Xu Han

Career

He earned the jinshi degree in the third year of the Yuanyou era (1088). In the seventh year of the Xuanhe era (1125), during Huizong's reign, he was summoned to serve as a Jishizhong, but was soon removed from office for speaking on affairs of state; another account attributes his dismissal to offending the chief minister, after which he supervised the Jiangzhou Taiping Abbey.

At the beginning of the Jingkang era, under Qinzong, he was recalled as Jishizhong and transferred to Censor-in-Chief. He was then promoted to Zhong Dafu and Associate Commissioner of the Privy Council, and appointed Academician of the Yan'kang Palace and governor of Bozhou; after another dismissal, he supervised the Nanjing Hongqing Palace. After Gaozong's accession, Li Gang's recommendation brought him back as Academician of the Yan'kang Palace. He became Right Vice Minister of the Shangshu Department, concurrently acting Vice Minister of the Menxia Secretariat. His career also included the titles of Vice Commissioner of the Privy Council, Vice Councillor, and Superintendent of Hangzhou Dongxiao Palace.

After Li Gang and Chen Dong were removed from office, Xu Han served as superintendent of Dongxiao Palace. He argued strongly for Li Gang's loyalty, but Gaozong did not accept the argument; he was soon impeached and expelled, and was again removed from office after being denounced by an official. In 1131 he was recalled; the appointment is variously identified as Academician of the Duanming Palace and Academician of the Zizheng Palace. He died in the fifth month of the third year of the Shaoxing era (1133) and was posthumously granted the rank of Guanglu Dafu (光祿大夫). Xu Han was a fellow-year friend of Sun Dao and wrote epitaphs for Shen Liji and Tan Zhang.

Scholarship and writings

Xu Han was versed in the Confucian classics and interested in epigraphy. His works include 《論語解》, 《春秋傳》, 《襄陵文集》, 《襄陵集》, 《易傳》, and 《太玄解》. Five of his poems are known.