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Zhang Zai

Type Figure Region China Time 1020–1077 Also known as Zhang Hengqu、Zhang Zi、Master Hengqu

Zhang Zai (1020–1077), born in Fengxiang, Shaanxi, was a founder of Northern Song Neo-Confucianism who established Guan learning.

Timeline

  1. 1020–1057Fengxiang Prefecture · FengxiangBorn in Fengxiang Prefecture, Shaanxi, he favored military strategy in his youth, later turning to Confucianism and reading widely in Confucian, Buddhist and Daoist texts, laying the scholarly foundation for the Guan learning system.
  2. 1057–1077Hengqu Town · HengquAfter passing the jinshi examination in 1057 he held various local offices; in his later years he returned to Hengqu Town to teach and write, advancing propositions such as 'great void is qi' and 'the people are my fellow kin,' establishing the Guan learning system; he died in 1077.

Sources