Pan Shien (1769 or 1770–1854) was a Qing dynasty statesman and senior official. His original name was Pan Shifu (潘世輔); he was styled Huaitang (槐堂), also recorded as Huaiting (槐庭), and used the hao Zhixuan (芝軒). He was a native of Wu County in Jiangsu (present-day Suzhou), with ancestral origins in Shexian, Zhili.
Life and career
In 1793, the fifty-eighth year of the Qianlong reign, he ranked first in the first class of Presented Scholars and was appointed a Compiler in the Hanlin Academy. During the Jiaqing reign, he successively served as Reader, Academician Expositor, and Minister of Revenue. His other appointments included Vice Minister of Revenue, Minister of Rites, Vice Minister and Minister of Personnel, Grand Academician of the Grand Secretariat, Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, Grand Official of the Court of State Ceremonial, Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent, and Grand Guardian of the Heir Apparent.
He served as educational supervisor in Zhejiang and Jiangxi and as provincial education commissioner in Yunnan in the fourth year of Jiaqing. He was a co-examiner in 1799; an examiner for provincial examinations in Zhejiang in 1804 and 1808 and in Shuntian in 1839; and an examiner for metropolitan examinations in 1832, 1836, 1840, and 1847. During the Daoguang reign, he served as a Grand Councillor and rose to Grand Academician of the Wuying Hall. He became chief tutor in the Imperial Study and was advanced to Grand Tutor; he also held the title Grand Academician of the Tiren Hall. Serving under the Qianlong, Jiaqing, Daoguang, and Xianfeng emperors, he remained at the imperial court for nearly three decades.
At the accession of the Wenzong Emperor, when the court called for recommendations of able men, he recommended the former Governor-General of Yunnan and Guizhou Lin Zexu (林則徐) and the former Taiwan Circuit Intendant Yao Ying (姚瑩) as men capable of dealing with rebels. After being granted leave, he again attended the Lu-ming and En-rong banquets. He died in 1854 at the age of eighty-five and received the posthumous name Wengong.
Family and associations
His father is given in two forms, Pan Yiji (潘奕基, 1745–1824) and Pan Zengyi (潘曾沂, 1792–1852); his paternal uncle, or father's brother, was Pan Yijun (潘奕雋, 1740–1830). His father-in-law was Wang Weiren (汪為仁), and his son was Pan Zengying (潘曾瑩, 1808–1878). His grandsons included Pan Tinggao (潘庭誥), Pan Zujun (潘祖均), Pan Zuoqian (潘祖謙), Pan Zuchou (潘祖疇), and Pan Yifeng (潘儀鳳), while his great-grandson was Pan Chenggu (潘成榖). His sons-in-law included Wang Kui (汪楏), Wang Jiazi (汪嘉梓), Wang Jiasen (汪嘉森), and Wang Xueyuan (汪學源); the husbands of his granddaughters included Wang Naichang (汪乃昌), Wang Tingbiao (汪廷標), Jiang Rongjing (蔣鎔經), and Han Wenhe (韓文和).
Pan Shien was a disciple of 顧禮琥; 桑春榮 and 劉廷榆 were his students, and he wrote a preface for a work by 潘世鏞.
Writings
His writings include 《思補齋筆記》 in eight juan and 《消暑隨筆》 in four juan. His collected prose and poetry appear under the titles 《思補齋集》, 《思補堂集》, and 《思補齋詩集》. Other works and titles include 《思補老人自訂年譜》 in one juan, 《思補齋奏稿偶存》 in one juan, 《有真意齋文集》 in two juan, 《正學編》 in eight juan, 《清頌堂叢書八種》 in fifty-four juan, 《熙朝宰輔錄》 in one juan, 《讀史鏡古編》 in thirty-two juan, and separately listed eight- and seven-juan works titled 《筆記（潘世恩）》 and 《詩文集（潘世恩）》.
Legacy
His descendants continued the family’s success in the civil examinations, and the family attained the highest honors of official status. Together with his paternal cousin 潘世璜 and his grandson 潘祖蔭, he was known as one of the “Three Eminent Men of Suzhou.”
References
- CBDB Pan Shien (54483)
- 搜韵 潘世恩 (66898)
- 法鼓佛教人名规范数据库 潘世恩 (A013134)
- Wikidata Pan Shien (Q13668052)