生平

清朝同治四年农历二月十三日（公元1865年3月10日），谭嗣同出生于北京宣武城南孏眠胡同（今烂漫胡同）的家邸中。其父谭继洵时为朝廷官员，曾出任户部郎中、甘肃道台、湖北巡抚等职。谭嗣同5岁读书，15岁学诗，20岁学文。谭嗣同早年得力于母教，钻研儒家典籍，广泛涉猎文史百科，对中国国学有较深造诣。同时其又致力自然科学之探讨，鄙视科举，喜好今文经学。后往来于疆、陇、秦、直、豫、鄂、湘、苏、赣等行省，察视风土，结交名士，有「风景不殊，山河顿异；城郭犹是，人民复非」的感慨。少年与继母不甚相得，遂养成内敛的性格。13岁时，谭嗣同随父亲第一次回到家乡浏阳，给母亲扫墓，便留在家乡，师从当地著名学者欧阳中鹄、涂启先、刘人熙。同时，他还拜师王正谊（大刀王五）和胡致廷（通臂猿胡七），学习武术。1883年，谭嗣同在湖北省和妻子李闰完婚，婚后，他耗时10年，行程8万里，走遍全国各地。

1895年中日《马关条约》签订，谭嗣同异常不满，即努力提倡新学，呼号变法，并在家乡和欧阳中鹄、唐才常等组织「算学社」，集同志讲求钻研，同时在南台书院设立史学、掌故、舆地等新式课程，开湖南全省维新风气之先。1896年2月入京，结交梁啓超、翁同和等人。之后，他父亲为他捐官江苏候补知府，供职江宁。

1896年底重回金陵，闭户养心读书，成《仁学》2卷。（梁启超言，谭嗣同曾两渡台，其所著仁学，初题：台湾人所著书）1897年，谭嗣同接受湖南巡抚陈宝箴邀请，和唐才常等人设立时务学堂，筹办内河轮船、开矿、修筑铁路等新政。1898年，创建南学会、事务学堂、武备学堂、4月和唐才常、熊希龄等主办《湘报》，积极宣传变法，成为维新运动的激进派。维新运动时期，《湘报》和上海《时务报》、天津《国闻报》三足鼎立，是全国最有影响力的三大维新报刊。同年4月，得翰林院侍读学士徐致靖推荐，被徵入京，擢四品卿衔军机章京，与林旭、杨锐等人参与新政，时号「军机四卿」。

当宫中zh-cn:后; zh-hk:后; zh-sg:后; zh-tw:后;党密谋政变，光绪帝传密诏康有为等设法相救时，即「拔刀以救上自任」。9月18日夜，谭嗣同前往法华寺争取袁世凯支援，杀荣禄、囚慈禧，不料袁世凯向荣禄告密。有说其实日间已有守旧派杨崇伊上书请太后训政，袁世凯了解到太后已知，畏罪才告发。变法失败后，梁啓超避祸日本使馆，劝说谭嗣同一同出逃但是遭到拒绝，「各国变法，无不从流血而成，今中国未闻有因变法而流血者，此国之所以不昌也。有之，请自嗣同始！」，大刀王五一再劝说谭嗣同出逃，谭嗣同拒绝，「不有行者，无以图将来；不有死者，无以酬圣主」，1898年9月28日，荣禄亲信贻谷请奏：速行斩决谭嗣同等人，同日，在北京宣武门外的菜市口刑场英勇就义，临刑前高呼：「有心杀贼，无力回天。死得其所，快哉快哉！」当刽子手要临刑之际，谭嗣同突然大喊一声：「吾有一言！」当时刽子手询问在当时对维新派恨之入骨的监斩官刚毅，是否等谭嗣同说完，无奈刚毅不予理会，谭嗣同英勇就义，这句话也因此成了千古之谜。同时被害的维新人士还有林旭、杨深秀、刘光第、杨锐、康广仁，六人并称「戊戌六君子」。后人将其著作编为《谭嗣同全集》。

谭嗣同年少时曾随大刀王五学习武术，而王五为人乐仗义行侠，喜结交维新人士，1898年戊戌变法失败，8月间谭嗣同曾和大刀王五谋救光绪帝，未成。谭嗣同被害后，王五冒风险为谭收尸，并运回湖南浏阳家乡安葬，此事一时成为京师之美谈。

著作

谭曾著《仁学》一书，认为世界是由物质的原质所构成，其本体是「仁」，世界的存在和发展都是由于「仁」的作用，故称其哲学为「仁学」。「仁」是万物之源，「以通为第一义」。

而「以太」则是沟通世界成为一个整体的桥梁。由于「以太」「不生不灭」，所以就肯定了自然界和人类社会不是静止的、停顿的，而是不断运动、变化和发展的，批判了「天不变，道亦不变」的顽固思想，从变易中论证其改革社会制度的政治理想。

并且认为儒学「名教」是维护专制主义的精神支柱，号召人们冲决君主、伦理、利禄、俗学、天命、佛法等专制网罗。对秦汉以来专制制度的抨击尤为猛烈，认为君主专制是一切罪恶的渊薮，提出「彼君之不善，人人得而戮之」。在批判专制制度的同时，还提出了发展资本主义的政治、经济以及变法等主张。

《仁学》一书还有惊人之议：「二千年来之政，秦政也，皆大盗也；二千年来之学，荀学也，皆乡愿也。惟大盗利用乡愿，惟乡愿工媚大盗。」

其候刑时，据说曾题诗「望门投止思张俭，忍死须臾待杜根。我自横刀向天笑，去留肝胆两昆仑。」此诗在当时刑部司员唐烜《留庵日钞》中记为：「望门投宿邻张俭，忍死须臾待树根，吾自横刀仰天笑，去留肝胆两昆仑。」黄彰健考《康梁演义》小说有另一版本：「望门投趾怜张俭，直谏陈书愧杜根。手掷欧刀仰天笑，留将公罪后人论。」。

家世

先祖谭逢琪、谭世昌，曾祖谭文明，祖父谭学琴，其父为湖北巡抚谭继洵。

夫人李闰（1865-1925）为中国女学会的倡办者之一，两人有一子早夭。

谭嗣同无子嗣，去世后，侄子谭传炜过继为「兼祧子」

纪念建筑

• 湖南省浏阳市谭嗣同故居，谭嗣同的成长之地。谭嗣同墓坐落在湖南省长沙浏阳市荷花街道嗣同村石山组一山坡上。谭嗣同祠坐落在湖南省浏阳市才常路89号。

• 北京谭嗣同故居原在北半截胡同41号，现位于菜市口大街西侧。

• 谭嗣同还被称为清末维新四公子，另外三人是湖南巡抚陈宝箴之子陈三立、礼部侍郎徐致靖之子徐仁铸、两广总督陶方之之子陶葆廉。后二人有异说。

艺术作品改编

谭嗣同事迹曾被改编为不少影视戏剧，亦有文学作品的描述：

注释

Early life

Tan Sitong was one of nine siblings and was born in Beijing, although his family originally came from Liuyang, Hunan Province. His father, Tan Jixun (谭继洵), was the governor of Hubei Province. His mother, Xu Wuyuan (徐五缘), a traditional Chinese housewife, was very strict with her children.

Tan Sitong spent his childhood in Beijing and his youth in Liuyang. He began his formal education at 5 and was tutored by a famous scholar called Ouyang Zhonggu (欧阳中鹄) when he was 10. Although he was talented at essay writing, he objected to the conventional form of the essay that was required for examinations. As a result, he only achieved the title of "student member" (shengyuan - 生员), a very low educational level.

At the age of 12, Tan Sitong lost his mother, his eldest brother, and his second eldest sister, who all died within a span of five days due to diphtheria that had spread during a visit to a cousin. Tan Sitong also fell gravely ill but recovered three days later, which many people deemed to be a miracle. After Tan Sitong lost his mother, his father』s concubine treated him badly.

In 1879, Tan Sitong studied under another scholar, Xu Qixian (徐启先), with whom he began a systematic study of representative works in Chinese, as well as natural science.

In 1884, he left his home and traveled to several different provinces of China, including Hebei, Gansu, Xinjiang, Shaanxi, Henan, Hubei, Jiangxi, Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang, Shandong, and Shanxi. He composed more than 200 poems during the trip.

At the age of 19, Tan Sitong married a woman named Li Run (李闰) and had a son named Tan Lansheng (谭兰生), who died within a year of being born.

Reforming campaign

Background

National isolationism began (闭关锁国) in the late 18th century resulted in a wide technological gap between China and the Western world, which had exacerbated corruption among the feudal authorities. One effect of this gap was a push by Western countries to develop and invest in underdeveloped nations, including China. This led to the First Opium War（第一次鸦片战争） between China and Britain, which ushered in a period of foreign invasion and colonization in China, at the time ruled by the Qing Dynasty（清王朝）. During this time, Chinese intellectuals and officials sought ways to improve Chinese life and national prospects. In 1895, after a defeat by Japan in the First Sino-Japanese War（甲午战争）, China was forced to sign the unequal Treaty of Shimonoseki（马关条约）, under which Taiwan（台湾） was occupied and 250 million taels (两，then Chinese currency) were paid to Japan.

Astonished and indignant by the defeat, Tan Sitong began to realize the necessity of a thorough reformation in China. He and his colleagues began to search for new approaches to improve national standing. In 1896, he wrote the poem My Feelings (《有感》):

世间无物抵春愁，合向苍冥一哭休。四万万人齐下泪，天涯何处是神州？Nothing in this world can withstand the longing for Spring, These longings join together until they reach the shadowy netherworld in tears. The wailing 400 million people are asking the same question:Oh Where, oh where on this earth can we find our divine China?

Between 1896 and 1897, he finished writing a famous book called Ren Xue (仁学, Theory of Benevolence), which was considered to be the first philosophical work of the Reform. In this book, he said absolute monarchy greatly oppressed human nature. In 1898, he founded a new academy called the South Academy, which attempted to introduce Reformation ideals in southern China, specifically the Hunan district. Later, he also created the newspaper 「Hunan Reporter」 (湘报) to publicize the advantage of Reformation policies.

Hundred Days Reform

Early in 1898, Tan Sitong was introduced to Emperor Guangxu（光绪皇帝）, who was considering enacting Reformation policies. Tan was appointed a member of the Grand Council（军机处）, and within two months the Hundred Days' Reform began with the issuing of an Imperial order called Ming Ding Guo Shi (明定国是诏). However, some of the new policies appeared to challenge the existing interests of many government officials, which led to objections from Manchu（满族, the ethnic group ruling the Qing Dynasty）aristocrats and they reported the case to Empress Dowager Cixi（慈禧太后）, who was de facto leader of the central authority as she was holding much more political leverage than Emperor Guangxu, even though the Emperor had been in throne for more than two decades. As a result, the Reform policies did not gain wide and effective support officially.

When it came to September 1898, Tan and his counterparts thought the Dowager as well as conservative officials was planning to interfere with the Reformation campaign, for which he immediately visited general Yuan Shikai（袁世凯）, in the hope that Yuan's army could support the Reformation Movement by murdering Ronglu (a Manchu official who was in charge of the capital and its surrounding regions then) and imprisoning Cixi in the Summer Palace（颐和园）where she was relaxing in. Yuan did not decline this at the moment however, after returning to Tianjin（天津）, he immediately betrayed the Reform movement by divulging the conspiracy of overthrowing Cixi』s power. What』s more, Cixi was informed that the reformists were trying to engage Itō Hirobumi (伊藤博文，a Japanese politician and reformist who was touring in China then) as a government consultant even provide him with a certain amount of power, which worried her significantly about invulnerability of the Dynasty. Actually, when the Reform began, Cixi didn』t show much resistance while the Emperor had been empowered absolutely to deal with administrative affairs by her, until getting to know these.

As a result, Cixi swiftly returned to the Forbidden City（紫禁城）from the Summer Palace on Sep 21 and led a coup, in which she seized the throne power from Emperor Guangxu and ordered to arrest all those involved in the Reformation. The short-lived Reformation Movement tragically ended 103 days after it began and it has been known ever since as the Hundred Days' Reform（百日维新）. Emperor Guangxu was imprisoned at a place surrounded by water called Ying Tai (瀛台, a tiny isiand in the middle of a lake）in Zhongnanhai（中南海）, allowing Cixi to absolutely consolidate her public standing and authority. All the Reformation policies were abolished except for Jing Shi Da Xue Tang (京师大学堂), the first government-established tertiary educational institution in China』s history, which later on became Peking University.

Tan Sitong was arrested at the "Guild Hall of Liuyang" (浏阳会馆, a guildhall for those from Liuyang) in Beijing on September 24. He had been encouraged to escape to Japan, where the government had expressed sympathy for Reformist scholars. However, Tan refused to go with the reason that his sacrifice would serve as a catalyst for Reformation ideals among the nation. His words on this were as follows:

各国变法，无不从流血而成。今中国未闻有因变法而流血者，此国之所以不昌者也。有之，请从嗣同始。Seen from the world, no successful reforms were made without bleeding. So far, within China, it has never been heard that anyone sacrificed his life to reform the nation, for which the country lacks prosperity. If there is anyone to be, just start from me.

After being caught, Tan Sitong was put in the Xing Bu Da Lao (刑部大牢), the jail belonging to then Ministry of Justice, and charged with treason and attempting a military coup. Unanticipatedly, The legal inquiry process was soon interrupted by an abrupt order from the Emperor (effectively made by Cixi) calling for an immediate execution due to the severity of his crimes. Consequently, Tan was escorted to the Caishikou Execution Grounds (菜市口刑场) outside Xuanwu Gate (宣武门) of Peking on the afternoon of September 28, 1898, where he was executed by beheading along with five others, Yang Shenxiu（杨深秀）, Lin Xu（林旭), Liu Guangdi（刘光第), Kang Guangren（康广仁，younger brother of Kang Youwei), and Yang Rui（杨锐). Historically, these men are called the 「Wu Xu Liu Jun Zi」 (戊戌六君子，Six gentlemen of the Hundred Days' Reform, 「Wu Xu」 (戊戌) was the term of the year 1898 within a Sexagenary cycle in Chinese traditional calendar). Originally, there were another two officials was ordered to be executed along with the six, Zhang Yinhuan（张荫桓）and Xu Zhijing（徐致靖), they survived the execution due to efficacious rescues by high-ranked officials and foreign interventions.

Tan Sitong's last words on the execution ground are well-known in China, translated as follows:

有心杀贼，无力回天。死得其所，快哉！快哉！I wanted to kill the robbers, but lacked the strength to transform the world. This is the place where I should die. Rejoice, rejoice!

Shortly before the execution, Tan asked to leave a word to Gangyi (刚毅, a Manchu official who was Minister for Defense and an strong opponent against the Reform), who supervised the execution, but Gangyi refused to hear so. This thus left unknown to all.

Death and legacy

After the execution, Tan Sitong's remains were collected and stored by some of his friends. In 1899, the remains were sent to and buried in his hometown, Liuyang (浏阳), Hunan (湖南). His father, despite his disagreement with his son's Reform efforts, was stripped of all official duties. He returned to his hometown and died three years later. Tan Sitong's wife, Li Run, became active in promoting girls』 education and also volunteered as a foster mother in Hunan in her later years. Li passed away in 1925, 14 years after the collapse of Qing Dynasty and 27 years after her husband』s death.

Shortly before his execution, Tan Sitong wrote a farewell letter to his wife, in which some of his principles and values are expressed:

闰妻如面：结缡十五年，原约相守以死，我今背盟矣！手写此信，我尚为世间一人；君看此信，我已成阴曹一鬼。死生契阔，亦复何言，惟念此身虽去，此情不渝。小我虽灭，大我常存。生生世世，同住莲花。如比迎陵毗迦同命鸟，比翼双飞，亦可互嘲。愿君视荣华如梦幻，视死辱为常事。无喜无悲，听其自然。我与殇儿，同在西方极乐世界相偕待君，他年重逢，再聚团圆。殇儿与我，灵魂不远，与君魂梦相依，望君遣怀。戊戌八月九日，嗣同My love Run as you see my face here,You see, we had promised our 15-year marriage to finish the life hand in hand but heartbreakingly, I may have to break the promise now! When I was writing this, I was still alive in the world; however, you, as the reader, are facing a ghost in the netherworld. A long separation is standing ahead, deserving no extra words. Though I am gone, our affections exist as usual. My small ego perished though, long lives my super ego. Life after life, a lotus is accommodating us, we are something like inseparable king birds there - always flying together and making jokes on each other. My last hope, here for you, is to see glory and wealth as unreal illusions while getting accustomed to sacrifice and humiliation. Better to discard extreme happiness and sorrow and, just let everything go. I, along with our dead son, am sincerely waiting for our another reunion in heaven some time after you. We will not go too far away from home, where we are still accompanying your soul and dream, for which nothing will be different for you.SitongSep 24 1898

Tan Sitong has become a symbol of courage, patriotism and anti-feudalism among Chinese people, for which he is always portrayed in a positive light in literature and film. His life and accomplishments are part of popular cultural knowledge and well known to most of the Chinese population.