Jia Yi (199–167 BCE)
Born 199 BCE, died 167 BCE.
Jia Yi (Wade–Giles: Chia I; c. 200 – 169 BCE) was a Chinese essayist, poet and politician of the Western Han dynasty, best known as one of the earliest known writers of fu rhapsody and for his essay "Disquisition (on) Finding Fault with Qin" (Guò Qín Lùn; 過秦論), which criticises the Qin dynasty and describes Jia's opinions on the reasons for its collapse. Early attracting the attention of a Governor Wu of Hunan for his literary skills, the promotion of Wu around 179 BCE saw Jia Yi appointed scholar of the classics. He was made Grand Master of the Palace one year later. Exiled through the influence of "old-guard officials", he was recalled on a pretext as a consultant on Taoist mysticism, but resistance to institutional reform saw him sent to tutor the Emperor Wen's favored youngest son Liu Yi. He is said to have died of grief following the accidental death of Liu Yi on horseback. Although often recalled modernly for his Disquisitions, his most famous work may actually be his poem On the Owl, which draws on proverbs and parables from the Tao Te Ching and Zhuangzi, and his Lament for Qu Yuan, containing political and educational insights.
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