生平

徐乾学八岁能文，得舅父顾炎武的传授。与胡渭、顾祖禹、万斯同、阎若璩、黄仪、朱彝尊、姜宸英、黄虞稷、顾湄等有往来。顺治七年（1650年）与吴伟业、尤侗、朱彝尊等在嘉兴组织十郡大社。康熙九年（1670年），举进士一甲第三名进士及第，授内宏文院编修。康熙十一年（1672年），与蔡启观一起典考顺天府乡试，因副榜遗漏汉军卷未取，遭给事中杨雍建弹劾。康熙十四年（1675年），捐复原官，升为左春坊左赞善，充任日讲起居注官。历任内阁学士、刑部尚书等职。康熙二十一年（1682年），被任命为《明史》总裁官。奉命编纂《大清一统志》、《清会典》及《明史》。康熙二十五年，任礼部侍郎，充经筵讲官。

权贵

徐乾学人品欠佳，觊觎禄位，阿谀权贵纳兰明珠，史载其「登高而呼，衡文者类无不从而附之」，「游其门者无不得科第」。明珠长子纳兰容若是乾学门生，康熙十五年（1676年）进士，曾为徐印行《通志堂经解》，又「获巨额赂遗」。周寿昌在《思益堂日札》卷五《窃袭前人书》中说：「徐既爱其才华，复逢迎权贵……其心术行事为儒林轻蔑久矣。」又说：「窃他人书以为他人之作，斯又添一书林掌故，可哂也。」乾隆帝在《通志堂经解》补刻本的自序中说：「徐乾学阿附权门，成德滥窃文誉，二人品行，本无足取。但不以人废言，故补刊齐全，订正讹谬，以臻完善」。

康熙二十六年（1687年），徐任左都御史时，与明珠亲信佛伦、余国柱结怨。后来徐乾学又与索额图、熊赐履勾结，反击明珠。徐乾学利用其门生郭琇弹劾明珠，明珠、余国柱遂罢相。李光地说徐乾学「谲诡奸诈」。当时的民谣说：「九天供赋归东海（徐乾学），万国金珠献澹人（高士奇）。」

被劾

康熙二十七年（1688年），湖广巡抚张汧爆发贪污案，张汧被逮捕问罪时，供出曾向徐乾学行贿，并涉及高士奇和陈廷敬。后为康熙所庇，事遂不了了之。后又被许三礼劾「既无好事业，焉有好文章，应逐出史馆，以示远奸」，徐乾学上疏请「放归田里」，五月，康熙准徐乾学罢官，携书局即家编辑，随行有阎若璩、顾祖禹、胡渭与黄虞稷，致力于《大清一统志》编修，又仿司马光《资治通鉴》体例，与万斯同、阎若璩、胡渭等排比正史、参考诸书，纂成《资治通鉴后编》—百八十四卷。

康熙三十年（1691年），徐乾学因曾写信给前任山东巡抚钱钰，包庇朱敦厚，事发后，徐乾学、钱钰均遭到革职。其子徐树敏亦被举发私收馈金。康熙三十年（1691年）江南江西总督傅拉塔（《清史稿》作傅腊塔，明珠的外甥）弹劾徐乾学及其弟徐元文不法之事「招摇纳贿，争利害民」共十五款，闰七月二七日徐元文「惊悸呕血而死」。自康熙二十九年至三十一年间，徐乾学一家被控不法事有二十多起。

晚年

康熙三十三年（1694年），因大学士王熙、张玉书等举荐，召徐乾学还京修书，不久病逝。死后仍复原官。身后其藏书多散佚，明珠府、怡府乐善堂有收藏。著有《澹园集》、《读礼通考》、《会典》、《明史纂辑》、《鉴古辑览》、《古文渊鉴》、《文集》、《虞浦集》、《词馆集》、《碧山集》等。

藏书

徐乾学藏书甚富，其门生故吏知他有嗜书之癖，无不尽力为之网罗放佚，积有七十二橱，有《传是楼书目》行世，「一时通经学古之士，如阎若璩等亦多集其门」，万斯同《传楼藏书歌》：「东海先生性爱书，胸中已贮万卷馀，更向人间搜遗籍，真穷四库盈其庐。」黄宗羲《传是楼藏书记》：「世之藏书家未必能读，读者未必能文章，而先生并是三者而能之，非近代藏书家所及。」与弟徐元文、徐秉义皆官贵文名，号称「昆山三徐」。

编纂

• 《明史》 （奉诏）

• 《大清会典》 （奉诏）

• 《大清一统志》（奉诏）

• 《世祖章皇帝圣训》 （奉诏） 1687年

• 《太宗文皇帝圣训》 （奉诏） 1687年

• 《通志堂经解》 1680年

• 《鉴古辑览》

• 《古文渊鉴》 64卷

著述

• 《澹园集》 30卷

• 《憺园集》 36卷

• 《读礼通考》 120卷

• 《文集》 24卷

• 《外集》 4卷

• 《虞浦集》

• 《词馆集》

• 《碧山集》

• 《历代宗庙考》

• 《舆地备考》

• 《舆地纪要》

• 《舆地志》

• 《资治通鉴后编》 184卷

• 《传是楼宋元板书目》1卷

• 《传是楼书目》 8卷

• 《教习堂条约》 1卷

Career

Xu Qianxue was born in Kunshan in Jiangsu province in 1631. He obtained a jinshi degree in the imperial examination in 1670, ranking third overall as a Tanhua. In 1672, he was placed in charge of supervising the Shun-t'ien provincial examinations. He was tasked with compiling the History of Ming in 1682 before being promoted to the sub-chancellorship of the Grand Secretariat in 1685. He concurrently served as an instructor in the Hanlin Academy. The following year, Xu was appointed vice-president of the Board of Rites and was made president of the Censorate in 1687. At the same time, Xu served as director-general of the commission appointed to compile the Comprehensive Geography of the Empire (大明一统志). Xu then became president of the Board of Punishments in 1688 as well as chief examiner of the metropolitan examination.

Xu was heavily involved in the factional struggles between Mingju and Songgotu in the late-seventeenth century. He supported Mingju's 'northern party' against Songgotu, but formed his own 'southern party' after falling out with Mingju. Xu also had a bitter rivalry with Li Guangdi, who considered him 'treacherous and dangerous in Court politics'. Xu resigned from office after he was accused to taking bribes from Zhang Qian, who was then governor of Huguang. However, Xu remained in Beijing to supervise various literary projects. After his opponents accused one of his sons of, among other offences, obtaining his jinshi degree fraudulently, Xu resigned from these literary duties in the capital and returned home in 1690 to work on the Comprehensive Geography of the Empire with other leading scholars.

Accusations of bribery, oppression of the common people, and misdemeanours committed by his family and servants followed Xu into retirement. According to Qizhi Zhang, Xu had developed an infamous reputation for abuse of power and taking bribes. There were popular ballads satirizing Xu's wealth 'piled up to the sky'. Consequently, he was stripped of his official rank and honours in 1691. In 1694, Xu was summoned to the capital to serve in various literary posts; however, he died before he could take office again.

Family

Xu had five sons, all of whom also obtained jinshi degrees. His two younger brothers, Xu Bingyi and Xu Yuanwen, were jinshi degree holders as well. In addition, Xu was a nephew of Gu Yanwu, another famed scholar-official in the Qing Dynasty.