Fan Zhongyan

A politician from the Northern Song Dynasty in China. Born in Wu County, Suzhou (Jiangsu). His courtesy name was Xiwen, and his posthumous name was Wenzhenggong. He passed the imperial examination and entered the government, but criticized the politics of the group led by Prime Minister Lü Yijian, sparking factional disputes in the imperial court and leading to repeated demotions. He then served on the northwestern border as commander of the Western Xia defense for several years, but returned to the center in 1043 and was promoted to assistant governor (vice prime minister). Together with Ouyang Xiu and others, he began political reforms (the Keireki Restoration), but was attacked by opponents and failed within a year. He is revered as a great minister who created the style of the Song Dynasty's warriors, and the words in his "Records of Yueyang Tower" are famous: "I will be troubled before the troubles of the world, and will be pleased after the joys of the world." In addition, the Fan family's Yizhuang, which he established to promote the prosperity of his clan, is considered a model for later generations of Yizhuang. He wrote the "Fan Wenzheng Gongshu."

[Masaaki Chikusa]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国、北宋(ほくそう)の政治家。蘇州(そしゅう)呉県（江蘇）の人。字(あざな)は希文、諡(おくりな)は文正公。科挙に及第して官界に入ったが、宰相呂夷簡(りょいかん)一派の政治を批判して朝廷に派閥（朋党(ほうとう)）の争いを起こし、しばしば左遷された。ついで西夏(せいか)防衛の司令官として西北辺境に数年間いたが、1043年中央に帰って参知政事（副宰相）にのぼり、欧陽修らと政治改革に着手した（慶暦(けいれき)新政）が、反対派の攻撃を受け1年あまりで挫折(ざせつ)した。彼は宋代の士風をつくりだした名臣と仰がれ、彼の「岳陽楼の記」のなかのことば「天下の憂いに先んじて憂い、天下の楽しみにおくれて楽しむ」は有名である。また一族の繁栄を図って設置した范氏義荘(ぎそう)は、後世の義荘の範とされる。著書に『范文正公集』がある。

［竺沙雅章］

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