Gu Jiegang
Gu Jiegang (traditional Chinese: 顧頡剛; simplified Chinese: 顾颉刚; Wade-Giles: Ku Chieh-kang) (1893-1980) was a Chinese historian who is known best for his seven volume work Gushi Bian (古史辨 "Debates on Ancient History"). He is considered the founder of the Skeptical school of early Chinese history, known as yigupai.
In his work, he used textual criticism to challenge traditional Chinese historiography. The best known one is the myth of the Three Dynasties. He is also known for his theory of Chinese diversity, as opposed to the idea of Chinese homogeneity, which is the main assumption of hanism. He states that there is no such thing as the Chinese national identity. This is a bold remark, considering the fact that he was living in a period of fundamental change and the period of pan-hanism in China.
Further Reading
- Schneider, Laurence A. Ku Chieh-kang and China’s New History: Nationalism and the Quest for Alternative Traditions. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1971.
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