Huang Gan

Life

From a young age, Huang studied under Zhu Xi. At 25 he entered Zhu Xi’s school, attended him daily, and also studied with Lü Zuqian. Zhu Xi praised the firmness of his purpose and the rigor of his thought, then gave him his daughter in marriage; when Zhu Xi was gravely ill, he handed Huang his writings and entrusted him with transmitting his learning. Huang was a friend of Liu Kezhuang, Dong Zhu, and Fu Xiu.

After Emperor Ningzong’s accession, Huang entered office through the protection of his father-in-law’s status; Zhu Xi recommended him for Jiangshilang, and after selection he received Digonglang and became supervisor of the Taizhou wine service. Following Zhu Xi’s death, he observed mourning for three years and was transferred to the Shimen wine store in Jiaxing Prefecture. When Wu Lie was military commander in Hubei, he recruited Huang to the Anfu office’s reward-wine store.

In the early Jiading era, Huang became magistrate of Linchuan, where his administrative record was considered the best in the circuit. He later governed Xingan, served as assistant prefect of Anfeng Army and Jiankang Prefecture, and also held the post of magistrate of Yixing. In the seventh year of Jiading, as military prefect of Hanyang, he increased the troops, accumulated grain, carried out famine relief, repaired schools, and supported scholars; the people welcomed his government. In the tenth year of Jiading, as prefect of Anqing, he built walls and made extensive preparations for war and defense. After Jin forces broke the passes, Anqing remained undisturbed, and the people of Shu honored him.

Li Jue, the Huainan-Jiangnan military commissioner, recruited Huang as an adviser, and an imperial edict appointed him to supervise the defense of the five passes of Huangzhou. Huang repeatedly wrote to Li Jue setting out proposals for the defenses, but Li could not put them into practice; Huang therefore requested a temple appointment and returned home. He lectured at White Deer Grotto Academy. After returning home, he wrote and taught; his students grew daily, drawing scholars from Bashu and Jianghu. Later summoned to the post of Assistant at the Court of Judicial Review, he declined it and ended his life teaching at home.

He died in the fourteenth year of Jiading (1221), aged 70. During the Duanping era of Emperor Lizong, he received the posthumous name Wensu.

Works

His works include 《勉齋集》 in 40 juan, 《禮記集註》 in 14 juan, 《論語通釋》 in 10 juan, 《六經講義》 in 30 juan, and 《論語意原》 in 1 juan. Other works include the extant 《儀禮經傳通解續卷》, 《孝經本旨》, and a literary collection; 《論語通釋》 also appears under the title 《論語通解》.

A separate bibliographical form gives 《儀禮經傳通解》 in 37 juan and its continuation in 29 juan. The poems included in 《勉齋集》 were compiled as one juan.