Kang Youwei (康有為)

Overview

The translated histories identify Kang Youwei as a named individual, official, philosopher, and scholar. This record brings together 57 passages from 6 chapters across 1 history, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Kang Youwei	康有為	Kang Youwei
Alternate	Gengsheng	更生	Gengsheng
Courtesy	Guangxia	廣廈	Guangxia
Surname	Kang	康	Kang
Personal name	Kang Youwei	康有為	Kang Youwei
Personal	Kang Youwei	康有為
Personal	Kang Youwei	康有爲	Kang Youwei
Given name	Youwei	有為	Youwei
Given	Youwei	有為	Youwei
Changed	Zuyi	祖詒	Zuyi

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Explicit · qingshigao:436:s0147, qingshigao:445:s0165, qingshigao:464:s0011, qingshigao:473:s0066
Sex: male
Strongly inferred · qingshigao:437:s0022

Roles

Named Individual
Official
Philosopher
Scholar
Statesman
Teacher
Writer

Life and dates

Death

Place: Qingdao / 青島 · Manner: illness
Explicit · qingshigao:473:s0111

Age

Age: 70 · Reckoning: sui
Explicit · qingshigao:473:s0109

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 丁卯民國十六年，1927 · Western Year: AD 1927
Explicit · qingshigao:473:s0109
Source Date: Text: 丁巳民國六年，1917 · Western Year: AD 1917
Explicit · qingshigao:473:s0152
Source Date: Text: 二十四年 · Western Year: AD 1898
Explicit event contextual date · qingshigao:437:s0022, qingshigao:437:s0023, qingshigao:464:s0011, qingshigao:464:s0014, qingshigao:464:s0063
Source Date: Text: 二十四年 · Western Year: AD 1898
Explicit · qingshigao:473:s0073
Source Date: Text: 光緒二十一年 · Western Year: AD 1895
Explicit · qingshigao:473:s0067
Source Date: Text: 光緒二十四年 · Western Year: AD 1898
Explicit · qingshigao:436:s0147, qingshigao:443:s0047, qingshigao:445:s0165
Source Date: Text: 宣統三年 · Western Year: AD 1911
Explicit · qingshigao:473:s0148
Source Date: Text: 甲子民國十三年，1924 · Western Year: AD 1924
Explicit · qingshigao:473:s0105

Family

Sibling of Kang Guangren (康廣仁)
Kinship Term: elder brother / 兄 · Subject Relative Age: elder · Shared Parentage: full
Kinship Term: younger brother / 弟 · Shared Parentage: full · Subject Relative Age: elder · Subject Role: elder-brother · Object Role: younger-brother
Kinship Term: younger brother / 弟 · Subject Relative Age: younger · Shared Parentage: full

Career and standing

Label: secretary in the Ministry of Works / 工部主事 · Action: appointed
Explicit · qingshigao:473:s0067
Label: vice president of the Palace Lectures Institute / 弼德院副院長 · Action: appointed
Explicit · qingshigao:473:s0152
Label: Zongli Yamen secretary on detached duty / 總理衙門章京上行走 · Action: appointed
Explicit · qingshigao:473:s0081
Label: secretary in the Ministry of Works / 工部主事 · Action: held
Explicit · qingshigao:445:s0165
Status: household confiscated; reward for capture · Action: punished
Explicit · qingshigao:473:s0095
Status: stripped of office and ordered arrested · Action: punished
Explicit · qingshigao:473:s0093

Places and affiliations

Label: Qing / 清 · Relation: served
Explicit · qingshigao:464:s0011
Place: Nanhai, Guangdong / 廣東南海
Explicit · qingshigao:473:s0066
Place: Japan / 日本 · Relation: exiled-to
Explicit · qingshigao:473:s0098
Place: Qingdao / 青島 · Relation: died-at
Explicit · qingshigao:473:s0111
Organization: Society to Protect the State / 保國會 · Relation: founder
Explicit · qingshigao:445:s0175

Learning and skills

Credential: Presented Scholar / 進士 · Action: earned
Explicit · qingshigao:473:s0067
Belief: honoring Confucius and protecting the teaching / 尊孔保教 · Relation: adherent-of
Explicit · qingshigao:473:s0068
Belief: Western learning and Japanese model / 西學…師法日本 · Relation: advocate-of
Explicit · qingshigao:445:s0171

Works and attributed material

Works: many listed in s0114
Explicit · qingshigao:473:s0114
Work: Book of Great Unity / 大同書 · Relation: author
Explicit · qingshigao:473:s0114
Work: his writings on reform / 所著書籍 · Relation: author
Explicit · qingshigao:445:s0167
Work: Inquiry into Confucius as a Reformer / 孔子改制考 · Relation: author
Explicit · qingshigao:473:s0114
Work: Inquiry into the Forged Classics of the Xin Learning / 新學偽經考 · Relation: author
Explicit · qingshigao:473:s0114
Kind: memorial · Role: author
Explicit · qingshigao:473:s0069
Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Other Person Id: Guangxu Emperor (光緒帝)
Explicit · qingshigao:473:s0074, qingshigao:473:s0075, qingshigao:473:s0077, qingshigao:473:s0078, qingshigao:473:s0079
Kind: telegram · Role: author
Explicit · qingshigao:473:s0105, qingshigao:473:s0106, qingshigao:473:s0107

Events and relationships

Kind: political · Role: advisor · Action: discussed-new-policies-with-emperor · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 光緒二十四年 · Western Year: AD 1898
Explicit · qingshigao:436:s0147
Kind: political · Role: founder · Action: established Society to Protect the State
Explicit · qingshigao:473:s0073
Kind: political · Role: participant · Action: Hundred Days' Reform
Explicit · qingshigao:473:s0088
Relation: teacher-of · Person Id: Kang Guangren (康廣仁)
Explicit · qingshigao:464:s0212
Relation: student-of · Person Id: Zhu Ciqi (硃次琦)
Explicit · qingshigao:473:s0068

Assessments and attributes

Assessment: extraordinary natural gift; opened new intellectual currents · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Explicit · qingshigao:473:s0112

Source notes

Historicity: historical
Explicit · qingshigao:473:s0066

References in the histories

Open any source group to read the Chinese and English passage in context.

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 436Volume 436 Biographies 223: Shen Guifen, Li Hongzao, Weng Tonghe, Sun Yuwen · 1 passage

Open chapter

二十四年，上初召用主事康有為，議行新政。 In 1898 the emperor first summoned the chief clerk Kang Youwei and discussed implementing the new policies.

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 437Volume 437 Biographies 224: Rong Lu, Wang Wenshao, Zhang Zhidong, Qu Hongji · 2 passages

Open chapter

是時上擢用主事康有為及知府譚嗣同等參預新政，議變法，斥舊臣，召直隸按察使袁世凱入覲，超授侍郎，統練兵。 The emperor was then promoting Kang Youwei, a secretary, and Tan Sitong, a prefect, among others to take part in the new policies; reform was debated, veteran ministers were pushed aside, and Yuan Shikai, Zhili surveillance commissioner, was summoned to court, given a leap promotion to vice minister, and placed in command of military training.

榮祿不自安，御史楊崇伊奏請太后再垂簾，於是太后复臨朝訓政，召榮祿為軍機大臣，以世凱代之，命查拿康有為，斬譚嗣同等六人於市，以上有疾，詔徵醫； Uneasy at these developments, Rong Lu watched as Censor Yang Chongyi asked the empress dowager to resume regency behind the curtain; the empress dowager then took up government again, recalled Rong Lu as a Grand Councilor, put Yuan Shikai in his former post, ordered Kang Youwei arrested, and had Tan Sitong and five others executed in public; because the emperor was said to be ill, physicians were summoned by edict;

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 443Volume 443 Biographies 230: Sun Jianai, Zhang Baixi, Tang Jingchong, Yu Shimei, Shen Jiaben · 1 passage

Open chapter

二十四年，坐濫舉康有爲，革職留任。 In the twenty-fourth year he was punished for indiscriminately recommending Kang Youwei: his office was stripped but he was kept in post.

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 445Volume 445 Biographies 232: Wu Kedu, Zhu Yixin, Tu Keshou, An Weijun, Wen Ti, Jiang Chunlin · 8 passages

Open chapter

御史宋伯魯、楊深秀聯名劾以守舊迂謬，阻撓新政，諭應騤明白回奏，覆奏稱珍惜名器，物色通才，並辭連工部主事康有為，請罷斥驅逐。 Censors Song Bolu and Yang Shenxiu jointly impeached him for conservatism and obstruction of the new policies; the throne ordered Xu to reply clearly, and in reply he spoke of cherishing offices and seeking able men, also implicating Kang Youwei of the Ministry of Works and asking that he be dismissed and driven out.

文悌以言官為人指使，黨庇報復，紊亂臺諫，遂上疏言：「康有為向不相識，忽踵門求謁，送以所著書籍，閱其著作，以變法為宗。 Wen Ti, holding that remonstrating officials were directed by others, engaged in factional shielding and revenge, and threw the censorate into disorder, therefore memorialized: "Kang Youwei was previously unknown to me when he suddenly came to my door seeking an audience and presented his writings; reading them, I found reform to be his doctrine.

乃知康有為之學術，正如漢書嚴助所謂以春秋為蘇秦縱橫者耳。 Thus Kang Youwei's learning is just as Yan Zhu in the Book of Han said of using the Spring and Autumn for Su Qin's vertical and horizontal alliances.

曾以此言戒勸康有為，乃不思省改，且更私聚數百人，在輦轂之下，立為保國會，日執途人而號之曰：'中國必亡，必亡！ I once admonished Kang Youwei with these words, yet he would not reflect and reform; instead he privately gathered several hundred men under the capital, established a Society to Protect the State, and daily seized passersby crying: 'China must perish, must perish!'

設使四民解體，大盜生心，藉此以集聚匪徒，招誘黨羽，因而犯上作亂，未知康有為又何以善其後？ Suppose the four classes dissolve and great robbers take heart; using this to gather bandits and entice partisans, and thereby rebel against superiors—who knows how Kang Youwei would then set things right?

曾令其將忠君愛國合為一事，勿徒欲保中國而置我大清於度外，康有為亦似悔之。 I once told him to join loyalty to the ruler and love of country in one matter and not merely wish to preserve China while setting our Great Qing outside consideration; Kang Youwei also seemed to repent.

以康有為一人在京城任意妄為，遍結言官，把持國事，已足駭人聽聞； That Kang Youwei alone in the capital acted wantonly, bound censors everywhere, and controlled state affairs is already enough to shock the ear;

康有為之變法，何以異是？ How is Kang Youwei's reform different from this?

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 464Volume 464 Biographies 251: Li Duanfen, Xu Zhijingzi, Ren Zhu, Chen Baozhen, Huang Zunxian, Ceng He, Yang Shenxiu, Yang Rui, Liu Guangdi, Tan Sitong With: Tang Caichang, Lin Xu, Kang Guangren · 15 passages

Open chapter

維時康有為上書請變法，兼及興學。 About this time Kang Youwei submitted memorials calling for reform and for the expansion of education.

二十四年，密薦康有為及譚嗣同堪大用。 In the twenty-fourth year he secretly recommended Kang Youwei and Tan Sitong as men capable of high responsibility.

未幾，有為等敗，端棻自疏檢舉，詔褫職，戍新疆。 Before long Kang Youwei's party fell; Duanfen submitted a memorial denouncing himself, and an edict removed him from office and banished him to Xinjiang.

子仁鑄，時以編修督湘學，倡新學，書告致靖舉康有為。 His son Renzhu, then a compiler serving as Hunan's educational commissioner, promoted the new learning and wrote urging Zhijing to recommend Kang Youwei.

未幾，詔果求通才，於是致靖奏有為堪大用，並及梁啟超、黃遵憲等。 Soon an edict did call for broadly talented men; Zhijing then reported that Kang Youwei was fit for high office, and also named Liang Qichao, Huang Zunxian, and others.

會康有為言事數見效。 At that time Kang Youwei’s policy proposals had repeatedly shown results.

上令應騤自陳，奏上，劾康有為夤緣要津，請罷斥，詞連深秀，上不之詰也。 The Emperor ordered Xu Yingkui to explain himself; in his reply Xu impeached Kang Youwei for currying favor at key posts and asked that he be dismissed, implicating Shenxiu in the wording, but the Emperor did not pursue Shenxiu.

御史文悌劾深秀傳布有為所立保國會，並暴有為交通內外狀，德宗責以代人報復，反獲咎。 Censor Wenti impeached Shenxiu for disseminating the Baoguo Society founded by Kang Youwei and exposed Youwei's dealings inside and outside the court; Emperor Dezong rebuked Wenti for retaliating on another's behalf, and Wenti himself was punished.

時康有為倡言變法，先於京師立粵學會，以振厲士氣，而蜀學、浙學、陝學、閩學諸會繼之。 When Kang Youwei began calling for reform, he first founded the Guangdong Study Society in the capital to stir scholarly morale; the Sichuan, Zhejiang, Shaanxi, and Fujian societies followed.

康廣仁，名有溥，以字行，有為弟。 Kang Guangren, whose personal name was Youpu and who went by his courtesy name, was Kang Youwei's younger brother.

有為上書請改革，廣仁謂當先變科舉，庶人才可出。 When Youwei memorialized for reform, Guangren urged that the examinations be changed first so talent could emerge.