Guan Zhong

Guan Zhong
管仲
A Portrait of Guan Zhong from a segment of Wu family shrines stone-relief (on the right)
Born720 BC
Died645 BC (aged 75)
Other namesYiwu (夷吾)
Occupation(s)Politician, philosopher
Notable workGuanzi
Guan Zhong
Chinese管仲
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinGuǎn Zhòng
Wade–GilesKuan3 Chung4
IPA[kwàn ʈʂʊ̂ŋ]
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationGún Juhng
JyutpingGun2 Zung6
Southern Min
Tâi-lôKńg Tiōng
Old Chinese
Baxter–Sagart (2014)*[k]ˤo[n]ʔ N-truŋ-s

Guan Zhong (Chinese: 管仲; Wade–Giles: Kuan Chung; c. 720–645 BC) was a Chinese philosopher and politician. He served as chancellor and was a reformer of the State of Qi during the Spring and Autumn period of Chinese history.[1] His given name was Yiwu (Chinese: 夷吾; pinyin: Yíwú). Zhong was his courtesy name. He is mainly remembered for his reforms as chancellor under Duke Huan of Qi, as well as his friendship with his colleague Bao Shuya, though his reputation remained controversial among the Confucians,[2] as detailed in the Philosophy and appraisal section.

Through Guan Zhong's reforms and skilful diplomacy Qi became the most powerful of the feudal states and Duke Huan became the first of the Five Hegemons. Though knowledge of his reforms is limited, in particular he instituted a famous fiscal policy known as "balancing the light and the heavy", associated with salt and iron monopolies.[3] Otherwise a diverse work, the Guanzi compilation making use of his name makes similar such recommendations.[4]

  1. ^ Ebrey, Patricia; Walthall, Ann; Palais, James (2009). East Asia: A Cultural, Social, and Political History. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 22. ISBN 978-0-547-00534-8.
  2. ^ Chŏng, Yag-yong (2016). The Analects of Dasan: A Korean Syncretic Reading. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-062499-6.
  3. ^ Ricket, Guanzi (1985) p.9
  4. ^ Ricket, Guanzi (1985) p.3