Yan Zhitui

Yan Zhitui (, 531–591? ) courtesy name Jie was a Chinese calligrapher, painter, musician, writer, philosopher and politician who served four different Chinese states during the late Northern and Southern dynasties: the Liang dynasty in southern China, the Northern Qi and Northern Zhou dynasties of northern China, and their successor state that reunified China, the Sui dynasty. Yan Zhitui was a supporter of Buddhism in China despite criticism by many of his Confucian-taught peers.

Family background Yan Zhitui's ancestors were originally from Linyi in modern-day Shandong Province. His family belonged to the aristocratic Yan clan of Langya (琅琊顏氏). After the fall of the Jin dynasty's capital city of Chang'an during the Uprising of the Five Barbarians, the Yan family migrated south below the Yangtze River in 317. At the Eastern Jin's new capital of Jiankang (modern-day Nanjing) the Yan family became prominent amongst the elite families. The Yan family provided many officials that served the governments of the Eastern Jin dynasty and the succeeding Southern Dynasties in southern China. There was one dissident of the Yan family, though; upon the transition of the Southern Qi to Liang regimes in April to May 502, Yan Zhitui's grandfather Yan Jianyuan refused to serve the Liang court out of continuing loyalty to the Southern Qi. When Emperor Wu of Liang assumed the throne and control over southern China, Yan Jianyuan starved himself to death in an act of piety towards the dynasty he once served. Despite this act of devotion from his grandfather, his father Yan Xie decided to serve Emperor Wu and the new Liang dynasty. Yan Zhiyi and Yan Zhisan were his older brothers.

Descendants He had three sons: Yan Silu, Yan Minchu and Yan Youqin.

Life Yan Zhitui's father Yan Xie died in 539, when he was only nine years old (by East Asian reckoning). Without a father figure to guide or support him, Yan was raised largely by his elder brother. narrowly escaped execution once they were made prisoners of Hou Jing. an early reference to the use of paper for toilet purposes was made by Yan. In 589 AD Yan Zhitui wrote: