Page:Eminent Chinese Of The Ch’ing Period - Hummel - 1943 - Vol. 2.pdf/93

 on May 1, 1854. Tsêng Kuo-fan, at that time discouraged by the defeat of his forces, was much cheered by the news that the threat to the capital of Hunan had been averted. T'a-ch'i-pu was thereupon made a brigade-general and was soon appointed commander-in-chief of the province. He proceeded northward to help drive the enemy from Yochow, and later cooperated with and others in recapturing Wuchang (October 14). He then participated in a desperate effort to destroy the strong defense of the Taipings at T'ienchia-chan (see under ) and was rewarded with the Yellow Riding Jacket and the hereditary title of Ch'i tu yü. He was defeated, however, in an engagement near Kiukiang, where, fighting as usual with a small vanguard, he alone narrowly escaped with his life. Undismayed, he attacked the city of Kiukiang, which had been in the hands of the Taipings since February 18, 1853, and had withstood many severe assaults. From early spring to August 1855 T'a-ch'i-pu besieged the city. Just as his plans were completed and an order was given for a general advance, he died suddenly of heart trouble. (Kiukiang remained in the hands of the Taipings until 1858). T'a-ch'i-pu was canonized as Chung-wu 忠武 and in 1864 was given the hereditary title of Ch'ing ch'ê tu yü of the third class.

[1/415/1a; 2/44/33a; 5/50/22a; 7/26/6a; 8/6上/1a.]

2em

 TAI Chên 戴震, Jan. 19, 1724–1777, July 1, scholar and philosopher, was a native of Hsiu-ning, Anhwei. It is said that he was unable to talk until he was ten (sui), and only then began to read. He was taught the Classics, which, after a few years, he could repeat from memory. But having a very inquisitive mind, he would not accept unquestioningly what he was told were the meanings of the words in the Classics, but tried to verify them for himself. His family was poor but he managed to acquire extensive knowledge by borrowing books from well-to-do neighbors. In the years 1740–42 he was in Nan-fêng, Kiangsi, where his father was a cloth merchant. When be was twenty sui (1742) he returned home and studied in the family of a wealthy scholar, Wang Wu-fêng 汪梧鳳, of Hui-chou, Anhwei. There was then living in Wang's home an elderly scholar, Chiang Yung 江永, with whom he studied mathematics, phonology and the Record of Rites. Among the friends who studied with him at this time were Ch'êng Yao-t'ien 程瑤田 and Chin Pang (see under ).

In 1744 Tai Chên completed his first work, entitled 策算 Ts'ê-suan, which is a short treatise on the use of Napier's rods. Two years later he annotated, with illustrations, the chapter on technology in the Institutes of Chou (Chou-li); this work, entitled 考工記圖注 K'ao-kung chi t'u chu, 3 chüan, won him fame in later years. Meanwhile he pursued his varied studies energetically. In 1751 he became a hsiu-ts'ai. In the following year, though harassed by drought and famine in his native district, he completed his annotations to the works of Ch'ü Yüan (see under ), entitled 屈原賦注 Ch'ü Yüan fu chu, 12 chüan, printed in 1760.

While pressing a lawsuit against a clansman who had appropriated land which belonged to the entire clan, Tai Chên was threatened by the offender who happened to be both influential and a friend of the magistrate. Hence in 1754 he took refuge in Peking where he made the acquaintance of on whose recommendation he was engaged by  to assist in compiling the latter's Wu-li t'ung-k'ao. Later he was taken into the circle of several young scholars, all of whom in time became famous, namely, , , , and. In 1755 he was engaged as tutor in the family of Chi Yün who in that year sponsored the printing of his K'ao-kung chi t'u chu. In 1756 he taught, in the home of, the latter's son, , who likewise became a great scholar. Late in 1757 he went to Yangchow where for several years he was in the employ of. During this sojourn in the south he met, Shên Ta-ch'êng (see under ), and other scholars of the School of Han Learning (see under ).

In 1762 Tai Chên became a chü-jên and during the following year lived for some months in Peking. There he gave several lectures which were attended by who in 1766 formally became his disciple. In this year, too, he taught in the home of. The following year, through the help of a friend, he gained access to the library of the Hanlin Academy where he took note of some rare works in the encyclopaedia, Yung-lo ta-tien 695