贾谊 (JiǎYì): Jia Yi (200–168 BC), Western Ha…

Meanings

1 Jia Yi (200–168 BC), Western Han dynasty statesman, scholar, and poet

Characters

贾

friendship; given name

Examples

贾谊是西汉著名的政论家和文学家。

Jiǎ Yì shì Xī Hàn zhùmíng de zhèng lùn jiā hé wénxué jiā.

Jia Yi was a renowned political theorist and literary figure of the Western Han dynasty.

《过秦论》是贾谊的代表作。

《Guò Qín Lùn》 shì Jiǎ Yì de dàibiǎozuò.

'On the Faults of Qin' is Jia Yi's representative work.

Tips

history

A child prodigy who entered Emperor Wen's court in his early twenties, Jia Yi was sidelined by jealous senior ministers and exiled as tutor to the King of Changsha. He died at 33 of grief after his royal pupil's accidental death — the prototypical 怀才不遇 (huáicáibùyù, 'talented but unrecognized') figure.

culture

His essay 《过秦论》 ('On the Faults of Qin') is still standard Chinese high-school reading, used to teach how Qin's harsh laws led to its rapid collapse. Li Shangyin's poem 《贾生》 ('Mr. Jia') turned him into a literary archetype of wasted talent.