Ban Zhao

Ban Zhao (Chinese班昭, Pinyin Bān Zhao, W.-G. Pan Chao, * 45 in Anling (安陵) in today's Shaanxi Province, † 116) was a Chinese historian and maid of honor.

Life

The Ban family had connections to the royal Liu family of the Han Dynasty during three generations; as was Ban Zhao's great-aunt was once the favorite of Emperor Cheng. Her great- uncle Ban You had been given along with Liu Xiang with the edition and cataloging of manuscripts and received by the Cheng- Emperor some duplicate manuscripts as wages. This suggests that the Ban family had its own library and early on had the children of the family thus access to books.

Ban Zhao's father Ban Biao had joined a former military leader of the Xin Dynasty in the transitional period between the Western and Eastern Han, but switched sides when the Liu family came back to power. His official career as a consultant and military officer under the Guangwu emperor was marked by no special highlights. His ambitions were accordingly not in politics, but in his studies, especially in the writing of history books. So he set out to write a sequel to the Shi Ji by Sima Qian, which had ended in the middle of the Western Han.

Ban Zhao had older twin brothers, Ban Gu and Ban Chao. Ban Gu would later characterize as a historian at the court of the Eastern Han, while Ban Chao as general contributed to China's control over Central Asia to restore. After Ban Biao's death Ban Gu went on the Father's work, however, was arrested on charges of writing a private dynasty history. But the Ming emperor was pleased with his work so that he made ​​him not only free, but stopped as court historian and he gave the order to continue his work on the history of the Han dynasty.

Ban Zhao, with majority name (zi字) Huiban惠 班and second personal name ( ming名) Ji姬, about AD 49, was born in Anling in today's Shaanxi Province.

Her father and brothers were in close contact with scholars and discussed with them about politics and literature. So she grew up in an intellectual environment, studied the classics at a very young and followed the discussions of the father and brothers.

At 14, she married Cao Shishu, who but died early. After his death she lived a life as a widow for model and devoted himself entirely to their studies. Presumably, she returned to her family and assisted her brother Ban Gu of his research on Han Shu.

Ban Zhao was a highly educated woman of considerable literary talent, their education and intellect were publicly acknowledged. Extent and variety of her writings are impressive and leave no room for doubt that she was the one who continued the scholarly tradition of the family. However, only a few of their writings - some poems and throne inputs as well as the short treatise Nü Jie ( Precautions for young women) - the test of time.

After Ban Gu had mired in political infighting, which ultimately led to his execution, Ban Zhao was ordered by the He- Emperor to the court to complete the Han Shu. So they had after the death of her brother - albeit unofficially - the status of a Hofhistorikers. As the first commentator of the Han Shu, she taught many important male scholar in the correct understanding of the work, including Ma Rong, one of the main representatives of Confucianism his time should be.

In addition to her work as a historian, she had received from He- emperor commissioned to instruct the young empress and the palace ladies in classical writings, history and astronomy and mathematics. From her students she was approached with the honorary title Cao Dagu.

After the Emperor Dowager Deng Sui had 106 AD assumed the regency in the year, Ban Zhao played as a consultant in government and family matters a significant role in politics at the court. Ge established their influence so that they had already won the one hand by their behavior and knowledge in front of the respect and confidence of the Emperor and Empress, and on the other hand had great political skill and had a profound knowledge of the then political situation.

As Ban Zhao died with more than 70 years, the Kaiser- widow wore mourning for her.

• Author
• Gentlewoman
• Han Dynasty
• Historian ( Ancient China )
• Born in the 1st century
• Died 116
• Chinese
• Woman
• Literature (Han Dynasty )