Reflections: Man of honour

Most people on the mainland support the crackdown on corruption among high-level officials. In imperial China, corrupt officials were the norm, whereas honest officials who actually cared about the people’s well-being were a rare breed. Despite being encircled by powerful enemy states, China during the Northern Song dynasty (960-1127) enjoyed a period of economic development and prosperity. However, Fan Zhongyan (989-1052), a junior official, saw rot in the system and petitioned Emperor Renzong to implement reforms.

Among Fan’s many proposals was to stamp out corruption and nepotism. In the spring of 1043, the Qingli Reforms – named after the Qingli reign (1041-1048) – were launched with support from the throne. Fan was promoted and he implemented the reforms. One of his fellow reformers said a single stroke of Fan’s writing brush would reduce the family of a corrupt official to tears, to which Fan replied, “Far better it is for one family to weep than for the people of an entire province to do so.”

Naturally, Fan faced opposition from the vested interests in court. Employing intrigue and rumours, Fan’s adversaries managed to sow discord between him and the emperor, whose enthusiasm for reforms was diminishing. After 16 months, the Qingli Reforms were halted and Fan was sent to administer districts far away from the capital.