Xin Qiji (28 May 1140 – 3 Oct 1207) was a Chinese poet, calligrapher, and military general during the
Southern Song dynasty
The Song dynasty ( ) was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Ten Kingdoms, endin ...
(1127–1279).
Life
During Xin's lifetime, northern China was occupied during the
Jin–Song Wars by the
Jurchens
Jurchen (, ; , ) is a term used to collectively describe a number of East Asian people, East Asian Tungusic languages, Tungusic-speaking people. They lived in northeastern China, also known as Manchuria, before the 18th century. The Jurchens wer ...
of the
Jin dynasty, a semi-nomadic people who moved to what is now Northeastern China. Only southern China was ruled by the Han Chinese during the Southern Song dynasty. Xin was born in the modern city of
Jinan
Jinan is the capital of the province of Shandong in East China. With a population of 9.2 million, it is one of the largest cities in Shandong in terms of population. The area of present-day Jinan has played an important role in the history of ...
in
Shandong Province
Shandong is a coastal province in East China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history since the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River. It has served as a pivotal cultural and religious center ...
, then governed by the Jin Dynasty. Xin was raised by his grandfather because of Xin's father's early death. In his childhood, his grandfather told him about the time when the Han Chinese ruled the north and told him to be an honorable man and seek revenge against the barbarian for the nation. It was then when he developed his patriotic feelings. At the ages of 14 and 17, Xin attended the
imperial examination
The imperial examination was a civil service examination system in History of China#Imperial China, Imperial China administered for the purpose of selecting candidates for the Civil service#China, state bureaucracy. The concept of choosing bureau ...
twice, but failed both of them. However, on Xin's way to Jin's capital for examinations, he followed his grandfather's instruction to inspect the military and geographic situation in Jin dynasty. His grandfather named him after a legendary military commander from the Western
Han,
Huo Qubing. Both "Qubing" and "Qiji" mean to deliver oneself from diseases.
Xin started his military career at the age of twenty-two. He commanded an insurrection group of fifty men and fought the Jurchen alongside Geng Jing's much larger army that consisted of tens of thousands of men. Although they had some small-scale victories, in 1161, because the Jurchen were becoming more united internally, Xin persuaded Geng Jing to join forces with the Southern Song army in order to fight the Jurchen more effectively. Geng Jing agreed but just as Xin finished a meeting with the Southern Song Emperor, who endorsed Geng Jing's troops, Xin learned that Geng Jing had been assassinated by their former friend-turned-traitor, Zhang Anguo (张安国/張安國). With merely fifty men, Xin fought his way through the Jurchen camp and captured Zhang Anguo. Xin then led his men safely back across the border and had Zhang Anguo decapitated by the emperor.

Xin's victory gained him a place in the Southern Song court. However, because the emperor was surrounded by people who supported "an appeasement policy" rather than open warfare with the Jin, Xin was sidelined. From 1161 to 1181, he held a series of minor posts that never amounted to anything momentous. Although during the same period, he tried to offer the emperor his treatises on how to manage the invasions by the Jin as well as other state affairs, he was never taken seriously. Finally he resolved to do things on his own. He improved the irrigation systems in his district, relocated poverty-struck peasants and trained his own troops. His ambition soon aroused suspicion against him. In 1181, he was forced to resign. He left for
Jiangxi
; Gan: )
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where he then stayed and perfected his famous
ci form of poetry for ten depressing years.
In 1192, Xin was recalled to the Song court to take up another minor post because the previous incumbent had died. This job did not last long because once he completed the requirements of his job, he started training men for military purposes again. He was soon discharged.
From 1192 to 1203, Xin lived in seclusion around Jiangxi Province. Xin gave himself an art name – "Jiaxuan" (), which meant "Life should be diligent and take farming as the prime importance".
In 1188, Xin met another patriotic poet, Chen Liang, in E hu Temple (around Piao Spring, Jiangxi Province). They conferred the strategy to fight against Jin dynasty and revive their home country.
During Xin's seclusion, Xin also traveled with
Zhu Xi
Zhu Xi ( zh, c=朱熹; ; October 18, 1130April 23, 1200), formerly romanized Chu Hsi, was a Chinese philosopher, historian, politician, poet, and calligrapher of the Southern Song dynasty. As a leading figure in the development of Neo-Confuci ...
, the master of
Neo Confucianism, in
Wuyi Mountain. In 1200, upon Zhu xi's death, none of Zhu's old friends or students mourned him because of the political restriction. However, Xin attended the funeral and wrote lament for Zhu.
In 1203, as the Jin began pressing harder against the Southern Song border,
Han Tuozhou, the consul of the Southern Song court, in need of militarists, took Xin under his wing. However, Han Tuozhou disregarded Xin's sincere advice for effective military moves, and he removed Xin from his team the next year, accusing Xin of being lubricious, avaricious, and many other non-existent faults. The crucial moment came in 1207 when the Jin defiantly asked for Han Tuozhou's head for a peace treaty. It was then that Han realized that he needed Xin again. Xin did not hesitate in responding to Han's call for help; unfortunately, he died of old age soon afterward.
In 1208, after Xin's death, Ni si impeached him for committing treason and requested the Southern Song government to deprive's Xin's official title. In 1257, Xie Fangde petitioned the Southern Song government for justifying Xin's innocence. The government then vindicated Xin and endowed him a posthumous title – "Zhong Min", which meant loyalty and encouragement.
Works
Some six hundred and twenty of Xin's poems survive today. All were written after he moved to the south.
Poetry
Scholars considered Xin's literary caliber to be equally talented in
ci as his Song dynasty counterpart,
Su Shi
Su Shi ( zh, t=, s=苏轼, p=Sū Shì; 8 January 1037 – 24 August 1101), courtesy name Zizhan (), art name Dongpo (), was a Chinese poet, essayist, calligrapher, painter, scholar-official, literatus, artist, pharmacologist, and gastronome wh ...
. Their difference, however, is that the content of Xin's poetry spans an even greater range of topics. Xin is also famous for employing many allusions in his poems.
Some of the most quoted lines from his poetry (with accompanying translations) are shown below.
In the last line, there is a sudden transition from Xin's personal understanding of melancholy to the season that he's experiencing. The autumn carries many meanings in Chinese literature. It can be construed here as a deeper understanding of the last line being full of sadness, including:
*True sorrow can't be expressed by words;
*Repeating the sorrow as another deep hurt;
*The understanding that even if one is able to find the words to show bitterness, no one understands it;
*The understanding that even if people who understand your bitterness are found, nothing will be changed.
Calligraphy
Little of Xin's calligraphy has survived. ''Quguo tie'' is the only preserved one which is now documented in Beijing
Palace Museum
The Palace Museum (), also known as the Beijing Palace Museum, is a large national museum complex housed in the Forbidden City at the core of Beijing, China. With , the museum inherited the imperial royal palaces from the Ming and Qing dynast ...
. ''Quguo tie'' was created in Xin's 36 years old (around 1175 Oct), after Xin suppressed the bandit's rebellion in
Jiangxi
; Gan: )
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, mapsize = 275px
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.
Commentaries
The 20th-century Chinese diplomat and philosopher
Hu Shih
Hu Shih ( zh, t=胡適; 17 December 189124 February 1962) was a Chinese academic, writer, and politician. Hu contributed to Chinese liberalism and language reform, and was a leading advocate for the use of written vernacular Chinese. He part ...
asserts that Xin Qiji ranks first among authors in creative lyrics. According to Hu, Xin shows great talent, keen intellect, intensive and sincere feeling in writing lyrics.
The Chinese ethnologist and historian
Bai Shouyi
Bai Shouyi (; February 1909 – March 21, 2000), also known as Djamal al-Din Bai Shouyi, was a Chinese ethnologist, historian, social activist, and writer who revolutionized recent Chinese historiography and pioneered in relying heavily on sci ...
stated that Xin Qiji aimed his life at recovering the lost territories and contributing to his country. Unfortunately, Xin was ill-fated and repressed, and so failed to realize his ambitions. However, Xin never shook his patriotic resolve, and put all his enthusiasm and worries about national destiny to the creation of poetry.
The Chinese historian
Deng Guangming
Dèng Guǎngmíng (16 March 1907 – 10 January 1998) was a Chinese historian who specialized in the 10th to 13th century Song, Jin and Liao dynasties.
Born in Linyi County, Shandong and known by the courtesy name Gongsan (), Deng's principal ...
contends that although Xin was inherently an extremely passionate patriot, he was forced to pretend to be a detached and calm man, who is indifferent about political affairs.
Portrayal of Xin Qiji in the arts
Film
The film 辛弃疾1162, also known as ''Fighting for the Motherland 1162'', published in 2020 by Zheijang Media Trust Film, portrayed the role of Xin Qiji in the uprising of 1162.
See also
*
List of Chinese authors
This is a list of Chinese writers.
Chronological list
Qin dynasty and before
* Gan De (fl. 4th century BC)
* Gongsun Long (c. 325–250 BC)
* Kong Qiu (551–479 BC)
* Li Kui (fl. 4th century BC)
* Lu Jia (d. 170 BC)
* Han Fei (280–233 B ...
*
Song poetry
Song poetry is poetry typical of the Song dynasty of China, established by the Zhao (surname), Zhao family in China in 960 and lasted until 1279.
Many of the best known Classical Chinese poems, popular also in translation, are from the Song dyna ...
References
Liu, Zhongmei, Ed. ''Xin Qiji''. Beijing: Wuzhou Chuanbo Chubenshe, 2005.
Lo, Irving Yucheng. ''Hsin Ch'i-chi''. New York: Twayne Publishers, Inc., 1971.
Further reading
*
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Xin, Qiji
1140 births
1207 deaths
12th-century Chinese poets
13th-century Chinese poets
Artists from Jinan
Generals from Shandong
Poets from Shandong
Song dynasty calligraphers
Song dynasty generals
Song dynasty poets
Writers from Jinan