Biography of Wang Anshi

Author: Liang Qichao
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2001-10-01
Features: As an outstanding figure who was rare in a century, yet criticized by the world during his lifetime and unable to shake off the stigma for generations after his death, he stands alongside Oliver Cromwell in Britain in the West, and Wang Anshi in China during the Song Dynasty. For thousands of years, Wang Anshi has been condemned as the culprit who embodies all rebellious and treacherous figures. In reality, he is truly one of the rare perfect individuals in the history of millennia of Chinese civilization. His virtue is as vast as a thousand-acre lake, his integrity as towering as a ten-thousand-foot cliff, his scholarship as refined as the essence of the nine schools of thought, his writings as revitalizing as the decline of the eight dynasties, and his achievements as policies that met the demands of the times and corrected its flaws. His excellent laws and noble ideas were often passed down and could not be abandoned even in later generations. This book aims to elucidate the political techniques of Lord Jing and thus provides detailed discussions on the content and merits and demerits of the new laws he created, often comparing them with the political systems of modern Europe and America to allow readers to integrate new and old knowledge. The History of the Song Dynasty, which is rich and substantial, was completed by historians after the Southern Song Dynasty, and was adopted by the Yuan Dynasty, all of which were filled with partisan opposition and cannot be trusted. Here, I have meticulously refuted every accusation against Lord Jing and compiled several notes on textual variations. The writing of this book was done spontaneously without revision, and I am aware of its flaws in being verbose and lacking refinement. I sincerely hope that the learned scholars of the world will offer guidance.