[1]Dates and identityDugu Ji is dated to 725–777, while 726 also appears as an alternative birth year.
CBDBDugu Ji (32917)The person is named Dugu Ji and dated to 725–777.
Souyun獨孤及 (18488)The profile and biography identify him as Dugu Ji and give the years 725–777.
WikidataDugu Ji (Q16078400)The English label is Dugu Ji; the birth-year claims give both 725 and 726, and the death-year claim gives 777.
[2]StatusDugu Ji was a Tang-dynasty writer and poet.
CBDBDugu Ji (32917)His dynasty is Tang, and his statuses identify him as a poet and writer skilled in composition.
Souyun獨孤及 (18488)The biographical entries identify him as a Tang figure with a literary reputation and skill in poetry.
[3]Style and posthumous nameHe was styled Zhizhi, ranked fourteenth, received the posthumous name Xian, and was known as Dugu Changzhou.
CBDBDugu Ji (32917)The alternative-name entries classify Xian as the posthumous name, Dugu Shisi as the rank name, and Zhizhi as the style name, while also listing Duguchangzhou.
Souyun獨孤及 (18488)The profile and biographies give the style name Zhizhi, the rank fourteen, the posthumous name Xian, and the name Dugu Changzhou.
WikidataDugu Ji (Q16078400)The English aliases and name claims likewise list Dugu Shisi, Duguchangzhou, Xian, and Zhizhi.
[4]Place of originDugu Ji came from Luoyang, in present-day Henan.
Souyun獨孤及 (18488)The profile and biographies describe him as a native of Luoyang, now in Henan.
[5]FamilyHis father was Dugu Tongli; his sons were Dugu Lang and Dugu Yu, and his niece was Li Ying.
CBDBDugu Ji (32917)The kinship entries identify his father as Dugu Tongli, his sons as Dugu Lang and Dugu Yu, and his niece as Li Ying.
[6]ExaminationsIn 754 Dugu Ji took the Daoju examination, achieved a high result in the policy essay, and passed the Dongxiao Xuanjing category; the examination designations also include the jinshi category.
CBDBDugu Ji (32917)The examination entries include both the jinshi category and the institutional Dongxiao Xuanjing examination.
Souyun獨孤及 (18488)The biographies date the examination to 754, describe it as Daoju, and report a high result in the policy essay.
[7]Early career and displacementHe began as County Magistrate of Huayin; after the An Lushan rebellion began, he fled south, took refuge in Yuezhou during the Zhide era, and served in the Zhejiang Eastern Circuit and Jianghuai Area Command staffs.
CBDBDugu Ji (32917)The office entries list the Huayin county post and service as a jiedushi aide in the Zhejiang Eastern Circuit.
Souyun獨孤及 (18488)The biographies record his appointment at Huayin, flight south during the rebellion, refuge in Yuezhou, and service in the two regional staffs.
[8]Regional staff postsIn 758 he served as a jiedushi aide in the Zhejiang Eastern Circuit; in 760 he was a Left Jinwu Guard officer and secretary to Li Huan, with the post also styled wei bing cao canjun.
CBDBDugu Ji (32917)The office entries date the Zhejiang Eastern Circuit post to the first year of Qianyuan and the secretary and guard posts to the first year of Shangyuan.
Souyun獨孤及 (18488)The biography describes the Left Jinwu Guard post and service as secretary to Li Huan, commander of the Jianghuai area.
[9]Court officesIn 762 he became magistrate of Huzhou; in 763 he was summoned as Left Remonstrator, was promoted in 764 to Erudite of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and later served as Assistant Director in the Ministries of Rites and Personnel.
CBDBDugu Ji (32917)The office entries list the Huzhou magistracy in 762, Left Remonstrator in 763, Court of Sacrifices post in 764, and later posts in the Ministries of Rites and Personnel.
Souyun獨孤及 (18488)The biographies confirm the summons as Left Remonstrator and the promotions through the Court of Sacrifices and the two ministries.
[10]Provincial officesIn 768 he held office in Haozhou, whose title is variously given as judge or governor; in 770 he became governor of Shuzhou, and his administrative performance brought him the concurrent title jiaoxiao sifeng langzhong and the gold-and-purple insignia.
CBDBDugu Ji (32917)The office entries list the Haozhou and Shuzhou governorships in 768 and 770.
Souyun獨孤及 (18488)The biographies vary between the titles judge and governor for Haozhou, and also report the move to Shuzhou, the concurrent title jiaoxiao sifeng langzhong, and the gold-and-purple insignia.
[11]Changzhou and deathThe move to Changzhou is dated either to the eighth or ninth year of Dali; he died in the twelfth year, in the fourth month, at the age of fifty-three.
CBDBDugu Ji (32917)The office entry places the Changzhou post from 773, and the main record gives the death year as 777.
Souyun獨孤及 (18488)The biographies give both the eighth- and ninth-year datings for Changzhou and state that he died in the twelfth year, in the fourth month, aged fifty-three.
[12]Friendships and literary exchangesWhile traveling in Liang and Song, Dugu Ji befriended Gao Shi, Jia Zhi, and Chen Jian, and exchanged poems and prose with Cen Shen and Chang Gun.
Souyun獨孤及 (18488)The biography describes his travels in Liang and Song and his friendship with Gao Shi, Jia Zhi, and Chen Jian.
CBDBDugu Ji (32917)The exchange entries name Gao Shi, Cen Shen, Jia Zhi, Chen Jian, and Chang Gun in connections involving the giving of poems or prose.
[13]Classical-prose advocacyDugu Ji was noted for filial and fraternal devotion, for recognizing and supporting younger talents, and for writing that clarified good and evil; he excelled in argument and helped promote classical prose with Li Hua, Xiao Yingshi, and Jia Zhi, becoming a pioneer of the Tang classical-prose movement.
Souyun獨孤及 (18488)The biographies describe his filial character, support for younger talents, concern with clarifying good and evil, strength in argument, and role with Li Hua, Xiao Yingshi, and Jia Zhi in promoting classical prose.
[14]Students and reputationLiang Su was his student; Zhu Juchuan and Cui Yuanhan also came from his circle, and he was hailed as a wenbo, or master of letters.
CBDBDugu Ji (32917)The relationship entry explicitly identifies Liang Su as his student.
Souyun獨孤及 (18488)The biography places Liang Su, Zhu Juchuan, and Cui Yuanhan among his pupils and says that he was called a wenbo.
[15]Prose styleHis prose was directed toward establishing norms, admonishing the world, praising the worthy, and restraining evil; critics praised its concise breadth, directness, tact, and argumentative force, while another critic found it lacking in ease and harmony.
Souyun獨孤及 (18488)The critical passages describe the moral and argumentative purpose of his prose, praise its concise and tactful style, and also criticize its lack of ease and harmony.
[16]Poetics and poetic receptionDugu Ji upheld the principle of yuanqing qimili; his poetry was praised for its archaic high style and distance from worldly dust, while another assessment called his poetic brush exceptionally elevated and ranked him among the great poets of the mid-Tang.
Souyun獨孤及 (18488)The poetry entry gives the yuanqing qimili position, while later assessments praise the archaic style and elevated poetic brush and place him among the major mid-Tang poets.
[17]Assessment of the collectionAn assessment of the collected poems counted nearly eighty pieces, found many cumbersome passages, but considered the best close to Yuan Daozhou and cautioned against discarding the collection.
Souyun獨孤及 (18488)The poetic assessment counts nearly eighty poems, criticizes cumbersome passages, compares the best passages with Yuan Daozhou, and argues that the poems should not therefore be abandoned.
[18]Collected worksDugu Ji wrote Biling ji in twenty juan, and two juan of his poetry are included in Quan Tang shi; supplementary poems are counted as four or two in different tallies.
Souyun獨孤及 (18488)The biographies give Biling ji as a surviving twenty-juan collection, two juan of poems in Quan Tang shi, and different counts of four and two supplementary poems.
[19]Preface and epitaphsHe composed the preface Song Li Bai zhi Cao'nan xu, wrote epitaphs for Dugu Yu, Dugu Tongli, and Cui, and had an epitaph composed by Cui Youfu.
CBDBDugu Ji (32917)The association entries list the preface for Li Bai, epitaphs for Dugu Yu, Dugu Tongli, and Cui, and the epitaph for Dugu Ji by Cui Youfu.
Souyun獨孤及 (18488)The biographical material names Cui Youfu's stele for Dugu Ji, supporting the account of his posthumous inscription.
CBDB
