\tMaster Meng was an adherent of the Confucian tradition transmitted by Zisi \u5b50\u601d (Kong Ji \u5b54\u4f0b), a grand-son of Confucius(Kongzi \u5b54\u5b50), and lived in the mid-4th century BCE (the dates range from 385-304 to 372-289), during the Warring States period \u6218\u56fd (5th cent.-221 BCE). Mengzi, courtesy name Ziyu \u5b50\u8206 or Ziju \u5b50\u5c45, hailed from the small state of Zou \u90b9 (modern Zouxian \u90b9\u53bf, Shandong). His father died when he was still a child. Mengzi's mother (called "Meng Mu" \u5b5f\u6bcd) is traditionally venerated as an example of excellent virtue. She moved their home three times to live in a better neighbourhood, and it was herself who taught the young Meng Ke the first lessons of virtual behaviour. Mengzi traveled from court to court and served the rulers of the states of Qi \u9f50 and Wei \u9b4f, and those of the smaller states of Teng \u6ed5, Xue \u859b, and Song \u5b8b. In Wei \u9b4f (at that time called Liang \u6881) he served King Hui \u6881\u60e0\u738b (r. 379-335). Unfortunately most lords appreciated the teachings of thelegalist or military advisers, who suggested strengthening the state by a powerful central government, while Mengzi's teachings of a benevolent and human government seemed too theoretical for them. He was at least able to gain the confidence of the kings Hui of Liang and Xuan of Qi \u9f50\u5ba3\u738b (r. 342-324) for some time.<\/p>\n
\tAfter his canonisation in 1083 as "Duke of Zou" \u90b9\u56fd\u516c, and in 1330 as "Ducal Second Saint" (yasheng gong \u4e9a\u5723\u516c), Mengzi became the second grand master of Confucianism and was named together with Confucius himself as the pair Kong-Meng \u5b54\u5b5f, their teachings as "the way of Confucius and Mencius" (Kong-Meng zhi dao \u5b54\u5b5f\u4e4b\u9053). During the May Fourth movement \u4e94\u56db\u8fd0\u52a8, Mengzi was attacked as the "second boss of the Confucian shop" (Kongjia dian er laoban \u5b54\u5bb6\u5e97\u4e8c\u8001\u677f, Kongdian di er lao \u5b54\u5e97\u5730\u4e8c\u8001) that, it was said, had contributed to the fossilization of Chinese society and the traditional Chinese world of thought.<\/p>\n
\tMengzi was such an important teacher of Confucianism that a lot of "annalistic biographies" (nianpu \u5e74\u8c31) have been compiled. The most important are Cheng Fuxin's \u7a0b\u590d\u5fc3 Mengzi nianpu \u5b5f\u5b50\u5e74\u8c31 from the Yuan period \u5143 (1279-1368), Tan Zhenmo's \u8c2d\u8d1e\u9ed8 Mengzi biannian lüe \u5b5f\u5b50\u7f16\u5e74\u7565 from the Ming period \u660e (1368-1644), and Di Ziqi's \u72c4\u5b50\u5947 Mengzi biannian \u5b5f\u5b50\u7f16\u5e74 from the Qing period \u6e05 (1644-1911).
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