Ban Zhao

Ban Zhao (ca. 45–ca. 120 ce ) was one of the leading scholars of the Eastern Han period (25–220 ce ). Most of what we know about her life comes from the Houhan Shu (The History of the Latter Han) written by Fan Ye (398–445/446 ce ). She was the younger sister of the historian Ban Gu (32–92 ce ), who wrote and compiled the Hanshu (The Book of Han), a history of the Western Han period (202 bce –9 ce ). After Ban Gu died in prison, Ban Zhao finished writing and edited the Hanshu . The emperor commanded her to teach this difficult text, and some of the most important scholars of the day were her students, including the distinguished commentator Ma Rong. In addition to her contributions to the Hanshu , she wrote the Nüjie (Lessons for Daughters), a controversial text that not only had immense influence on later ideas about female education, but also behavior, emphasizing obedience. Ban Zhao was recognized as a great poet, writing fu ‐style poetry for the imperial court. Today, her “Rhapsody on an Eastward Journey” (“Dongzhengfu” ) survives in full, and other poems, such as the “Rhapsody on the Great Bird,” survive in fragments. She was employed as a teacher to the women of imperial household, becoming quite close to the Empress Dowager Deng Sui, who often consulted Ban Zhao on state affairs.