Ancient China · Statesman

Guan 管

Attested BC 700 - BC 645

Passages: 2
Chapters: 2
Histories: 1

Overview

Guan was a statesman.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal name	Guan Zhong	管仲	Guǎn Zhòng

Life and dates

Attested activity

BC 700 to BC 645 夷吾桎梏
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 124, passage 9
BC 685 to BC 645 惠王怪之，以讓客曰：「子之稱淳于先生，管、晏不及，及見寡人，寡人未有得也。
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 74, passage 52

Key source chapters

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 74 Biographies of Mengzi and Xun Qing 1 passage
Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 124 Biographies of Knight-errants 1 passage

Career and standing

Wore fetters
Captivity
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 124, passage 9

Assessments and attributes

Assessment compared as inferior to Chunyu Kun in guest's praise · Mode quotation Speaker King Hui of Liang (梁惠王)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 74, passage 52

References in the histories

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 74Biographies of Mengzi and Xun Qing · 1 passage

惠王怪之，以讓客曰：「子之稱淳于先生，管、晏不及，及見寡人，寡人未有得也。 King Hui was astonished and reproached the guest, saying: "You praised Master Chunyu as surpassing Guan and Yan, but when I met him, I gained nothing from it.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 124Biographies of Knight-errants · 1 passage

太史公曰：昔者虞舜窘於井廩，伊尹負於鼎俎，傅說匿於傅險，呂尚困於棘津，夷吾桎梏，百里飯牛，仲尼畏匡，菜色陳、蔡。 The Grand Historian remarks: In the old days, Emperor Shun was nearly killed in a well and a granary. Yi Yin labored among the pots and cutting boards. Fu Yue hid himself at the cliffs of Fu. Lu Shang was reduced to desperate straits at Jijin. Guan Zhong wore fetters. Baili Xi fed cattle for a living. Confucius was besieged at Kuang and went hungry until his face turned sallow between Chen and Cai.