Bae Gu - Hai

During the Sui Dynasty in China, he was known as the foremost Western Region expert, and was one of the "Five Nobles" along with Su Wei, Yuwen Shu, Pei Yun, and Yu Shiji. A native of Wenxi County in Shanxi Province, he served the four dynasties of Northern Qi, Northern Zhou, Sui, and Tang, and was active both domestically and internationally. He frequently traveled to Hexi from 605 to 610, and played a leading role in the Sui Dynasty's trade with the Western Regions. During this time, he persuaded Western merchants who traveled to Hexi to trade directly with the central government in the capital, switching border trade to capital trade. At the same time, he compiled the "Toji of the Western Regions" based on the circumstances he heard from them and presented it to Emperor Yang, greatly encouraging enthusiasm for trade in the Western Regions. Emperor Yang showed such an interest that he even paid a personal visit to Hexi. After the fall of the Sui dynasty, he submitted to the Tang dynasty and was promoted from the position of Imperial Censor to the position of Minister of Civil Affairs.

[Matsuda Hisao]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国の隋(ずい)朝で、第一の西域(せいいき)通として聞こえ、蘇威(そい)、宇文述、裴蘊(はいおん)、虞世基(ぐせいき)と並べて「五貴」といわれた名臣。山西省聞喜(ぶんき)県の出身で、北斉(ほくせい)、北周、隋、唐の四朝に仕え、内外に活躍したが、とくに605年から610年にかけて、しばしば河西に出張し、隋の西域貿易に指導的役割を演じた。このとき彼は、通商のために河西に往来していた西方商人に説いて、首都での中央政府との直接取引を行わせ、辺境貿易を首都貿易に切り替える一方、彼らから聞知した諸事情に基づき『西域図記』を撰述(せんじゅつ)して煬帝(ようだい)に献じ、大いに西域貿易への熱意をあおった。煬帝はやがて河西に親しく出向くほどの関心を示した。隋が滅びたのちは、唐朝に帰順して殿中侍御史から民部尚書(しょうしょ)にまで取り立てられた。

［松田寿男］

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