Origins & Early Life

Ban Gu (AD 32–92) was a Chinese historian, poet, and politician best known for his part in compiling the Book of Han, the second of China's 24 dynastic histories. He also wrote a number of fu, a major literary form, part prose and part poetry, which is particularly associated with the Han era. A number of Ban's fu were collected by Xiao Tong in the Wen Xuan. The Ban family was one of the most distinguished families of the Eastern Han dynasty.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

They lived in the state of Chu during the Warring States period but, during the reign of the First Emperor, a man named Ban Yi (斑 or 班壹, Bān Yī) fled north to the Loufan (simplified Chinese: 楼烦; traditional Chinese: 樓煩; pinyin: Lóufán) near the Yanmen Pass in what is now northern Shanxi Province. By the early Han Dynasty, Ban Gu's ancestors gained prominence on the northwestern frontier as herders of several thousand cattle, oxen, and horses, which they traded in a formidable business and encouraged other families to move to the frontier. Ban Biao later moved the family to Anling (near modern Xianyang, Shaanxi). Ban Gu's great-aunt Consort Ban was a scholar and poet, and his father Ban Biao was a prominent historian....

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Ban Chao — Contemporary (Born in 32) (32): Eastern Han general, diplomat, and explorer who controlled the Western Regions.
• Amanitore — Contemporary figure (Born in 30) (30): Queen Regnant of the Kingdom of Kush, ruling from Meroë in the 1st century CE.
• Boudica — Contemporary figure (Born in 30) (30): Queen of the Iceni tribe, Boudica led a major revolt against Roman occupation in AD 60/61.
• Ignatius of Antioch — Contemporary figure (Born in 35) (35): Pioneering early Christian writer and Patriarch of Antioch, known for his martyrdom letters.
• Onjo of Paekche — Contemporary figure (Died in 28) (28): Founding monarch of Paekche, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea.
• Saint Stephen — Contemporary figure (Died in 36) (36): The first Christian martyr, deacon in Jerusalem, stoned for his teachings.
• Josephus — Contemporary figure (Born in 37) (37): Roman-Jewish historian and military leader, author of The Jewish War.
• Nero — Contemporary figure (Born in 37) (37): Final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, known for cultural pursuits and tumultuous reign.
• 32 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 32
• 92 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 92