The Biographical Database provides short biographies of individuals involved in the progress of Chinese and relative East Asian history.
Authors of educational literature, fiction and non-fiction on the subject of China will be appearing throughout the Biographical Database where applicable along with links to their respective entries in the Bibliographical Database.
The extensive nature of this database requires that entries be divided into five categories. In each, names of people relevant to that era can be found. A master index of names found in all five categories can be found at the bottom of this page, with links to their entries in the appropriate category.
There will be exceptions. For example, Nurhaci, who founded the Jin (金) or Later Jin (後金) dynasty (later called the Qing dynasty) in 1616, may appear in both the Imperial China and Qing Era categories, because he was a Qing emperor, but lived entirely within the time frame of the Imperial China category.
Chinese names will be alphabetically sorted according to Pinyin romanization of the Chinese name (they will appear without the pinyin accent marks). Older pronunciations, former romanizations, other translations and variations will be present next to the pinyin translation. There may be more than a few exceptions to this general rule, depending on the names most commonly associated with the person, independent of romanization issues, such as Chiang Kai-shek.
Where possible, names will include Chinese character references in either traditional (BIG5) or simplified (GB) characters or both.
Please follow this primer which defines the transliteration type and/or name type for entries:
- B5- Traditional characters (BIG 5)
- GB- Simplified characters (GB)
- Should both BIG5 and GB correspond, the character will be listed under B5.
- BN- Birth name
- CCN- Common name inside China
- CN- Common name
- TW- Taiwanese
- POJ- Orthography for the Taiwanese language
- PY- Pinyin romanization
- WG- Wade Giles romanization
- Y- Yale romanization
Western names will be alphabetically sorted according to western biographical standards, or by surname. If there is a Chinese equivalent, it will be present next to the western name.
Dates reflecting a time period before the year '0' in western terms, are categorized as BCE (Before the Common Era). This is equivalent to the widely used BC (Before Christ) and a.C.n. (Ante Christum Natum "before the birth of Christ"). Dates reflecting a time period after the year '0' are categorized as CE (in the Common Era). This is equivalent to the widely used AD (Anno Domini "In the Year of the Lord"). As the Chinese culture in the majority do not subscribe to the practice of Christianity as a religion, it seemed appropriate to signify these dates in a neutral manner.
Dates before October 1582 are given in the Julian calendar, not in the proleptic Gregorian calendar. Dates after October 1582 are given in the Gregorian calendar, not in the Julian calendar that remained in use in England until 1752.
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Below is the master index of all terms entered into all Biographical Databases.
Entry
|
Database
|
A |
Aixin Jueluo Pujie |
Qing Era- (1644- 1912) |
Aixin Jueluo Puyi |
Qing Era- (1644- 1912) |
Annette Lu |
Republic of China (Taiwan)- (1949- present) |
Attiret, Jean Denis |
Qing Era- (1644- 1912) |
B |
Bell, Johann Adam Schall von |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Benoist, Michel |
Qing Era- (1644- 1912) |
Bo Gu |
People's Republic of China- (1949- present) |
Bo Yibo |
People's Republic of China- (1949- present) |
C |
Castiglione, Rev. Giuseppe SJ |
Qing Era- (1644- 1912) |
Chang Tso-lin |
Republican Era- (1912- 1949) |
Chen Duxiu |
People's Republic of China- (1949- present) |
Chen Shui-bian |
Republic of China (Taiwan)- (1949- present) |
Chen Yuanyuan |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Chen Yun |
People's Republic of China- (1949- present) |
Cheng Yang |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Chiang Ching-kuo |
Republic of China (Taiwan)- (1949- present) |
Chiang Kai-shek |
Republican Era- (1912- 1949) |
Chiang Kai-shek |
Republic of China (Taiwan)- (1949- present) |
Chongzhen Emperor of Ming |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Cixi Taihou Empress Dowager |
Qing Era- (1644- 1912) |
Confucius |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
D |
Dalai Lama |
Qing Era- (1644- 1912) |
Dalai Lama |
People's Republic of China- (1949- present) |
Daoguang Emperor of Qing |
Qing Era- (1644- 1912) |
Deng Xiaoping |
People's Republic of China- (1949- present) |
Deng Yingchao |
People's Republic of China- (1949- present) |
E |
Eight Immortals Of Communist China, The |
People's Republic of China- (1949- present) |
F |
Fei Di Emperor of Chen |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
G |
Gang of Four, The |
People's Republic of China- (1949- present) |
Gaodi Emperor of Western Han |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Gaozong Emperor of Tang |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Gaozu Emperor of Tang |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Genghis Khan |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Gongzong Emperor of Southern Song |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Guang Wudi Emperor of Eastern Han |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
H |
Hongwu Emperor of Ming |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Hou Zhu Emperor of Chen |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Hu Jintao |
People's Republic of China- (1949- present) |
Hu Shi |
Republican Era- (1912- 1949) |
Hua Guofeng |
People's Republic of China- (1949- present) |
Huang Di, The Yellow Emperor |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
I |
|
|
J |
Jiang Jieshi |
People's Republic of China- (1949- present) |
Jiang Qing |
People's Republic of China- (1949- present) |
Jiang Zemin |
People's Republic of China- (1949- present) |
Johnston, Sir Reginald Fleming |
Qing Era- (1644- 1912) |
K |
Kangxi Emperor of Qing |
Qing Era- (1644- 1912) |
Ke Madam |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Khaishan Khan |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Koxinga |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Kublai Khan |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
L |
Lee Teng-hui |
Republic of China (Taiwan)- (1949- present) |
Li Dazhao |
People's Republic of China- (1949- present) |
Li Xiannian |
People's Republic of China- (1949- present) |
Li Zicheng |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Lien Chan |
Republic of China (Taiwan)- (1949- present) |
Lin Biao |
People's Republic of China- (1949- present) |
Liu Shaoqi |
People's Republic of China- (1949- present) |
Longqing Emperor of Ming |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
M |
Mao Zedong |
People's Republic of China- (1949- present) |
Marco Polo |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Meng Zi |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
N |
Nain Singh |
Qing Era- (1644- 1912) |
O |
|
|
P |
Peng Zhen |
People's Republic of China- (1949- present) |
Q |
Qianlong Emperor of Qing |
Qing Era- (1644- 1912) |
Qin Bangxian |
People's Republic of China- (1949- present) |
Qin Shi Huangdi |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
R |
Ricci, Matteo |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
S |
Shennong |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Shi Lang |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Shizu Emperor of Yuan |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Song Renqiong |
People's Republic of China- (1949- present) |
Sun Chuan-fang |
Republican Era- (1912- 1949) |
Sun Tzu |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Sun Yat-sen |
Republican Era- (1912- 1949) |
Sun Yat-sen |
Republic of China (Taiwan)- (1949- present) |
T |
Tagawa Matsu |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Taichang Emperor of Ming |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Taizu Emperor of Song |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Tianqi Emperor of Ming |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Tung Chee Hwa |
People's Republic of China- (1949- present) |
U |
|
|
V |
|
|
W |
Wan Li |
People's Republic of China- (1949- present) |
Wan Rong |
Qing Era- (1644- 1912) |
Wang Hongwen |
People's Republic of China- (1949- present) |
Wang Ming |
People's Republic of China- (1949- present) |
Wang Zhen |
People's Republic of China- (1949- present) |
Wang Yangming |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Wanli Emperor of Ming |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Wei Zhongxian |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Wendi Emperor of Chen |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Wendi Emperor of Han |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Wendi Emperor of Sui |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Wendi Emperor of Wei |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Weng-shi |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Wu Pei-fu |
Republican Era- (1912- 1949) |
Wu Sangui |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Wu Zetian |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Wudi Emperor of Chen |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Wudi Emperor of Eastern Jin |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Wudi Emperor of Eastern Wu |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Wudi Emperor of Northern Zhou |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Wuzong Emperor of Yuan |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
X |
Xi Zhongxun |
People's Republic of China- (1949- present) |
Xiang Zhongfa |
People's Republic of China- (1949- present) |
Xu Guangqi |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Xuande Emperor of Shu Han |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Xuandi Emperor of Chen |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Xuantong Emperor of Qing |
Qing Era- (1644- 1912) |
Y |
Yang Shangkun |
People's Republic of China- (1949- present) |
Yangdi Emperor of Sui |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Yao Wenyuan |
People's Republic of China- (1949- present) |
Yen Chia-kan |
Republic of China (Taiwan)- (1949- present) |
Yu of King Xia |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Yuan Shi-kai |
Republican Era- (1912- 1949) |
Z |
Zhang Chunqiao |
People's Republic of China- (1949- present) |
Zhang Guotao |
People's Republic of China- (1949- present) |
Zhang Juzheng |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Zhang Wentian |
People's Republic of China- (1949- present) |
Zhao Ziyang |
People's Republic of China- (1949- present) |
Zheng Chenggong |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Zhou, Duke of |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |
Zhou Enlai |
People's Republic of China- (1949- present) |
Zhu De |
People's Republic of China- (1949- present) |
Zhu Xi |
Imperial China- (?- 1644) |