Ferdinand Verbiest (南懷仁)

Overview

Ferdinand Verbiest was an Astronomer and Official.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Posthumous name	Qinmin	勤敏
Native name	Ferdinand Verbist	佛迪南特斯

Life and dates

Death

AD 1688 二十七年
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 272, passage 114

Attested activity

AD 1674 康熙十三年
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 28, passage 51
AD 1669 康熙八年
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 27, passage 5
AD 1674 儀象志
Dated from the passage context · Draft History of Qing 28, passages 51, 54
AD 1688 康熙二十七年
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 272, passage 114
AD 1669 康熙八年
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 272, passages 84, 103
AD 1662 康熙初
Dated from the passage context · Draft History of Qing 91, passages 140-141

Show 3 more source-backed claims

AD 1662 康熙初
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 272, passage 98
AD 1674 比儀象志
Dated from the passage context · Draft History of Qing 28, passages 51, 57
AD 1660 to AD 1688 與南懷仁及諸西洋人論不合
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 505, passage 199

Key source chapters

Origins and identity

Belgian 比利時國人
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 272, passage 97
Westerner 西洋人
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 505, passage 199

Career and standing

supervising official 監臣
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 27, passage 5
Director 監正
AD 1669 康熙八年十二月 · Appointed
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 272, passage 108
Assistant Director 監副
Appointed
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 272, passage 102
Vice Minister of Works 工部侍郎
Appointed
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 272, passage 113
supervising official of the Directorate 監臣
AD 1674 康熙十三年 · Held
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 28, passage 51
Directorate of Astronomy 欽天監
Held
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 91, passage 141

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supervising official 監臣
Held
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 27, passage 5
Vice Minister of Works 工部侍郎
Posthumously granted
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 91, passage 141
Qinmin 勤敏
Granted posthumously
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 272, passage 114
Granted
Exempt from kneeling kowtow
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 91, passage 141

Places and affiliations

Polity Qing 清 · Relation Served at court
Strongly inferred · Draft History of Qing 505, passage 199
Polity Qing 清 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 27, passage 5; Draft History of Qing 91, passage 141; Draft History of Qing 272, passage 101
At Belgium 比利時國
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 272, passage 97
AD 1682 二十一年
At Shengjing 盛京 · Relation Traveled to
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 272, passage 112

Learning and skills

Belief Catholicism 天主教 · Relation Adherent of
Strongly inferred · Draft History of Qing 272, passage 120

Works and attributed material

Kangxi Perpetual Tables 康熙永年表
Relation Author
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 272, passage 111
Treatise on Observatory Instruments and Phenomena 靈臺儀象志
Relation Author
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 272, passage 110
Tang Ruowang's unfinished eclipse tables 湯若望未竟之書
Relation Completed
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 272, passage 111
Observational Instruments Treatise 儀象志
Relation Reviser
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 28, passages 51, 54, 57
Impeached Mingxuan calendar errors
Memorial · Author
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 272, passage 82
Counsel · Author · With Kangxi Emperor (康熙帝) · Paraphrased
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 27, passage 5

Events and relationships

advised remaking of six astronomical instruments 用監臣南懷仁言，改造六儀
AD 1669 康熙八年 · Administrative · Advisor · Advised · With Kangxi Emperor (康熙帝)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 27, passage 5
Calendar testing matched observations
Scientific · Observer
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 272, passages 84, 86
Disagreed and resented
Scholarly dispute · Opponent · With Dai Zi (戴梓)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 505, passage 199
Inner court audiences standing
Court · Attendant
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 91, passage 141
Rebuilt observatory instruments
Technical · Maker
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 272, passages 107-109
Revised star catalog
AD 1674 康熙十三年 · Scholarly · Reviser · Outcome 259 offices and 1,129 stars matching antiquity 二百五十九座，一千一百二十九星
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 28, passage 51

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Relation Quarreled with · Person Dai Zi (戴梓)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 505, passage 199
Relation Advisor of · Person Kangxi Emperor (康熙帝)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 27, passage 5

Assessments and attributes

Assessment writings judged deep and fine versus Yang's attacks · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 272, passage 126

References in the histories

Search passages

History

30 passages

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 27Volume 27 Treatises 2: Astronomy 2, Astronomical Instruments · 1 passage

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康熙八年，聖祖用監臣南懷仁言，改造六儀，曰黃道經緯儀、赤道經緯儀、地平經儀、地平緯儀、紀限儀、天體儀。 In Kangxi 8 the Kangxi emperor, on Verbiest's advice, commissioned six new instruments: ecliptic theodolite, equatorial theodolite, azimuth theodolite, altitude quadrant, sextant, and celestial globe.

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 28Volume 28 Treatises 3: Astronomy 3, Sun, Moon, and the Five Planets, Fixed Stars, Yellow and Red Paths, the Twelve Stations, and Lunar Lodges, Hun Dan Zhong Xing · 3 passages

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儀象考成云：「康熙十三年，監臣南懷仁修儀象志，星名與古同者，總二百五十九座，一千一百二十九星，比步天歌少二十四座，三百三十五星。 The Compendium records: "In 1674 Verbiest revised the star catalog to 259 offices and 1,129 named stars matching antiquity—24 offices and 335 stars fewer than the Steps to Heaven Song.

近年以來，累加測驗，星官度數，儀象志尚多未合。 Recent remeasurements show many coordinates still diverging from Verbiest's treatise.

計三垣二十八宿，星名與古同者，總二百七十七座，一千三百一十九星，比儀象志多十八座，一百九十星，與步天歌為近。 The revised Three Enclosures and Twenty-eight Mansions list 277 offices and 1,319 classical stars—18 offices and 190 stars more than Verbiest, nearer the Steps to Heaven Song.

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 91Volume 91 Treatises 66: Rites 10, Bin Li · 1 passage

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南懷仁官欽天監，贈工部侍郎，凡內廷召見，並許侍立，不行拜跪禮。 Ferdinand Verbiest held office in the Directorate of Astronomy and was posthumously granted the rank of vice minister of works; whenever summoned to the inner court, he was permitted to stand in attendance and was not required to kneel or kowtow.

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 272Volume 272 Biographies 59: Tang Ruowang, Yang Guangxian, Nan Huai Ren · 24 passages

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湯若望楊光先南懷仁 Tang Ruowang, Yang Guangxian, and Nan Huai Ren

聖祖既親政，以南懷仁治理曆法，光先坐譴黜，復用新法。 Once Kangxi took personal rule, he put Nan Huai Ren in charge of the calendar, punished and dismissed Yang Guangxian, and restored the new method.

是時朝廷知光先學術不勝任，復用西洋人南懷仁治理曆法。 By then the court knew Yang Guangxian's learning was inadequate and again put the Westerner Nan Huai Ren in charge of the calendar.