Exiled Historian: The Biography of Tan Qian, Series of Biographies of Famous Figures in Zhejiang Culture

Author: Qian Maowei, Chai Weiliang
Publisher:
Publishing Date: Not available
Features: Tan Qian (1594–1658) was a historian during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. His original name was Yi Xun, styled Zhongmu, and styled She Ni, from Maqiao. He was a Ming scholar. After the fall of the Ming Dynasty, he changed his name to Qian, styled Rumu, and styled Guanruo. From a young age, he was diligent in studying and, due to poverty, maintained his livelihood through copying documents, acting as a scribe, or working as a secretary (clerk). In the first year of the Hongguang era of the Southern Ming (1645), he served as the secretary of the minister Gao Hongtu, offering advice and strategizing to restore the Ming Dynasty. He was highly appreciated by Gao Hongtu, Zhang Shanyan, and others. Later, he was recommended for the positions of Zhongshu She Ren (a senior imperial secretary) and Libu Si Wù (a clerk in the Ministry of Rites), but he felt that "the times were worsening and there was nothing he could achieve," firmly declined the offers, and retired to live in seclusion. This book introduces his life.