Zhang Jian (張薦; 744–804), courtesy name Xiaoju (孝舉) and posthumous name Xian (憲), was a Tang dynasty official, historian and poet. A native of Luze in Shenzhou (west of present-day Shenzhou, Hebei), he was a grandson of Zhang Zhuo and a son of Zhang Bute. He ranked twenty-ninth in birth order among his generation, served as a compiler of the History Office under Daizong and Dezong, went three times on missions to the Uyghurs and the Tibetans, and died on the road as commissioner of condolence to Tibet.
Life
He was noted in youth for his command of history and his literary talent; he could compose poetry at seven and mastered the Records of the Grand Historian at ten, and he was diligent in study and wide in learning. He passed the jinshi examination. His family first lived at Hanggou, north of present-day Yangzhou in Jiangsu, and later settled in Jiangzuo.
Li Han recommended him as qualified to serve as an official historian, and he was summoned as a compiler of the History Office while also serving as county defender of Yangzhai; the date of this summons is variously placed in the Tianbao era or in the Dali era of Daizong. In 773 he held the post of 左右御率府兵曹參軍. He afterwards served as Reminder of the Left (784), Erudite of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices (785) and Palace Censor (788), continuing throughout as a compiler of the History Office; he incurred the hostility of Pei Yanling.
In 795 (Zhenyuan 11) he was appointed Grand Master of Remonstrance, still serving as compiler of the History Office, and was sent as commissioner to the Uyghurs with the title Assistant Censor-in-Chief. On his return he was advanced to Director of the Palace Library, a variant giving Deputy Director instead. In 804 (Zhenyuan 20) he became Vice Minister of Works and Censor-in-Chief, and was appointed commissioner of condolence to Tibet. After the death of the Tibetan btsan po he was charged with conveying condolences, fell ill on the way and died in his sixty-first year. Under Shunzong he was posthumously granted the office of Minister of Rites, and he was buried in Jingzhao fu.
Writings
His writings were abundant, but most are lost; known titles include a collected works, 張薦集, and the works 五服圖, 十祖贊, 史遁先生傳, 同僚籍, 宰輔傳略, 江左寓居錄 and 靈怪集. Three of his poems survive in the Complete Tang Poems. Quan Deyu composed his tomb inscription, the 張公墓志銘并序, and biographies of him appear in both the Old Book of Tang and the New Book of Tang.
Associates
He exchanged poems and writings with Quan Deyu, Li Shizhi, Yan Zhenqing, Wu Yuanheng, Cui Bin, Liu Yuxi, Yang Juyuan, the monk Jiaoran, Dou Chang, Pan Mengyang, Yuan Gao, Lu Shixiu and Li E.
Family
His sons were Zhang Youxin (the eldest), Zhang Xifu (the second), Zhang Dunjing, Zhang Dunjian, Zhang Dunye, Zhang Dunqian and Zhang Dunshao; his grandson was Zhang Du.
References
- CBDB Zhang Jian (30976)
- 搜韵 張薦 (15268)
- Wikidata Zhang Jian (Q10295840)