Page:A Chinese Biographical Dictionary.djvu/946

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A Chinese Biographical Dictionary
927


accompanied the Mongol army of inrasion, and captnred Chao Fn, from whom he learnt the doctrines of the Sung scholars. Placed as secretary to the (royemor of Peking in 1241, he soon retired in di^Qst at official corruption. In his home at the j|^ f^ Su- m6n hill in Honan he built a temple to Confucius and to the six Sung philosophers, printed the Classics, and encouraged learning. On the accession of Mangu in 1251 Eublai Khan, who was then Viceroy of the territory south of Gobi, invited him to his Court and treated him with honour. In 1252 he accompanied Eublai on his expedition against the independent kingdom of Ta-li (modern Yiinnan), and took occasion to point out how merciful had been the victories of Ts'ao Pin. "What Ts'ao Pin did," cried Kublai, "I can do!" The result was that banners inscribed with the words No Slaughter were distributed among the troops, and public confi- dence was restored. In 1263 he became Minister of State, and in 1273 he procured the appointment of ^ ^ An-t'ung and Bayan to command the armies invading Sung. In 1274 he caused whipping, branding, and other excessive punishments to be abolished, showing much mercy to the defeated Chinese. Canonised as ^ )^* Tao Wen-jan ^ ^ iJf? (T. |g >0|). Died A.D. 1678. Graduated 2440

as chin shih in 1643, and in 1646 became a Supervising Censor, He successfully advocated many reforms, and could address remon- strances to the Emperor with a freedom allowed to no other officer. By 1676 he had risen to be President of the Board of Punishments, at which post he died of overwork. Author of a treatise on law, and of a collection of poems and essays characterised by simplicity and earnestness. Canonised as j^ *|^, and in 1730 admitted into the Temple of Worthies.

Tao Wen-tUen M^Bi (T. ^^). A.D. 1757-1827. A 2441

native of ^ ^ Euei-an in Chehkiang, who gained the first place at the Palace Examination in 1799 and was rapidly promoted