| Wang Xianqian was a famous scholar, document expert, as well as a conservative in politics thinking. Because his ideas and experience were rather complicated, for a long time, some people praise him, but also some people criticize, even just for one thing, people appraise him in quite opposite opinions.Wang Xianqian was an official in government in his early life, taking care of current social situation, daring to express his opinions directly, so got a good reputation; he took the post of Jiangsu Education Director in his middle age, and trained many talented people by his classic method. When his tenure in office ended, Wang Xianqian resigned and went back to Hunan to teach in academy by his method he took in Jiangsu. After Jiawu War, he established Baoshancheng Machine Manufacturing Company, initiated industries, discussed to establish Current Situation Academy actively, and took the lead to carry on the reform of curriculums in Yuelu Academy, consequently became a participant of the early Hunan New Deal, initiated and promoted Hunan's modern processing. But In 1898, he encountered criticism due to his opposing Hunan Reform Faction, hereafter for a long time, was regarded as diehard and villain who demolished Hunan Reform.Studying widely, being versed in many fields, he got great attainments in classics, history and literatures etc., therefore, some scholars regard him as classic expert, historian, specialist in hundred fields, and litterateur. At that time,some people called him with Wang Fuzhi, Wang Wenqing and Wang Kaiyun'Four Wang', or called him with Wang Kaiyun'Two Wang'.The literatures Wang Xianqian reorganized and proofread in his life were more than 50 kinds, over 3,200 volumes. Most of the books he compiled collected details completely, the proofreading and engraving of which were excellent, and were the best in engraving in the late Qing Dynasty. According to Mr. Liu Jingzao,'Wang Xianqian was the merit person in the maintenance of literatures who was only inferior to Ruan Yuan.'But critics either ridicule he was superficial in the language and writing, and misused collections in his book'Classics Explanation','or ridicule'his inventions were really few','he didn't write books, but just copied from a book', so the appraisal for him is not good as well.Based on Wang Xianqian's'Self Biographical chronology', taking his books'Anthology','Poem Saves'and'Book Note'as the main material sources, referring to the books'History Manuscript of Qing Dynasty','Factual Record of Qing Dynasty','Guangxu Dynasty Donghua Record'and other historical data, this biographical chronology widely gathers relative records in biographical chronologies, diaries, book notes, poems anthologies and so on of those characters who lived in his same time, and supplements several hundred pieces of material. It strives to reflect comprehensively and accurately Wang Xianqian's thought origin, his science and political activities in his life.The reader may know from this biographical chronology that although Wang Xianqian didn't invented much on science, even had shortcomings such as pursuing large quantity but ignoring the quality, he indicated the method how to pursue one's studies,'he thoroughly analyzed the gain and loss in pursuing one's studies', his writings brought benefits to the academic field, offered advantages to the study person. Mr. Zhang Shunhui praised him as'the Great Scholar in end of Qing Dynasty', truly so. Similarly, as the government official and the scholar at that time, his thought had positive side of worrying about country and people, pursuing truth and dealing with concrete matters relating to work, but also had negative reactionary side of appreciating Emperor and blindly stringing along with Qing Dynasty. Consequently, it's inevitable that Wang Xianqian came out to oppose when Hunan Reform Faction's radical opinions endangered Qing Dynasty's domination, impacted traditional cardinal guides and virtues ethics. Nevertheless, his thought was obviously different from the radical Reform Faction and the stubborn Conservative Faction, it needs to differentiate carefully. Moreover, no evidence indicates he had opposed to South Institute publicly, and he was not the first one who attacked and made burial figures to'Current Situation Academy'.In addition, this biographical chronology has supplemented and corrected those matters which were narrated briefly even with twists and concealing in Wang Xianqian's'Self Biographical chronology'. |
PDF Full Text Request