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The Disciples of Confucius (Kongzi qishi'er dizi 孔子七十二弟子)

Jan 6, 2012 © Ulrich Theobald

There are 72 canonised "worthies" (xian 賢) among Confucius' disciples. Yan Hui 顏回, his most beloved disciple, is normally not counted among these persons because he was considered a "second Confucius". The list of disciples in the history Shiji 史記 (67 Zhongni zidi liezhuan 仲尼弟子列傳) includes a few persons (in the following table marked with an asterisk *) that were later not canonised. The ten "wise" disciples (zhe 哲) are marked with a plus sign +.

Table 1. The Disciples of Confucius
+ Yan Hui 顏回, courtesy name Ziyuan 子淵
+ Min Sun 閔損, courtesy name Zijian 子騫
+ Ran Geng 冉耕, courtesy name Boniu 伯牛
+ Ran Yong 冉雍, courtesy name Zhonggong 仲弓
+ Ran Qiu 冉求, courtesy name Ziyou 子有
+ Zhong You 仲由, courtesy name Zilu 子路
+ Zai Yu 宰予, courtesy name Ziwo 子我
+ Duanmu Ci 端沐賜, courtesy name Zigong 子貢
+ Yan Yan 言偃, courtesy name Ziyou 子游
+ Bu Shang 卜商, courtesy name Zixia 子夏
Zhuansun Shi 顓孫師, courtesy name Zizhang 子張
Zeng Shen 曾參, courtesy name Ziyu 子輿
Dantai Mieming 澹臺滅明, courtesy name Ziyu 子羽
Mi Buqi 宓不齊 (or Fu Buqi 伏不齊),courtesy name Zijian 子賤
Yuan Xian 原憲, courtesy name Zisi 子思
Gongye Zhang 公冶長 (also written Chang 萇), courtesy name Zizhang 子長 (or Zizhi 子芝)
Nangong Kuo 南宮括, courtesy name Zirong 子容
Gongxi Ai 公皙哀, courtesy name Jici 季次 (or Ke 克)
Zeng Dian 曾蒧, courtesy name Xi 皙
Yan Wuyao 顏無繇, courtesy name Lu 路 (father of Yan Hui 顏回)
Shang Qu 商瞿, courtesy name Zimu 子木
Gao Chai 高柴, courtesy name Zigao 子羔
Qidiao Kai 漆彫開, courtesy name Zikai 子開 (or Ziruo 子若)
Gongbo Liao 公伯繚 (also written 寮), courtesy name Zizhou 子周
Sima Geng 司馬耕, courtesy name Ziniu 子牛
Fan Xu 樊須, courtesy name Zichi 子遲
You Ruo 有若, courtesy name Ziyou 子有 (or You 有)
Gongxi Chi 公西赤, courtesy name Zihua 子華
Wuma Shi 巫馬施, courtesy name Ziqi 子旗 (or Ziqi 子期)
Liang Shan 梁鱣 (or Liang Li 梁鯉), courtesy name Shuyu 叔魚
* Yan Xing 顏幸, courtesy name Ziliu 子柳
Ran Ru 冉孺 (also written 儒), courtesy name Zilu 子魯 (or Zizeng 子曾)
Cao Xu 曹卹, courtesy name Zixun 子循
Bo Min 伯虔 (or Bo Chu 伯處), courtesy name Zixi 子析 (or Zizhe 子哲)
* Gongsun Long 公孫龍 (or Chong 寵 or Long 礱), courtesy name Zishi 子石
Ran Ji 冉季, courtesy name Zichan 子產 (or Chan 產)
Gongzu Gouzi 公祖句茲, courtesy name Zizhi 子之
Qin Zu 秦祖, courtesy name Zinan 子南
Qidiao Duo 漆雕哆 (also read Che), courtesy name Zilian 子斂
Yan Gao 顏高 (or Yan Shang 顏產), courtesy name Zijiao 子驕
Qidiao Tufu 漆雕徒父, courtesy name Gu 固 (or Ziwen 子文)
Rangsi Chi 壤駟赤, courtesy name Zixi 子徒
Shang Ze 商澤, courtesy name Ziji 子季 (or Ji 季)
Shizuo Shu 石作蜀, courtesy name Ziming 子明
Ren Buqi 任不齊, courtesy name Xuan 選 (or Zixuan 子選)
Gonglian Ru 公良孺 (also written 儒), courtesy name Zizheng 子正
Hou Chu 后處, courtesy name Zili 子里
Qin Ran 秦冉, courtesy name Kai 開
Gongxia Shou 公夏首, courtesy name Cheng 乘
Xi Rongzhen 奚容箴, courtesy name Zixi 子皙
Gong Jianding 公肩定, courtesy name Zizhong 子中
Yan Zu 顏祖, courtesy name Xiang 襄
Xiao Shan 鄡單 (or Wu Shan 鄔單), courtesy name Zijia 子家
Goujing Jiang 句井疆 (also written 鉤井疆) , courtesy name Zijiang 子疆
Hanfu Hei 罕父黑, courtesy name Zisuo 子索
Qin Shang 秦商, courtesy name Zipi 子丕 (or Pici 丕慈)
Shen Dang 申黨, courtesy name Zhou 周
Yan Zhipu 顏之僕, courtesy name Shu 叔
Rong Jing 榮旂 (or Qi 祈), courtesy name Ziqi 子祈 (or Ziyan 子顏)
Xian Cheng 縣成, courtesy name Ziqi 子祺 (or Zimou 子謀)
Zuo Renying 左人郢, courtesy name Xing 行
Yan Ji 燕伋, courtesy name Si 思
Zheng Bang 鄭邦 (or Xue Bang 薛邦, during the Han period changed to Zheng Guo 鄭國/Xue Guo 薛國), courtesy name Zixi 子徒
Qin Fei 秦非, courtesy name Zizhi 子之
Shi Zhichang 施之常,courtesy name Ziheng 子恆
Yan Kuai 顏噲, courtesy name Zisheng 子聲
Bushu Cheng 步叔乘, courtesy name Ziche 子車
Yuan Kang 原亢, courtesy name Ji 籍
Le Gai 樂欬, courtesy name Zisheng 子聲
Lian Jie 廉絜, courtesy name Yong 庸
Shuzhong Hui 叔仲會, courtesy name Ziqi 子期
Yan He 顏何, courtesy name Ran 冉 (or Cheng 稱)
Di Mo 狄黑, courtesy name Xi 皙
Bang Xun 邦巽 (or Xuan 選), courtesy name Zilian 子斂
Kong Zhong 孔忠, courtesy name Zimie 子蔑 (a nephew of Confucius)
Gongxi Yuru 公西輿如, courtesy name Zishang 子上
* Gongxi Jian 公西葴, courtesy name Zishang 子上 (also written 子尚)
Sources:
Shiji 史記, 67 (Zhongni zidi liezhuan 仲尼弟子列傳).
Luo Zhufeng 羅竹風, ed. (1990). Hanyu da cidian 漢語大詞典 (Beijing: Hanyu da cidian chubanshe), Vol. 1, 147.
Xin Yi 辛夷, Cheng Zhiwei 成志偉, ed. (1991). Zhongguo diangu da cidian 中國典故大辭典 (Beijing: Beijing Yanshan chubanshe), 503.