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Ma Rong

AD 79 – 166

Chinese poet and politician

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About Ma Rong

Lived AD 79 – 166 (aged 86–87). Ma Rong was a Chinese poet, philosopher, politician, writer, philologist and pundit.

Ma Rong (; 79–166 ), courtesy name Jichang , was a Chinese essayist, poet, and politician of the Eastern Han dynasty. He was born in Youfufeng in the former Han capital region, in modern Xianyang, Shaanxi Province. His father Ma Yan (馬嚴) was a son of Ma Yu (馬余), an elder brother of the famed general Ma Yuan. He was known for his commentaries on the Five Classics, the first scholar known to have written commentaries on them, and he also developed the double column commentary for his project. His notable students were Lu Zhi and Zheng Xuan.

He was suspended for ten years due to critical comments, but was eventually restored to the Governor of Nan Commandery (modern Hubei). His biography appears in the Book of Later Han (volume 60, part 1). He wrote the Rhapsody on Long Flute ; the Song dynasty Classic of Loyalty , patterned after the Classic of Filial Piety, bears attribution to his name.

His daughter Ma Lun (122 - 184 ) later married Yuan Wei, an uncle of Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu. Ma Lun also had a younger sister, Ma Zhi.

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Important facts

Born
AD 79
Birth century
Died
166
Nationality
Also known as
Ma Yung

People in Ma Rong's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Ma Rong's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Ma Rong?

Chinese poet and politician (79-166)

When was Ma Rong born?

Ma Rong was born in AD 79.

When did Ma Rong die?

Ma Rong died in 166.

What was Ma Rong's occupation?

Ma Rong was a poet, philosopher, politician, writer, philologist and pundit.

What nationality was Ma Rong?

Ma Rong was Chinese.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Ma Rong

· Wikidata: Q657368

· DBpedia: Ma Rong

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Ma Rong. https://biography.guide/ma-rong/

MLA: "Ma Rong." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/ma-rong/.

Chicago: "Ma Rong." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/ma-rong/.

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