Liu Xiang

A scholar from the late Western Han Dynasty in ancient China. His courtesy name was Zizheng and his given name was Kousei. He was the fourth-generation grandson of Liu Jiao (?-179 BC, King of Chu), the half-brother of Emperor Gaozu of Han. He showed talent from a young age, and was appointed by Emperor Xuan (reigned 74-49 BC) as a great advisor, to whom he presented several dozens of odes. He also had a strong interest in Taoism and Taoism, and was imprisoned after failing to suggest the casting of gold, but was spared death thanks to the efforts of his parents and elder brothers. He was later employed by Emperor Xuan again, and appointed as a member of the Guliang Spring and Autumn School in the debate on the similarities and differences of the Five Classics at Shiqu Pavilion. He was already one of the leading scholars of his time. During the reigns of the next emperors, Emperor Yuan and Emperor Cheng, Xiang was the head of the Liu clan and played an active role in suppressing the tyranny of the maternal relatives and eunuchs. During the reign of Emperor Cheng, he changed his name to Jiang. Around this time, in order to check the tyranny of the maternal relatives and to serve as a warning to the emperor, he compiled records of auspicious talismans and disasters from ancient times to the Qin and Han dynasties and wrote and submitted the eleven-volume Hong Fan Wu Xing Zhuan Lun. He also edited and compiled works such as Shuoyuan, New Preface, The Biography of Women, and Warring States Policy, as well as Bie Lu, which he compiled when organizing the palace's books. Based on this, Xiang's son, Xin, composed the "Seven Literatures," which was later included in the "Book of Han" in its almost original form and has been passed down to the present day. There is a biography of him in the "Book of Han."

[Saburo Machida January 19, 2016]

"Itano Chohachi, "Liu Xiang and Liu Xin from the Perspective of the Disaster Theory" (collected in the 25th Anniversary Commemorative Collection of Essays of the Oriental Studies Association, 1972, Oriental Studies Association)" ▽ "Machida Saburo, "Liu Xiang's Memorandum" (collected in the Bulletin of the Japan-China Studies Association 28, 1976, Japan Society for Sinology)" ▽ "Qian Mu, "Chronology of the Father and Son, Liu Xiang and Xin" (collected in the Bulletin of the Yenching Studies Association 7, 1929, Yenching University)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国古代、前漢末の学者。字(あざな)は子政(しせい)、名は更生(こうせい)。漢の高祖の異母弟である劉交（？―前179、楚元(そげん)王）の4世の孫。若くから才能を現し、宣帝（在位前74～前49）に起用されて諫大夫(かんたいふ)となり数十篇(ぺん)の賦頌(ふしょう)を献上する。神仙方術にも関心が強く、黄金の鋳造を進言して失敗し下獄するが、父兄の運動で死を免れる。のちふたたび宣帝に用いられ、石渠閣(せっきょかく)における五経同異の論争に穀梁(こくりょう)春秋派の一員として登用される。すでに当時を代表する学者であった。次の元帝・成帝期、向は劉氏の族長としての宗正の地位にあって、外戚(がいせき)や宦官(かんがん)の横暴を抑えるため懸命に活躍する。成帝のとき、名を向に改める。このころ、外戚の横暴を牽制(けんせい)し、天子の鑑戒(かんかい)ともなるよう上古から秦(しん)漢に至る符瑞(ふずい)災異の記録を集成して『洪範(こうはん)五行伝論』11篇を著して上奏する。また編著書に『説苑(ぜいえん)』『新序』『列女伝』『戦国策』および宮中の図書を整理する際に撰述(せんじゅつ)した『別録』などがある。向の子である歆(きん)はこれによって『七略』を撰(せん)し、これはやがて『漢書(かんじょ)』芸文志(げいもんし)にほぼそのままの形で収載されて今日に伝わっている。『漢書』に伝記がある。

［町田三郎　2016年1月19日］

『板野長八「災異説より見た劉向と劉歆」（『東方学会25周年記念論集』所収・1972・東方学会）』▽『町田三郎「劉向覚書」（『日中学会報 28』所収・1976・日本中国学会）』▽『銭穆「劉向・歆父子年譜」（『燕京学報 7』所収・1929・燕京大学）』

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