Ma Zhou
| Ma Zhou | |
|---|---|
| Chancellor of the Tang dynasty | |
| Born | 601 |
| Died | 648 (aged 46–47) |
| Names | |
| Traditional Chinese | 馬周 |
| Simplified Chinese | 马周 |
| Pinyin | Mǎ Zhōu |
| Wade–Giles | Ma Chou |
| Courtesy name | Binwang (simplified Chinese: 宾王; traditional Chinese: 賓王; pinyin: Bīnwáng; Wade–Giles: Pin-wang) |
Ma Zhou (601–648), courtesy name Binwang, formally the Duke of Gaotang (高唐公), was a Chinese official who served as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Taizong in the Tang dynasty. He was initially a commoner and a guest of the general Chang He (常何), and after Chang submitted suggestions that Ma drafted, Emperor Taizong was impressed and retained Ma as an imperial official, eventually rising to the post of chancellor.
Ma Zhou was born in 601, during the reign of Emperor Wen in the Sui dynasty. He appeared to have been born from a relatively poor household in Qinghe Commandery (清河, roughly modern Xingtai, Hebei) and lost his father early in life. He was studious, particularly concentrating on the Shi Jing and the Spring and Autumn Annals, but was also carefree, not paying attention to details, and because of this, the people of his home region did not view him highly. During the reign of Emperor Gaozu in the Tang dynasty, he served as a teacher in Bo Prefecture (博州, i.e., Qinghe), but was said to spend his days drinking, not concentrating on teaching the students, and was often rebuked by the prefect Daxi Shu (達奚恕). He thus resigned and went to travel in Cao Prefecture (曹州, roughly modern Heze, Shandong) and Bian Prefecture (汴州, roughly modern Kaifeng, Henan). While there, however, on one occasion he was insulted by Cui Xian (崔賢), the county magistrate for Junyi County (浚儀, in modern Kaifeng), and in anger, he travelled to the capital Chang'an. Once there, he became a guest of the general Chang He.
In 629, Emperor Gaozu's son and successor, Emperor Taizong, ordered his officials to submit suggestions for him. As Chang was unacquainted with historical writings, Ma drafted some 20 suggestions for him. When Emperor Taizong read the suggestions that Chang submitted, he was impressed, but he knew that Chang was not well-studied, he summoned Chang to ask him how he came up with the suggestions. Chang told Emperor Taizong that he did not write the suggestions and that Ma did. He also told Emperor Taizong that whenever he conversed with Ma, Ma was always concerned about faithfulness and filial piety. Emperor Taizong sent messengers to summon Ma into his presence, and once they conversed, he was impressed by Ma and, while initially not giving him an official position, had him serve at the examination bureau of the government (門下省, Menxia Sheng). In 632, he officially made Ma a governmental auditor. He awarded Chang silk for having discovered Ma.
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