Tian Kuang

Life

His father was Tian Yanzhao. His father-in-law was Fu Yan, whose daughter Fu was his wife; the kinship data also describes Tian Zhi'an as both a nephew and an adopted heir, Tian Geng as a nephew's grandson, an agnatic grandson, and an adopted grandson, and lists Tian Zhiping, Tian Zhou, and the son-in-law Kou Zhongxuan.

During Renzong's Tiansheng era, he passed the jinshi examination, specifically dated by one account to 1030; he later took the Xianliang Fangzheng examination, with another account calling him first, while the examination listings also include Xuejiu.

He began as guancha tuiguan of Jiangling Prefecture and tuanlian panguan of Chuzhou, and also served as jiancang and zhuzuo zuolang. After the Tangut ruler Yuanhao's revolt, he served as a Shaanxi military judge or adviser and submitted fourteen proposals on frontier administration; accounts differ as to whether Xia Song or Fan Zhongyan was the official who appointed him.

After being recalled to court, he served as Taichang cheng, assistant administrator of Jiangning Prefecture, a remonstrance official, You Zhengyan, zhi zhigao, and supervisor of the Directorate of the Imperial College; he also held the posts of Menxia sheng jishizhong, qiju lang, junqijian cheng, the San guan, and langzhong in the Ministry of Rites. During the Baozhou campaign, while serving as commander of Chengde, he directed the generals in the attack and killed several hundred surrendered soldiers by pit burial.

His provincial appointments included command of Qingzhou (1043), Qinzhou (1044–1045), Weizhou (1047–1048), and Yizhou (1048–1050). He was also appointed commander of Chengde, Qin, Wei, and Chengdu, served as military commander of the Shu, Zi, Li, and Kui circuits, and held commands at Zhending Prefecture and Shaanxi-Huanqing.

After his recall, he became a Direct Academician of the Privy Council, acting Commissioner of the Three Financial Offices, a Hanlin Academician, and a Vice Minister of Rites; he also held the posts of director of the Three Financial Offices' arrears and documentary-verification sections in 1041–1043, Commissioner of the Three Financial Offices from 1050, and acting Commissioner of the Three Financial Offices. In 1054 he became Associate Commissioner of the Privy Council, also styled Deputy Commissioner of the Privy Council, and in 1058 advanced to Commissioner of the Privy Council.

Accounts differ about his retirement: one places his illness-related request to retire in 1059, while another says that he retired because of illness in 1058; the rank at retirement is given as Taizi Shaofu in one account and Taizi Taifu in another, and he was also dismissed on grounds of illness to serve as Right Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs. He died in 1063 at the age of fifty-nine, received the posthumous name Xuanjian, and was buried at Yangzhai.

Associations and posthumous commemoration

令狐挻 recommended him; Xia Song was both his superior and the official who appointed him as a Shaanxi judge, while Wang Anshi was associated with him and wrote his epitaph. Fan Zuyu is also named as an epitaph author; Fan Chunren wrote the shendao bei, and Feng Jing wrote a memorial text.

He exchanged letters with Ouyang Xiu, Wang Anshi, Su Xun, Zeng Gong, Fan Zhongyan, and Qie Song; Song Qi and Yin Zhu sent replies. Lü Tao gave him farewell words and supplied inscriptions, notes, or names for buildings associated with him; Tian Kuang also vindicated Ji Yongzhang.

Works

His works include the surviving two-volume 《儒林公議》; the two-volume 《金巖集》, also written 《金砶集》, which is lost; and 《皇祐會計錄》 in six volumes and a twenty-volume collection of memorials. Twenty-five poems are currently recorded under his name.