Liang Ch'i-ch'ao (1873-1929) was a Chinese intellectual and political reformer and one of the most influential popularizers of Western ideas in modern China.

Liang Ch'i-ch'ao was born on Feb. 23, 1873, in southern China near the city of Canton. His initial education was given by his grandfather and father, who were farmers, with such success that Liang passed the first civil service examination at the astonishingly young age of 11 years. Liang again displayed his precocity by passing the second-level, or provincial, examinations at the age of 16. Liang's performance was so impressive that the chief examiner arranged for Liang to marry his younger sister.

Early Reformist Activity

The year 1890 was a milestone in Liang Ch'i-ch'ao's life. He then met and became a student and disciple of K'ang Yu-wei. For the next decade Liang's intellectual development was dominated by this brilliant, if unorthodox, Confucian scholar, although Liang also gained ideas about the...