Life

Like Confucius, Ran Qiu was a native of the State of Lu, and was 29 years younger than the Master. He came from the same clan as Ran Geng and Ran Yong, two other prominent disciples of Confucius, and was of the same age as Ran Yong.

Ran Qiu is noted in the Analects (11.3) for his achievement in government affairs. He was employed in Confucius' household, before becoming the chief officer of the Jisun (or Ji) household, which dominated the politics of Lu. He served under Ji Kangzi (季康子), head of the Jisun family, who was the chief minister of Lu from 492 to 468 BC.

Ran Qiu professed little interest in Confucian rituals, and his ambition was in the administration of a state. Confucius thought he lacked the virtue of ren or humaneness, and severely criticized him for failing to prevent Ji Kangzi from attacking Zhuanyu (顓臾), a vassal state of Lu, and for helping the Jisun household accumulate massive amounts of wealth. So severe was Ran Qiu's violation of core Confucian values, that Confucius suggested that he no longer considered Ran his disciple.

In 484 BC, Lu was invaded by the neighbouring state of Qi. Ran Qiu was appointed commander of the Lu army, and defeated the Qi invaders. Owing to Ran Qiu's influence, Ji Kangzi invited Confucius to return to his native state of Lu, after fourteen years of exile.

Legacy

Despite Confucius' severe criticism of Ran Qiu's conduct, the latter is still considered one of the Master's top ten disciples. In Confucian temples, his spirit tablet is placed third among the Twelve Wise Ones, on the west.

During the Tang dynasty, Emperor Xuanzong posthumously awarded Ran Qiu the nobility title of Marquess of Xu (徐侯). During the Song dynasty, he was further awarded the titles of Duke of Pengcheng (彭城公) and Duke of Xu (徐公).

Ran Qiu's offspring held the title of Wujing Boshi (五經博士; Wǔjīng Bóshì).

生平

魯昭公二十年（前522年）出生。孔子仕魯期間，擔任孔子的家臣。孔子離魯。周遊列國，冉求也追隨孔子。哀公年間，冉求回魯，成為季康子的家臣，魯哀公十一年（前484年），冉有從衛國接孔子回到魯國。孔子晚年歸隱魯國，冉有出力不少。

冉有曾為季氏徵稅而被孔子責備，《論語.先進篇》記載：「季氏富於周公，而求也為之聚斂而附益之。子曰：非吾徒也，小子鳴鼓而攻之可也！」。《論語.先進篇》也有一篇《子路、曾皙、冉有、公西華侍坐》：冉求表達了自己願治方圓六七十里或五六十里的小國，能使足民，一說是人口充足，一說是民眾富足。

評價

• 孔子稱贊其才可於千戶大邑，百乘兵馬之家，勝任總管職務；

• 孔子：「所謂大臣者：以道事君，不可則止。今由與求也，可謂具臣矣。」

• 孔子：「若臧武仲之知，公綽之不欲，卞莊子之勇，冉求之藝，文之以禮樂，亦可以為成人矣。」

歷代追封

唐贈徐侯，宋封彭城翁，後封徐公。