| NAME | |
|---|---|
| Chinese Name | 关审, 關審, Guān Shěn |
| Nickname | Grandfather of Guan Yu (关羽祖父) |
| Other name | Quan Thẩm |
| Courtesy name | 问之, Wènzhī, tự Vấn Chi |
| INFORMATION | |
| Born | c. 110s AD |
| Birth Place | Xiezhou, Hedong Commandery (河东解州; Yuncheng, Shanxi) |
| Death Reason | Natural causes |
| FAMILY | |
| Children | |
| Relatives | |
| CAREER | |
| Allegiance | Eastern Han Dynasty |
| Battles | None |
Biography & Historical Record
Guan Shen (关审, 關審, Quan Thẩm), courtesy name Wenzhi (问之, Vấn Chi), styled Lord Qisheng (齐圣公), was an Eastern Han dynasty scholar-gentry patriarch hailing from Changping Village, Xiezhou in Hedong Commandery (present-day Yuncheng, Shanxi Province). He is celebrated in epigraphic and ancestral records as the grandfather of Guan Yu (关羽, Quan Vũ), the legendary general and deified Martial Saint of China.
According to the Qing-era epigraphic inscription Tomb Tablet of Guan Yu’s Ancestors (关侯祖墓碑记) unearthed in Xiezhou, Guan Shen was a man of upright nature, deep moral integrity, and classic Confucian learning. He dedicated his life to instructing the village youth in the Book of Songs (Mao Shi) and the Spring and Autumn Annals (Chunqiu), while maintaining ancestral martial traditions. He lived to an advanced age, passing away in his mid-sixties, and was survived by his son Guan Yi (关毅), who continued the family lineage that produced Guan Yu.
Role in Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Lineage of the Martial Saint: While Romance of the Three Kingdoms introduces Guan Yu as a fugitive hero from Hedong Xiezhou, historical lineage documents celebrate Guan Shen (关审) as the moral and intellectual foundation behind Guan Yu’s legendary devotion to the Spring and Autumn Annals and righteous loyalty.
Guan Shen (关审) — Historical & Literary Timeline
Birth in Hedong
Born into the rural gentry of Changping village, Xiezhou.
Scholarly Patriarch
Instructs local youth in the Confucian Classics and raises son Guan Yi.
Imperial Reverence
Posthumously enfeoffed as Duke Qisheng during imperial dynasties honoring Guan Yu.
See historical sources cited below.
Key Relationships
Family
In Historical Accounts
- Guan Hou Zu Mu Bei Ji (关侯祖墓碑记): "Guan Shen, courtesy Wenzhi, was from Changping in Xiezhou. He lived with profound Confucian righteousness, constantly instructing descendants in the Classics."
In History
Summary
- Guan Shen (关审, Quan Thẩm) was the grandfather of Guan Yu and grandfather patriarch of the Hedong Guan family.
Historical Record
- Guan Hou Zu Mu Bei Ji (Ancestral Epitaph of Marquis Guan).
- Hedong Guan Shi Zongpu (Genealogy of the Hedong Guan Clan).
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