Classical scholar and revolutionary, jailed in 1903 over the 苏报案 for writing against the Qing; he later taught 鲁迅 and many others. He is remembered as a master of 国学, traditional Chinese learning.
Zhang Taiyan was one of the most influential intellectuals around the Xinhai Revolution.
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history
His literary name 太炎 honours two scholars who had resisted the Qing: 太 from 黄宗羲's name 太冲, and 炎 from 顾炎武. In the same spirit he renamed himself 绛, which had been 顾炎武's birth name.
Qing court's prosecution of the Shanghai newspaper 苏报 for publishing revolutionary essays - landed Zhang Taiyan three years in prison and made him a national figure.
