Ahn Hyang (안향, 安珦; 1243 – 12 September 1306), also known as Ahn Yu (안유, 安裕), was a leading
Confucian
Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a Religious Confucianism, religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, ...
scholar born in
Yeongju
Yeongju () is a city in the far north region of North Gyeongsang province in South Korea, covering 668.84 km2 with a population of 113,930 people according to the 2008 census. The city borders Bonghwa county to the east, Danyang county of North ...
in present-day
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
, and was from the
Sunheung Ahn clan
The Sunheung Ahn clan (순흥 안씨, ) is a clan connected with the town of Sunheung, South Korea, and was well known during the Goryeo Dynasty and in the early Joseon Dynasty for its "blue-blood" status.
73.5% of people with the Korean surnam ...
. He is considered the founder of
Neo-Confucianism
Neo-Confucianism (, often shortened to ''lǐxué'' 理學, literally "School of Principle") is a moral, ethical, and metaphysical Chinese philosophy
Chinese philosophy originates in the Spring and Autumn period () and Wa ...
in Korea, introducing Song Confucianism to the
Goryeo
Goryeo (; ) was a Korean kingdom founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korean Peninsula until 1392. Goryeo achieved what has been called a "true national unificati ...
kingdom. Ahn Hyang visited
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, transcribing the works of
Zhu Xi
Zhu Xi (; ; October 18, 1130 – April 23, 1200), formerly romanized Chu Hsi, was a Chinese calligrapher, historian, philosopher, poet, and politician during the Song dynasty. Zhu was influential in the development of Neo-Confucianism. He con ...
and bringing his copy and portraits of
Confucius
Confucius ( ; zh, s=, p=Kǒng Fūzǐ, "Master Kǒng"; or commonly zh, s=, p=Kǒngzǐ, labels=no; – ) was a Chinese philosopher and politician of the Spring and Autumn period who is traditionally considered the paragon of Chinese sages. C ...
and
Zhu Xi
Zhu Xi (; ; October 18, 1130 – April 23, 1200), formerly romanized Chu Hsi, was a Chinese calligrapher, historian, philosopher, poet, and politician during the Song dynasty. Zhu was influential in the development of Neo-Confucianism. He con ...
to Korea to use in his revitalization of Confucianism. He strove to replace
Buddhism
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
with Confucianism.
There is a portrait of him at the
Sosu Seowon
''Sosu Seowon'' is the oldest ''seowon'', private Neo-Confucian academy in Korea which was established during the Joseon Dynasty period. It was found at the entrance of Suksusa Temple, in Sunheung-myeon, Yeongju City, Gyeongsangbuk-do South Kore ...
, which was built as a memorial to the scholar. There is also a statue of him on Banya-san in
Nonsan
Nonsan () is a city in South Chungcheong Province, South Korea. It is located at . The origin of Nonsan's geographical names is said to have come from the small garden " Nolmoe, " which rises in the middle of farming fields, where rice paddies ...
.
Family
* Grandfather
** Ahn Yeong-yu (안영유, 安永儒/安永濡) (1201 - ?)
* Grandmother
** Lady Park of the Gyeongju Park clan (경주 박씨); daughter of Park Hwang (박황, 朴璜)
* Father
** Ahn Bu (안부, 安孚) (1220 - ?)
* Mother
** Princess Consort Sunjeong of the Gangju Woo clan (순정군부인 강주우씨, 順政郡夫人 剛州禹氏)
*** Grandfather - Woo Seong-yun (우성윤, 禹成允)
* Wives and their children
** Princess Consort Hannam of the Kim clan (한남군부인 김씨, 漢南郡夫人 金氏); Kim Rok-yeon's third daughter (김록연,金祿延)
*** Son - Ahn Woo-gi (안우기, 安于器) (1265 - 1329)
[Through his son, Ahn Hyang became the 26th great-grandson of ]Ahn Jung-geun
Ahn Jung-geun, sometimes spelled Ahn Joong-keun (; 2 September 1879 – 26 March 1910; baptismal name: Thomas Ahn ), was a Korean-independence activist, nationalist, and pan-Asianist. He is famous for assassination of Itō Hirobumi, the first ...
**** Daughter-in-law - Princess Consort Cheorwon of the Choi clan (철원군부인 최씨)
***** Grandson - Ahn Mok (안목, 安牧)
**** Daughter-in-law - Princess Consort Yi (군부인 이씨)
***** Grandson - Ahn Shin (안신, 安愼)
*** Daughter - Lady Ahn of the Sunheung Ahn clan (순흥 안씨, 順興 安氏)
**** Son-in-law - Moon Ok (문욱, 文頊)
*** Daughter - Lady Ahn of the Sunheung Ahn clan (순흥 안씨, 順興 安氏)
**** Son-in-law - Heo Su (허수, 許綏)
*** Daughter - Lady Ahn of the Sunheung Ahn clan (순흥 안씨, 順興 安氏)
**** Son-in-law - Park Je (박제)
*** Daughter - Lady Ahn of the Sunheung Ahn clan (순흥 안씨, 順興 安氏)
**** Son-in-law - Han Su-yeon (한수연, 韓守延)
*** Daughter - Lady Ahn of the Sunheung Ahn clan (순흥 안씨, 順興 安氏)
**** Son-in-law - Kim Sa-won (김사원, 金士元)
** Princess Consort Seowon of the Yeom clan (서원군부인 염씨, 瑞原郡夫人 廉氏); daughter of Yeom Su-jang (염수장, 廉守藏) — No issue.
References
* tourinfo.khu.ac.kr/iboard/bbsUpFiles/제%205호.hwp
* Grayson, James H. 2002 ''Korea - A Religious History''. RoutledgeCurzon. .
People from Yeongju
1243 births
1306 deaths
Neo-Confucian scholars
Place of death unknown
Sunheung An clan
13th-century Korean philosophers
{{korea-bio-stub