Ka-tan

Chinese politician and geographer in the mid-Tang dynasty. Born in Qingchi, Hebei Province, he passed the Jinshi examination in 751 and became the head of the police department of Linqing County, Shandong Province. He then held various local and central government positions. He held the position of Prime Minister for 13 years from 793, and was in charge of national affairs. He also loved geography, and not only read extensively but also listened to foreign envoys and envoys he had sent abroad about foreign affairs. In 801, he created the Map of the Inner China and the Barbarians (Kaidai Kaizu) and the Records of the Four Barbarians of the Guojin County and the Daoxian County (Shi Shi Shu) at a scale of 1:1.5 million. His other works include the Map of the Country (Kokuyo Tu) (784), the Map of the Longlei Stone of the Guanzhong Region (Roseki), Map of Kyushu in the Shannan Region (Shannan Kyūshū), and the 6-volume Yellow River Jingjing Lu (Yellow River Jingjing Lu) (all 794), and the Records of the Ten Daos of the Zhenyuan Period (802). Both works were maps and geographical maps covering both China and foreign countries, and were landmark works in the history of Chinese geography, but most of them have been scattered and no longer exist.

[Masami Ichikawa]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国、唐代中期の政治家、地理学者。河北省清池の出身で、751年に進士に及第し、山東省臨清県の「尉(い)」（警察部）の長となり、その後、地方・中央の諸官を歴任した。793年以来13年間にわたり宰相の地位を占め国政をつかさどった。また、地理学を好み、文献の読破はもちろん、外国からの使節や、外国へ派遣した使節から外国の事情を聴取し、801年には150万分の1の『海内華夷図(かいだいかいず)』や『古今郡国道県四夷(しい)述』をつくった。ほかに『国要図』（784）、『関中隴石(ろうせき)』『山南九州図』『黄河経界録』6巻（以上794）、『貞元(ていげん)十道録』（802）の著書がある。いずれも中国と外国を含む地図・地誌で、中国地理学史上に一時期を画した労作だったが、ほとんど散逸して現存しない。

［市川正巳］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例