Zhuge Liang

Zhuge Liang (pronunciation) (181 – September or October 234), also commonly known by his courtesy name Kongming, was a Chinese statesman, strategist, and engineer who lived through the end of the Eastern Han dynasty (c. 184–220) and the early Three Kingdoms period (220–280) of China. During the Three Kingdoms period, he served as the Imperial Chancellor (or Prime Minister) of the state of Shu Han (221–263) from its founding in 221 and later as regent from 223 until his death in September or October 234.

Zhuge Liang
諸葛亮
An illustration of Zhuge Liang
Imperial Chancellor of Shu Han
In office
229 (229)  September or October 234 (September or October 234)
In office
May 221 (May 221)  228 (228)
MonarchLiu Bei / Liu Shan
General of the Right
In office
228 (228)–229 (229)
MonarchLiu Shan
Governor of Yi Province
In office
223 (223)  September or October 234 (September or October 234)
MonarchLiu Shan
Succeeded byJiang Wan (as Inspector)
Colonel-Director of Retainers
In office
221 (221)  September or October 234 (September or October 234)
MonarchLiu Bei / Liu Shan
Preceded byZhang Fei
Deputy Head of the Secretariat
In office
221 (221)  September or October 234 (September or October 234)
MonarchLiu Bei / Liu Shan
Succeeded byJiang Wan
Personal details
Born181
Yinan County, Shandong
DiedSeptember or October 234 (aged 53)
Wuzhang Plains, Shaanxi
Resting placeMount Dingjun, Shaanxi
SpouseLady Huang
Relations
Children
Parent
  • Zhuge Gui (father)
OccupationStatesman, military leader, scholar, inventor
Courtesy nameKongming (孔明)
Posthumous nameMarquis Zhongwu (忠武侯)
PeerageMarquis of Wu District
(武鄉侯)
Nickname(s)"Sleeping Dragon"
(臥龍 / 伏龍)
Zhuge Liang
Traditional Chinese諸葛亮
Simplified Chinese诸葛亮
Kongming
(courtesy name)
Chinese孔明

He is recognised as the most accomplished strategist of his era. His reputation as an intelligent and learned scholar grew even while he was living in relative seclusion, earning him the nickname "Wolong" or "Fulong" (both meaning "Reposing Dragon").

Zhuge Liang was Legalist in his methods, but also Confucian oriented, as Zhuge Liang was critical of the Legalist thought of Shang Yang and advocated benevolence and education as tenets of being a ruler. He compared himself with Guan Zhong, developing Shu's agriculture and industry to become a regional power. He attached great importance to the works of Shen Buhai and Han Fei, refusing to indulge local elites and adopting strict, but fair and clear laws. In remembrance of his governance, local people maintained shrines to him for ages.

Zhuge is an uncommon two-character Chinese compound family name. In 760, when Emperor Suzong of the Tang dynasty built a temple to honour Jiang Ziya, he had sculptures of ten famous historical military generals and strategists placed in the temple flanking Jiang Ziya's statue: Zhuge Liang, Bai Qi, Han Xin, Li Jing, Li Shiji, Zhang Liang, Tian Rangju, Sun Tzu, Wu Qi, and Yue Yi.

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