Shenkou - Chinkatsu

A scientist and politician from the Northern Song Dynasty in China. Also read as "Shinkatsu." His courtesy name was Zonchu. He was from Qiantang County, Hangzhou (Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province). In 1054, he was appointed a local official due to the rank of his late father. In 1061, he presented his music book "Lue Lun" to Ouyang Xiu. In 1063, he passed the imperial examination and became a prosecuting scribe, proofreading the books in the Zhaowenkan (Imperial Library), while also compiling the procedures for the ceremonies to worship heaven and earth in "Nanjiao Shi." When Wang Anshi's political reforms began in 1069, he was in charge of policies such as water conservancy and irrigation. In 1073, he was appointed as the Chief Administrator of the National Astronomical Observatory and engaged in astronomical observations, and in 1075 he created the Fengyuan Calendar, but it was never implemented. In 1074, he also served as the Chief Administrator of the Military Equipment Agency and studied the chariot system. The following year, in 1075, he went to Liao as a special envoy and successfully resolved the border issue, and in the same year he was appointed as Sansi (Minister of Finance). However, in 1076, Wang Anshi was ousted, and the following year, in 1077, Shen Kuo was impeached and demoted to the provinces. In 1080, he became the governor of Yanzhou (Yan'an), and made an outstanding contribution to the defense against the Western Xia. His collection of essays, Dream Creek Pen-Doh (Mukei Hitsudan), contains a wealth of valuable content across a wide range of topics, including science and technology, art, and politics.

[Kazuhiko Miyajima]

"Translated and annotated by Iku Umehara, Yumekeihitsudan, vols. 1-3 (Heibonsha, Toyo Bunko)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国、北宋(ほくそう)代の科学者、政治家。「しんかつ」とも読む。字(あざな)は存中。杭州銭塘(こうしゅうせんとう)県（浙江(せっこう)省杭州）の人。1054年、亡父の位階による任官の恩典を受け地方官になる。1061年に音楽書『楽論』を欧陽修(おうようしゅう)に上呈。1063年、科挙に合格して校書郎となって昭文館（宮中図書館）の書籍の校勘にあたり、他方で、天地を祀(まつ)る儀式の次第を『南郊式』にまとめた。1069年に王安石の政治改革が始まると、水利・灌漑(かんがい)などの政策を担当した。1073年には提挙司天監（国立天文台長）を兼ねて天体観測に従事、1075年『奉元暦』をつくったが、ついに施行されなかった。1074年には判軍器監（兵器廠(しょう)長官）も兼ねて戦車の制度を研究。翌1075年、特使として遼(りょう)に赴き、国境問題を有利に解決、同年、三司使（大蔵大臣）に就任したが、1076年、王安石が失脚、翌1077年沈括も弾劾され地方に左遷された。1080年延州（延安）の知事となり、西夏(せいか)に対する防衛に功をあげた。随筆集『夢渓筆談(むけいひつだん)』は科学技術・芸術・政治その他、広範囲にわたる貴重な内容を多く含んでいる。

［宮島一彦］

『梅原郁訳注『夢渓筆談』1～3（平凡社・東洋文庫）』

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