Author: CHUNG Yoon Ngan
Date: 04-13-12 18:25
中國姓氏故事 - 梁姓
聰明用於邪路,---Cong ming2 yong4 yu2 xie2 lu4,
愈聰明愈不好.---Yu4 cong ming2 yu4 bu4 hao3.
If an intelligent man is using the evil ways to earn his living,
The more intelligent he is the more evil he will become.
聰明用於正路,---Cong ming2 yong2 yu2 zheng4 lu4,
愈聰明就愈好.---Yu4 cong ming2 jiu4 yu4 hao3.
If an intelligent man is using the right way to earn his living,
The more intelligent he is the more is better for him.
A Chinese proverb
-------------------------------------------------
Surname - LIANG (梁姓)
Liang means a beam, bridge or elevation.
The surname Liang is about 2,600 years old.
The surname Liang originated in an area referred to during the Han Dynasty
(漢朝 206BC to 220AD) as the Anding prefecture (安定郡). The present day
location of Anding prefecture is in Guyuan county (固原縣 106.2 degree East
and 36.0 degree North on the world map) in Gansu province (甘肅省)
From time immemorial there had been constant violent conflicts between the
agricultural Xia Tribe (夏族) and the Quan Rong (犬戎), who were the marauding
herdsmen, in the North Western part of the land that we call modern China.
Pillaging and plundering committed by the Quan Rong went unabated throughout
the Centuries.
In 827 BC, Ji Jing (姬靖) was crowned Zhou King Xuan (周宣王 827BC to 782BC),
the 11th King of the Zhou Dynasty (周朝1134 BC to 256 BC). This constant
menace by the Quan Rong was not tolerated by Zhou King Xuan. So in 825BC
he ordered Qin Zhong (秦仲), a descendant of Huang Di (黃帝) or theYellow
Emperor, to lead an expeditionary force to pacify the North Western Region.
Unfortunately the expeditionary force was defeated by the Quan Rong and
Qin Zhong was killed in the battle and a large part of territory was lost
to the Quan Rong.
Qin Zhong had five sons, who swore that they would take revenge on the Quan
Rong and recover the lost territory. The five brothers sent a petition to
Zhou King Xuan asking for an army to take on the Quqn Rong. Zhou King Xuan
agreed and dispatched an army of more than seven thousand troops, which
were to be under the command of the five brothers.
On a chosen date they marched Northwest, with determination to have their
revenge. The brothers fought bravely and the Quan Rong were defeated and
the lost territory was recovered.
After the victory Zhou King Xuan rewarded Qin Zhuang (秦莊), the eldest
son of Qin Zhong, a position as the Governor of the Northwest Region. Qin
Kang (秦康), the second son of Qin Zhong, was rewarded with authority by
Zhou King Xuan to rule a district in Xiayang Liang Shan (夏陽梁山) near
the present day city of Hancheng (韓城) in Shaanxi province (陜西省). Zhou
King Xuan also bestowed upon Qin Kang the title of Bo (伯) or Earl which
was heritable. Qin Kang renamed his domain the State of Liang (梁國) and
he was known as Liang Kangbo (梁康伯) or Earl Liang Kang.
During the Spring and Autumn Period (春秋時間 722 BC to 481 BC), the central
authorities of the land was the Zhou Court which was weak. Traditionally,
all Vassal States paid homage to the Zhou Court every three years; as the
central authorities grew weaker, the vassal States regarded the Zhou Court
as a spent force, unable to intervene in disputes among the Vassal States.
Large and powerful states began to conquer and annex the small and weaker
ones, knowing that the central authorities could do nothing to stop them.
The State of Qin (秦國), in present day county of Fengxiang county (鳳翔
縣) in Shaanxi province, was a bordering State of Liang. Qin was a very
powerful and bellicose State which wanted to expand its territory. In 641BC,
the 14th ruler of Qin, Ying Renhao (嬴任好), who ruled from 659 BC to 621
BC, decided to expand eastward. Eventually, the State of Liang was conquered
and annexed by Qin.
The descendants of Liang Kangbo adopted LIANG (梁) as their surname in remembrance
of their extinct State.
The couplet of surname Liang:
國家興亡,---Guo2 jia xing4 wang2,
匹夫有責.---Pi fu you ze.
The rise and fall of the country,
I bear the responsibility.
(Or every man has a share of responsibility for the fate of his country).
..............................................
Prominent persons produced by the Liang Clan
(1) Liang Qichao (梁啟超 1873AD to 1929AD)
He was born, into a poor and highly educated family, in the county of Xinhui
county (新會縣) in Guangdong province (廣東省), during the Qing Dynasty
(清朝 1644AD to 1911AD). At an earlier age he learned the Classics from
his grandfather and parents. He enrolled at the Naval College (學海堂) in
Guangzhou city (廣州市). In the 15th year reign of Emperor Guang Xu (光緒
皇帝1874AD to 1908AD) or 1889AD, at the age of 17, he passed the Imperial
Examinations. He worked for Kang Youwei (康有為), another brilliant scholars.
His learning increased greatly under the influence of Kang Youwei.
Seeing the Qing Government was so corrupted he and his teacher Kang Youwei
(康有為) established a newspaper called Shi Wu Bao (時務報) or Current Affairs
Daily in Shanghai. Current Affairs Daily criticized the Government for being
corrupted. It was advocating for the government to build modern schools
and to abolish the Imperial Examinations. Liang Qichao, Kang Youwei, Tan
Sitong (譚嗣同) and a few others staged a coup to reform the corrupted Qing
Administration. The Reformation Movement was crushed. Liang Qichao fled to
Japan where he established a newspaper called Qing Yi Bao (清議報) or Clean
Opinion Daily to continue his anti-Qing criticism.
In 1920, he toured Europe. When he returned to China he was employed by
the Qing Hua University as a researcher. Later he became a professor of
the universities of Nankai (南開) and Dongnan (東南). He dedicated his whole
life to Chinese philosophy, literature and historiography. He had written
many books and the most popular ones are; 先秦政治思想史 (The political
thought of the Qin Dynasty), 中國歷史研究法 (The method of studying Chinese
history), 近三百年學術思想史 (The recent 300 years thought of learning) and
a few others. He died in Beijing at the age of 56.
----------------------------------------
(2) Liang Hongyu (梁紅玉)
Liang Hongyu was the wife of Han Shizhong who was a general in the armed
forces of the Song Dynasty (宋朝 960AD to 1279AD). In 1130AD, the fourth
year reign of Emperor Gao Zong Zhao Gou (高宗皇帝趙構 1127AD to 1162AD),
the Jin Army (金兵) of 100,000 strong under the command of Wanyan Wuzhu
(完顏兀朮) attacked Huang Tiandang (黃天蕩 the present day city of Nanjing
南京市 in Jiangsu province 江蘇省). The Song army of about 8,000 men under
the command of Han Shizhong fought against the Jin invaders. While Han Shizhong
was leading the Song Army fighting the Jin Army, his wife Liang Hongyu (梁
紅玉) beat the war drums to give him the moral support (擊鼓助戰﹐激勵士
氣). The Jin Army could not cross Changjiang (長江 the Yangtze River). In
the end, the Song Army had to withdraw from the city of Huang Tiandang which
fell to the Jin Army.
Six years later, in 1136AD, Emperor Gao Zong appointed Han Shizhong the
Military Governor of Chuzhou (楚州 present day Huaian county 淮安縣 in Jiangsu
province). Liang Hongyu accompanied him on his new appointment. Liang Hongyu
helped the soldiers and officers to settle in the new environment or 與士
卒披荊斬棘﹐她親身織帘為屋. In appreciation of her service Emperor Gao Zong
rewarded her the title of 安國夫人 (The Lady of Anguo). This is what the
people said about her,
滿江還響紅玉鼓---Man3 jiang huan2 xiang3 Hongyu gu3
The whole river [*] responded to Hongyu's drumbeat..
[*] The river was the Changjiang or the Yangtze River.
------------------------------------
(3) Liang Zhangju (梁章鉅 1775AD to 1848AD)
清風明月本無價,---Qing feng ming2 yue4 ben3 wu2 jia4,
近水遙山皆有情.---Jin4 shui3 yao2 shan jie you3 qing2.
The cool breeze and the bright moon are priceless,
It has the affection as it is near the water and the remote mountains..
The above couplet was written by the scholar cum Governor Liang Zhangju
for the pavilion of Can Lang Ting (滄浪亭) in Suzhou (蘇州) city in Jiangsu
province (江蘇省). Liang Zhangju was born in the county of Changle (長樂
縣) in Fujian province (福建省), during the Qing Dynasty (清朝 1644AD to
1911AD). Liang Zhangju passed the Imperial Examinations during the reign
of Emperor Jia Qing (嘉慶皇帝 1796AD to 1820AD) and became a Jin Shi (進
士) or a Imperial Graduate. He was appointed an official and eventually became
the Governor of the two provinces of Jiangsu (江蘇省) and Jiangxi (江西省
). He had written many books and the most popular ones are the 文選旁証
(Wen Xuan Pang Zheng), 楹聯叢話 (Ying Lian Cong Hua) and a few others.
--------------------------------------
Note:
Surname LIANG (梁姓) is the 20th most common Chinese surname in the world.
Posted to asiawind.com
By CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)
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