-generalships.
[5]Additional officesHis career also included education commissions in Shandong and Zhejiang, governorships of Henan and Jiangxi, central-government posts, customs supervision, and metropolitan examination appointments in 1799 and 1833.
CBDBRuan Yuan (29653)The office entries list the Shandong and Zhejiang education commissions, Henan and Jiangxi governorships, Vice Minister of Revenue, Grand Secretariat and associate-grand-secretary posts, Zhan shi, customs supervision, and metropolitan examination appointments beginning in 1799 and 1833.
[6]Highest office and posthumous titleDuring the Daoguang era he became Grand Secretary of the Tiren Hall, was made Grand Tutor, received a second Deer-Ming banquet, retired through age and illness, and was posthumously named Wenda.
Souyun阮元 (72011)The biographical entries give the Tiren Hall grand-secretary office, the additional Grand Tutor title, the second Deer-Ming banquet, retirement because of age and illness, and the posthumous name Wenda.
DILA Buddhist Authority Database阮元 (A004870)The authority note confirms the Tiren Hall grand-secretary office and Grand Tutor title, while the name entry supplies Wenda as the posthumous name.
CBDBRuan Yuan (29653)The alternate-name entry identifies Wenda as a posthumous title.
[7]Scholarship and educationThroughout his official career he treated the promotion of learning and the revival of education as a personal responsibility.
Souyun阮元 (72011)The biographies state that wherever he served he made the promotion of learning and the revival of education his responsibility.
DILA Buddhist Authority Database阮元 (A004870)The authority note summarizes his official career as one in which he took the promotion of scholarship as his charge.
[8]Historiography and academiesHe promoted biographies of Confucian scholars and literary figures at the Historiographical Office and established Gujing Jingshe in Zhejiang and Xuehaitang in Guangdong.
Souyun阮元 (72011)The biographies describe his advocacy of the biographies of Confucian scholars and literary figures and name the Zhejiang Gujing Jingshe and Guangdong Xuehaitang.
DILA Buddhist Authority Database阮元 (A004870)The authority note confirms the Historiographical Office work, the Guangdong academy, and the Zhejiang academy.
[9]Calligraphy and connoisseurshipHe was skilled in calligraphy, especially seal and clerical scripts, and in appreciating epigraphy, painting, and calligraphy.
Souyun阮元 (72011)The biographies describe his calligraphy, particular command of seal and clerical scripts, and expertise in appreciating epigraphy, painting, and calligraphy.
[10]Ruan family stone paintingsHe made marble screens called Ruan family stone paintings and was known by the sobriquet Cangshan huaxian.
Souyun阮元 (72011)The biographical entry describes his marble screens as Ruan family stone paintings and gives Cangshan huaxian as the associated sobriquet.
[11]Shiqu BaojiHe helped compile the second continuation of Shiqu Baoji, recorded imperial collection inscriptions and colophons, and distinguished genuine works from forgeries.
Souyun阮元 (72011)The entry states that he participated in the second compilation of Shiqu Baoji, recorded the titles and colophons of imperial collection paintings and calligraphies, and distinguished genuine from spurious works.
[12]Scope of writingsHis extensive writings covered the Confucian classics, textual collation, epigraphy, poetry, and prose.
Souyun阮元 (72011)The biographies call his writings extensive, describe his poetry and prose, and list works on classical learning, textual collation, and epigraphy.
DILA Buddhist Authority Database阮元 (A004870)The authority note lists his classical editing, collected classical interpretations, and authored collection, supporting the scope of his scholarship.
[13]Editing and major worksHe edited the Thirteen Classics commentaries and the Wenxuanlou collectanea, compiled major classical and epigraphic works, published the Xuehaitang collection, and authored the Yanjingshi ji.
Souyun阮元 (72011)The biographies enumerate his editing of the Thirteen Classics commentaries and Wenxuanlou collectanea, compilation of the classical and epigraphic works, publication of the Xuehaitang collection, and authorship of the Yanjingshi ji.
DILA Buddhist Authority Database阮元 (A004870)The authority note confirms the editing of the Thirteen Classics commentaries, publication of the Xuehaitang collection, and authorship of the Yanjingshi ji.
[14]Variant book titleThe same epigraphic work appears under the two titles Jigu zhai Zhongding kuanshi and Jigu zhai Zhongding yishi.
Souyun阮元 (72011)Two biographies use the title with kuan, while the bibliographical entry uses the title with yi; the English text preserves both forms.
CBDBRuan Yuan (29653)The works entry gives the ten-juan title with the kuan form and the additional yi器 wording.
[15]Other worksOther works attributed to Ruan Yuan include eight titles listed in the text relations as authored works.
CBDBRuan Yuan (29653)The works entries pair all eight titles with the authored-work relationship.
[16]Family backgroundRuan Yuan's grandfather was Ruan Yutang, and his father was Ruan Chengxin; their recorded lifespans were 1695–1759 and 1734–1805.
CBDBRuan Yuan (29653)The kinship entries identify Ruan Yutang as grandfather and Ruan Chengxin as father and give their lifespans as 1695–1759 and 1734–1805.
[17]Wives and concubineHis first wife Jiang died in 1792, his second wife Kong Luhua lived from 1777 to 1832, their fathers were Jiang Zhenji and Kong Xianzeng, and he also had the concubine Tang Qingyun.
CBDBRuan Yuan (29653)The kinship entries identify the first wife Jiang with a death year of 1792, the second wife Kong Luhua with the years 1777–1832, both fathers, and the concubine Tang Qingyun.
[18]Children and descendantsHis children included Ruan Hu, Ruan Fu, Ruan You, Ruan Konghou, the adopted heir Ruan Changsheng, and the daughters Ruan Kongjing and Ruan Quan.
CBDBRuan Yuan (29653)The kinship entries identify Ruan Hu, Ruan Fu, Ruan You, Ruan Konghou, the adopted heir Ruan Changsheng, and the daughters Ruan Kongjing and Ruan Quan; they give Ruan Fu's birth year as 1802, Ruan Changsheng's death year as 1833, and Ruan Kongjing's lifespan as 1802–1821.
[19]Marriage arrangements and descendantsZhang Xi and Shen Qin-zhi were approved to marry Ruan Yuan's daughters; his grandchildren were Ruan Enhai and Ruan Enluan.
CBDBRuan Yuan (29653)The kinship entries give Zhang Xi's lifespan as 1803–1821, identify Shen Qin-zhi as approved to marry a daughter, and give the grandchildren Ruan Enhai and Ruan Enluan the lifespans 1821–1874 and 1831–1854.
[20]Friends and studentsRuan Yuan's friends included Jiao Xun, Jiang Fan, and Duan Yucai, while his students included Zhang Xi, Chen Shouqi, Liang Zhangju, Wu Rongguang, and Luo Shilin.
CBDBRuan Yuan (29653)The association entries label Jiao Xun, Jiang Fan, and Duan Yucai as friends and label Zhang Xi, Chen Shouqi, Liang Zhangju, Wu Rongguang, and Luo Shilin as his students.
CBDB
