Family tree of Confucius in the main line of descent explained

See also: Confucius. This is a family tree of the main line of descent of Confucius .

List of prominent descendants of Confucius not in the main line

The title of Duke of Song and "Duke Who Continues and Honours the Yin" (殷紹嘉公) were bestowed upon Kong An (孔安 (東漢) by the Eastern Han dynasty because he was part of the Shang dynasty's legacy.^{[1] [2]} This branch of the Confucius family is a separate branch from the line that held the title of Marquis of Fengsheng village and later Duke Yansheng.

• Kong Anguo 11th generation descendant, son of Kong Zhong (Chinese: 孔忠)
• Kong Jie 孔捷, Kong Xi 孔喜, Kong Guang 孔光, sons of Kong Ba 孔霸, younger brothers of Kong Fu 孔福. 14th generation descendants.
• Kong Zhou (Eastern Han) 20th generation descendant
• Kong Rong 20th generation descendant
• The Southern Branch of the Confucius family at Quzhou. During the Southern Song dynasty the descendant of Confucius at Qufu, the Duke Yansheng Kong Duanyou fled south with the Song Emperor to Quzhou, while the newly established Jin dynasty (1115–1234) in the north appointed Kong Duanyou's brother Kong Duancao who remained in Qufu as Duke Yansheng. From that time up until the Yuan dynasty, there were two Duke Yanshengs, one in the north in Qufu and the other in the south at Quzhou. An invitation to come back to Qufu was extended to the southern Duke Yansheng Kong Zhu by the Yuan dynasty Emperor Kublai Khan. The title was taken away from the southern branch after Kong Zhu rejected the invitation,^{[3] [4] [5]} so the northern branch of the family kept the title of Duke Yansheng. The southern branch still remained in Quzhou where they lived to this day. Confucius's descendants in Quzhou alone number 30,000.^{[6] [7]} The Hanlin Academy rank of Wujing boshi 五經博士 was awarded to the southern branch at Quzhou by a Ming Emperor while the northern branch at Qufu held the title Duke Yansheng.^{[4] [8] [9]}
  • Kong Ruogu 孔若古 Kong Chuan (Chinese: 孔傳)^[4] 47th generation^{[10] [11] [12]} Claimed to be the ancestor of the Southern branch after Kong Zhu died by Northern branch member Kong Guanghuang.^{[3] [13] [14]} The leader of the southern branch is 孔祥楷 Kong Xiangkai.^[15]
• Kong Daofu 孔道輔 45th generation, Grand Master of Remonstrance of the Right under Emperor Renzong of Song^{[16] [17] [18]}
• Kong Zonghan 孔宗翰 46th generation, Song dynasty official^[19]
• Kong Zongyuan 孔宗願 46th generation
• Kong Ruozhuo 孔若拙 47th generation
• Kong Yu 孔瑀, 49th generation ^{[20] [21]}
• Kong Zongshou 孔宗壽 46th generation^{[22] [23] [24] [21]}
• Kong Jian 孔僉^{[25] [26]}
• Kong Shuxuan 孔淑玄
• Kong Yingda 32nd generation descendant, son of Kong An (孔安) 31st generation, son of Kong Shuo (孔碩) 30st generation, son of Kong Linggui (孔靈龜 29th generation, descendant of Kong Yang 孔扬 22nd generation, son of Kong Yu 孔郁 21st generation, 7th generation descendant of Kong Fu 孔福) (The Kong An here was a 31st generation descendant who lived during the Northern Qi and was not the same as the Kong An (孔安) shown on the tree who was a 17th generation descendant who lived during the Eastern Han dynasty)
• Kong Xiuyuan 孔休源 32nd generation
• Kong Zongfan 孔宗笵 33rd generation
• Kong Yuntong 孔雲童 33rd generation
• Kong Keren 孔克仁 55th generation descendant.^[27]
• Kong Gongxun 孔公恂 58th generation
• Kong Wenji 孔聞籍 62nd generation
• Kong Zhenkan 孔貞堪, 63rd generation, Magistrate of Qufu, surrendered to Li Zicheng.^[28]
• Kong Shangze 孔尚則^[29] 64th generation.
• Kong Shangren 64th generation descendant
• Kong Xianglin (K'ung Hsiang-lin)孔祥霖^[30] 75th generation descendant
• H. H. Kung (Kong Xiangxi) 75th generation descendant, son of Kong Fanci (Chinese: 孔繁慈)
  • His children were Kong Lingyi (Kung Ling-i) 孔令儀, Kong Lingkan (Kung Ling-k'an) 孔令侃, Kong Lingjun (Kung Ling-chun) 孔令俊, and Kong Lingjie (Kung Ling-chie) 孔令傑. One of H. H. Kung's sons, Kong Lingjie 孔令傑 married Debra Paget^[31] who gave birth to Gregory Kung (Chinese: 孔德基).
• Kong Xianglin 孔祥林, philosopher, Deputy Dean of the Research Institute of Confucianism, Director of the Qufu Committee for the Preservation of Cultural Relics.^[32]
• Kong Fanqi (Chinese: 孔繁琪) 74th generation descendant, mother of Li Fengshan (李鳳山) and grandmother of Ann Li (李怜宜)
• Kong Zhaoshou 71st generation descendant
• Kong Zhaowei 孔昭巍 71st generation descendant^[33]
• Kong Deyong, 77th generation descendant^[34]
• Kong Xiangxian, Chinese Muslim, 75th generation descendant^[35]
• Kong Dejun (Chinese: 孔德軍) Chinese Muslim Islamic scholar, 77th generation descendant
• Kong Lingjun 孔令儁,^{[36] [37]} 76th generation descendant^[38]
• 曲阜孔氏 (곡부 공씨 in Korean; Gokbu Gong clan in English): During the Yuan dynasty, Gong So (孔紹/공소, 1304-1381), who claimed to be a son of Kong Huan 孔浣, moved from China to Goryeo era Korea during Toghon Temür's rule. Gong So's descendants have established numerous cadet branches to the modern era.^{[39] [40] [41] [42] [43] [44]}

Generation name

Along with the descendants of the other Four Sages (Confucius, Mencius, Zengzi, and Yan Hui), the descendants of Confucius still determine part of their children's given names using this generation poem given to them by the Ming dynasty Jianwen Emperor and extended by later emperors:^[45]

希言公彥承，宏聞貞尚衍；

興毓傳繼廣，昭憲慶繁祥；

令德維垂佑，欽紹念顯揚；

建道敦安定，懋修肇彝常；

裕文煥景瑞，永錫世緒昌。

See also

• Duke Yansheng (the title of these descendants since the Song dynasty)
• Confucius Genealogy Compilation Committee
• 孔子世家 Well known individual descendants of Confucius listed by generation
• 孔子世家大宗世系 Family tree tracing descent from the Yellow Emperor down to the Dukes of Yansheng
• 孔子世家南宗北宗世系图 Family tree showing the split between the Northern and Southern branches of Confucius descendants.
• 孔子世家总世系图 (中兴祖前)
• 孔子世家谱 History of the Confucius Family Tree compilation
• 孔子世家四支和五位的世系圖 Cadet branches which break off at Kong Renyu 孔仁玉.
• 孔子世家五凝世系图 Cadet branches from the five sons of Kong Zhaohuan 孔昭煥
• 孔子世家十二府世系图 The 12 cadet branches descended from Kong Xingxie 孔兴燮
• Gokbu Gong clan Branch of Confucius descendants in Korea established by Kong Shao who moved from China to Korea and married a Korean woman.

Bibliography

• Records of the Grand Historian

Annals of the Shang Dynasty 《史记·殷本纪》

• Wang Guowei, Guantang Jilin 王国维《观堂集林》
• Records of the Grand Historian

House of Song Weizi《史记·宋微子世家》

• Records of the Grand Historian

House of Kongzi《史记·孔子世家》

• Chunqiu Zuozhuan zhengyi 《春秋左传正义·昭公七年》
• Book of Han

Annals of Emperor Cheng 《汉书·成帝纪》

• Book of Han

Table of nobles from families of the imperial consorts《汉书·外戚恩泽表》

• Book of Han

Biographies of Kuang, Zhang, Kong and Ma《汉书·匡张孔马传》

• Book of the Later Han

Biographies of Confucians 《后汉书·儒林传上·孔僖传》

• Annotation of Book of the Later Han: Biographies of Confucians 《后汉书注·儒林传上·孔僖传》
• New Book of Tang

Table of genealogy of Chancellors V 《新唐书·宰相世系表五》

• History of Song

Biographies of Confucians I 《宋史·儒林一·孔宜传》

• History of Song

Rites 22《宋史•志第七十二》

• History of Jin

Biography of Kong Fan 《金史·孔璠传》

• History of Yuan

Biography of Kong Sihui 《元史·孔思晦传》

• History of Ming

Biographies of Confucians III 《明史·儒林三·孔希学传》

• Draft History of Qing

Biographies of Confucians IV《清史稿·儒林四》

• Liancongzi《连从子·叙书》
• Genealogy book of House of Kongzi《孔子世家谱》 山东友谊出版社
• Family Sayings of Confucius 《孔子家語》

Further reading

• Book: Chapin , David . 2012. Long Lines: Ten of the World's Longest Continuous CHART Lineages. VirtualBookWorm.com. College Station, Texas. 978-1-60264-933-0.

Notes and References

1. Book: Rafe de Crespigny. A Biographical Dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms (23–220 AD). 28 December 2006. BRILL. 978-90-474-1184-0. 389–.
2. 《汉书·杨胡朱梅云传》：初，武帝时，始封周后姬嘉为周子南君，至元帝时，尊周子南君为周承休侯，位次诸侯王。使诸大夫博士求殷后，分散为十余姓，郡国往往得其大家，推求子孙，绝不能纪。时，匡衡议，以为"王者存二王后，所以尊其先王而通三统也。其犯诛绝之罪者绝，而更封他亲为始封君，上承其王者之始祖。《春秋》之义，诸侯不能守其社稷者绝。今宋国已不守其统而失国矣，则宜更立殷后为始封君，而上承汤统，非当继宋之绝侯也，宜明得殷后而已。今之故宋，推求其嫡，久远不可得；虽得其嫡，嫡之先已绝，不当得立。《礼记》孔子曰：'丘，殷人也。'先师所共传，宜以孔子世为汤后。"上以其语不经，遂见寝。
3. Web site: B. Paul Banning . AAS Abstracts: China Session 45 . Aas2.asian-studies.org . 2016-07-24 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20161006175402/http://aas2.asian-studies.org/absts/1995abst/china/csess45.htm . 2016-10-06 .
4. Web site: Archived copy . 2016-05-03 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304053840/http://www.npm.gov.tw/hotnews/9910seminar/download/all/B10.pdf . 2016-03-04 .
5. Book: Thomas Jansen. Thoralf Klein. Christian Meyer. Globalization and the Making of Religious Modernity in China: Transnational Religions, Local Agents, and the Study of Religion, 1800–Present. 21 March 2014. BRILL. 978-90-04-27151-7. 187–188.
   Web site: The Ritual Formation of Confucian Orthodoxy and the Descendants of the Sage (PDF Download Available) . Researchgate.net . 2016-07-24.
6. News: Nation observes Confucius anniversary. China Daily. 2006-09-29 . live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160108182411/http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2006-09/29/content_699183.htm. 2016-01-08.
7. News: Confucius Anniversary Celebrated. China Daily. September 29, 2006. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20150914162656/http://www.china.org.cn/english/2006/Sep/182656.htm. September 14, 2015.
8. Book: Thomas A. Wilson. On Sacred Grounds: Culture, Society, Politics, and the Formation of the Cult of Confucius. 2002. Harvard University Asia Center. 978-0-674-00961-5. 69,315.
9. Book: Thomas Jansen. Thoralf Klein. Christian Meyer. Globalization and the Making of Religious Modernity in China: Transnational Religions, Local Agents, and the Study of Religion, 1800–Present. 21 March 2014. BRILL. 978-90-04-27151-7. 188–.
10. Web site: 磐安发现一处宋墓 墓主是孔子47代裔孙 . Js.ifeng.com . 2016-07-24 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20160605043714/http://js.ifeng.com/humanity/his/detail_2015_03/27/3712847_0.shtml . 2016-06-05 .
    Web site: 磐安孔氏家庙-浙江省非物质文化遗产网/浙江非遗网 . Zjfeiyi.cn . 2014-04-23 . 2016-07-24 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160603111442/http://www.zjfeiyi.cn/lvyou/detail/2-124.html . 2016-06-03 .
    Web site: 金华磐安发现一处宋代古墓 墓主疑是孔子47代裔孙-浙江省殡葬协会 . Zjbzxh.org . 2015-03-27 . 2016-07-24 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20161006205620/http://www.zjbzxh.org/contents/231/709.html . 2016-10-06 .
11. Web site: 中国深圳孔氏联谊会-榉溪孔氏家庙 . Szkong.net . 2016-02-23 . 2016-07-24 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160923063801/http://szkong.net/article/196 . 2016-09-23 .
12. Web site: 孔传：孔传 锁定 本缺少名片图，补充相关内 . 2016-05-21 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160605072209/http://059822.net/news/FS3.html . 2016-06-05 .
    
13. Web site: The Ritual Formation of Confucian Orthodoxy and the Descendants of the Sage . Researchgate.net . 2016-07-24.
14. Wilson, Thomas A.. 1996. The Ritual Formation of Confucian Orthodoxy and the Descendants of the Sage. The Journal of Asian Studies. 55. 3. Cambridge University Press. 559–84. 10.2307/2646446. 2646446. 162848825 .
15. Book: Thomas Jansen. Thoralf Klein. Christian Meyer. Globalization and the Making of Religious Modernity in China: Transnational Religions, Local Agents, and the Study of Religion, 1800–Present. 21 March 2014. BRILL. 978-90-04-27151-7. 189–. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170223092345/https://books.google.com/books?id=GNlXAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA189. 23 February 2017.
16. Book: 畢沅. 續資治通鑑. 1 September 2014. 朔雪寒. 540–. GGKEY:4JFC8P77U5Z.
17. Book: 四庫全書補正: 子部. 1999. 臺灣商務印書館. 978-957-05-1627-2. 606–. Book: Qin ding da Qing hui dian (Jiaqing chao). 1818. 762–.
18. Book: 薛應旂. 33 Hefte in 4 Umschlägen ZALT. Bibliothek Arthur von Rosthorn ZALT. Song Yuan tongjian. 1626. 676–.
19. Web site: 孔氏宗亲网-孔子后裔的网上家园-孔宗翰. Kong.org.cn. 2016-07-24. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160313204448/http://www.kong.org.cn/Item/Show.asp?m=1&d=440. 2016-03-13.
20. Book: Modern Chinese Religion I (2 vol.set): Song-Liao-Jin-Yuan (960–1368 AD). 8 December 2014. BRILL. 978-90-04-27164-7. 812–813.
21. Murray . Julia K. . Heirloom and Exemplar: Family and School Portraits of Confucius in the Song and Yuan Periods . Journal of Song-Yuan Studies . 2011 . 41 . 1 . 227–266 . . 10.1353/sys.2011.0021 . 162292814 .
22. Book: Modern Chinese Religion I (2 vol.set): Song-Liao-Jin-Yuan (960–1368 AD). 8 December 2014. BRILL. 978-90-04-27164-7. 816–.
23. Book: Guangxi tong zhi. 1802. 2–.
24. Book: 关戈 高峰. 千年圣地——孔府孔庙孔林. 11 December 2014. 青苹果数据中心. 35–. GGKEY:P9GU680L6X9.
25. Web site: 第七节 东晋南朝建康韩伯皇侃经学南学派. Jssdfz.com. 2016-07-24. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20161006180017/http://www.jssdfz.com/book/shkxz/D3/D7J.html. 2016-10-06.
26. Web site: ÁºÊé. Guoxue.com. 2016-07-24. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20161006175535/http://www.guoxue.com/shibu/24shi/liangsu/ls_048.htm. 2016-10-06.
27. Web site: Ming Taizu's Problem with His Sons : Prince Qin's Criminality and Early-Ming Politics . Hok-Lam Chan . Ihp.sinica.edu.tw . 2016-07-24 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304053122/http://www2.ihp.sinica.edu.tw/file/1428JKwdpCs.pdf . 2016-03-04 .
28. Zhang. Yimin. June 2006. The Role of Literati in Military Action during the Ming-Qing Transition Period. Doctor of Philosophy. McGill University. Montreal, Quebec. 61. 978-0-494-27860-4. 2017-08-14.
29. Book: Qinyuan Xinchuan Quanbian . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20160813120235/http://www.silkqin.com/02qnpu/51qyxc/qy00toc.htm . 2016-08-13 .
30. Book: Great Britain. Legation (China). List of the Higher Metropolitan and Provincial Authorities of China (with Genealogical Table of the Imperial Family). 1907. Kelly and Walsh, Limited. 20, 46.
31. News: Bacon. James. Debra Paget Weds Oilman, Nephew of Madame Chiang. Independent . Independent. April 21, 1962. 11. Newspapers.com. June 11, 2015. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20150613031957/http://www.newspapers.com/clip/2595390/independent/. June 13, 2015.
32. Book: Xinzhong Yao. RoutledgeCurzon Encyclopedia of Confucianism. 2003. RoutledgeCurzon. 978-0-415-30652-2. ix–.
    Book: Yingjie Guo. Cultural Nationalism in Contemporary China. 1 March 2004. Routledge. 978-1-134-35227-2. 112–.
    Book: Jesús Solé-Farràs. New Confucianism in Twenty-First Century China: The Construction of a Discourse. 20 November 2013. Routledge. 978-1-134-73908-0. 86–.
    Book: Janette Ai. Politics and Traditional Culture: The Political Use of Traditions in Contemporary China. 19 September 2014. World Scientific. 978-981-4596-77-0. 51–.
    Book: Beijing Review. 2006. Beijing Review. 54.
    Book: Xinhua News Bulletin. 12 October 1985. Xinhua News Agency, Hongkong Branch. 63.
33. Web site: 孔子其实是个作曲家 在他倡议下文人弹琴成风——新华网江西频道. Jx.xinhuanet.com. 2016-07-24. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20161006205617/http://www.jx.xinhuanet.com/news/history/2015-04/29/c_1115133525.htm. 2016-10-06.
34. Web site: Foster . Peter . Confucius family tree unveiled . Telegraph . 2009-09-25 . 2016-07-24 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20160410201550/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/6230959/Confucius-family-tree-unveiled.html . 2016-04-10 .
35. Web site: New Confucius Genealogy out next year . China.org.cn . 2008-10-31 . 2016-07-24 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20161010100750/http://www.china.org.cn/china/features/content_16696029_3.htm . 2016-10-10 .
36. Book: A History of Food Culture in China. 23 July 2015. World Scientific. 978-1-938368-27-1. 21–.
37. Book: Rongguang Zhao. Gangliu Wang. Aimee Yiran Wang. A History of Food Culture in China. 1 January 2015. World Scientific. 978-1-938368-28-8. 21–.
38. Web site: 第22章 康有为与孔令儁_中国历史网 . Lishi.zhuixue.net . 2015-10-29 . 2016-07-24 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20160815211732/http://lishi.zhuixue.net/renwu/kangyouwei/26387.html . 2016-08-15 .
39. Web site: Descendants of Confucius in South Korea Seek Roots in Quzhou. https://archive.today/20150204113943/http://www.qz.gov.cn/English/Recent/201405/t20140519_278510.htm. dead. 2015-02-04. 2014-05-01. QUZHOU.CHINA. February 4, 2015.
40. Web site: quzhou.china . Archive.is . 2016-07-24 . bot: unknown . https://archive.today/20150204113943/http://www.qz.gov.cn/English/Recent/201405/t20140519_278510.htm . 2015-02-04 .
41. Web site: South Korea home to 80,000 descendants of Confucius . En.people.cn . 2008-02-18 . 2016-07-24 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20160828231834/http://en.people.cn/90001/90777/90851/6355971.html . 2016-08-28 .
42. Web site: New Confucius Genealogy out next year . China.org.cn . 2008-10-31 . 2016-07-24 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20161010172506/http://www.china.org.cn/china/features/content_16696029_4.htm . 2016-10-10 .
43. Web site: China Exclusive: Korean Confucius descendants trace back to ancestor of family tree . China.org.cn . 2016-03-11 . 2016-07-24 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20160601040417/http://www.china.org.cn/china/Off_the_Wire/2016-03/11/content_37999541.htm . 2016-06-01 .
44. Web site: China Exclusive: Korean Confucius descendants trace back to ancestor of family tree – Xinhua English.news.cn . News.xinhuanet.com . 2016-03-11 . 2016-07-24 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20160729171433/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2016-03/11/c_135179011.htm . 2016-07-29 .
45. 孔姓 (The Kong family, descendants of Confucius)