Wang Xihou
Encyclopedia
Wang Xihou was a Chinese
scholar from Xinchang County (modern-day Yifeng County
, Jiangxi
) during the Qing dynasty
who was executed
under the rule of Emperor Qianlong.
Wang was born in 1713. At the age of five, he began his studies with his brother Wang Jingyun (王景云), and became proficient at the exegesis
of ancient Chinese texts
by age eight. He locked himself in a room, studying day and night, and was sent home-cooked meals through a small crevice.
Wang became a scholar-bureaucrat
at age 38. He wrote a book called Zi Guan (字贯), which criticized the Kangxi Dictionary
and printed the emperor's name without leaving out a stroke as required by Chinese naming taboo
. When Emperor Qianlong found out about this in 1777, Wang was imprisoned in Beijing
and sentenced to nine familial exterminations, the most serious form of capital punishment
in dynastic China.
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
scholar from Xinchang County (modern-day Yifeng County
Yifeng County
Yifeng County is a county of Jiangxi province, People's Republic of China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Yichun.- External links : -...
, Jiangxi
Jiangxi
' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to...
) during the Qing dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
who was executed
Literary Inquisition
Literary Inquisition refers to official persecution of intellectuals for their writings in Imperial China. Wénzìyù took place under each of the dynasties ruling China, although the Qing was particularly notorious for the practise. Such persecutions could owe even to a single phrase or word which...
under the rule of Emperor Qianlong.
Wang was born in 1713. At the age of five, he began his studies with his brother Wang Jingyun (王景云), and became proficient at the exegesis
Exegesis
Exegesis is a critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially a religious text. Traditionally the term was used primarily for exegesis of the Bible; however, in contemporary usage it has broadened to mean a critical explanation of any text, and the term "Biblical exegesis" is used...
of ancient Chinese texts
Chinese literature
Chinese literature extends thousands of years, from the earliest recorded dynastic court archives to the mature fictional novels that arose during the Ming Dynasty to entertain the masses of literate Chinese...
by age eight. He locked himself in a room, studying day and night, and was sent home-cooked meals through a small crevice.
Wang became a scholar-bureaucrat
Scholar-bureaucrats
Scholar-officials or Scholar-bureaucrats were civil servants appointed by the emperor of China to perform day-to-day governance from the Sui Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty in 1912, China's last imperial dynasty. These officials mostly came from the well-educated men known as the...
at age 38. He wrote a book called Zi Guan (字贯), which criticized the Kangxi Dictionary
Kangxi dictionary
The Kangxi Dictionary was the standard Chinese dictionary during the 18th and 19th centuries. The Kangxi Emperor of the Manchu Qing Dynasty ordered its compilation in 1710. The creator innovated greatly by reusing and confirming the new Zihui system of 596 radicals, since then known as 596 Kangxi...
and printed the emperor's name without leaving out a stroke as required by Chinese naming taboo
Naming taboo
Naming taboo is a cultural taboo against speaking or writing the given names of exalted persons in China and neighboring nations in the ancient Chinese cultural sphere.-Kinds of naming taboo:...
. When Emperor Qianlong found out about this in 1777, Wang was imprisoned in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
and sentenced to nine familial exterminations, the most serious form of capital punishment
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
in dynastic China.