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Fu Xuan

Chinese historian, poet and politician (217-278)

Correspondence, annotated notebooks and portrait silhouettes prepared for research
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Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionMay 24, 2026
Entity authorityQ1270083
Source-derived summary

Fu Xuan (217 – 278), courtesy name Xiuyi, posthumous name Gang (刚), was a Chinese historian, poet, and politician who lived in the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period and later under the Jin dynasty. He was one of the most prolific authors of fu poetry of his time. He was a grandson of Fu Xie (傅燮; died c.May 187), a son of Fu Gan (傅幹; 175 - 220s), and the father of Fu Xian (傅咸).

Life

Although he lost his father early and grew up poor, Fu Xuan eventually became famous in literature and music. Nominated as a civil service candidate by the local provincial government, he was appointed as a Gentleman (郎中) and put in charge of managing the compilation of the historical text Records of the Three Kingdoms (三國志). Later, he became a subordinate of Sima Zhao, the regent of Wei from 255 to 265. He rose through the ranks to become the Administrator (太守) of Hongnong Commandery (弘農郡) and Colonel of Agriculture (典農校尉). In 266, after Sima Yan usurped the Wei throne and established the Jin dynasty (266–420) with himself as the new emperor in February, he appointed Fu Xuan as a Regular Mounted Attendant (散騎常侍) and awarded him the title of a Viscount (子爵). Later, Fu Xuan was reassigned to be a Commandant of Escorting Cavalry (駙馬都尉).

Fu Xuan was recommended to the position of Palace Attendant but was dismissed from consideration after a falling out.

Editorial summary

This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Fu Xuan” as chinese historian, poet and politician (217-278). Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.

Editorial reviewA useful biographical orientation record, particularly for establishing names, roles and a first chronology. The current 244-word lead offers orientation but no explicit four-digit date, so chronology should not be assumed. The linked authority record independently contributes the date 0217. The account is most persuasive where Xuan, Chinese and historian can be independently traced.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

The subject matters to the people & ideas register because the source frames it as chinese historian, poet and politician (217-278). Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.

Evidence profile

Biographical claims are most persuasive when dates, appointments and relationships can be traced to records created close to the events described. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 24, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1270083. VIAF identifies the subject as 76342736. The Library of Congress control number is n85362343. 3 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.

Critical limits

Public reputation and documentary evidence do not always develop together; absence from a summary is not evidence of historical absence. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Read biographical claims against dates, named institutions and the cited references. Distinguish a subject’s later reputation from evidence produced during their lifetime.

Best used for
  • Establishing names and roles
  • Building a first chronology
  • Locating cited institutions
Verify next

Personal papers, civil or court records, institutional files and the scholarship cited by the source.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Fu Xuan”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Fu Xuan primary sources, Fu Xuan archive and Xuan research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Fu Xuan”?
  2. How has the subject’s reputation changed across later accounts?
  3. Which primary records establish identity, chronology and institutional ties?
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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from Fu Xuan” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.