Gao Qu


Gao Qu , courtesy name Yingzhi, was an official of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, serving briefly during the reign of Emperor Yizong.

Background

Gao Qu's family was descended from the imperial house of Northern Qi, and one of his ancestors, Gao Shilian, served as a chancellor during the reign of the great early Tang emperor Emperor Taizong, although the Gao family was not subsequently prominent. Both Gao Qu's uncle Gao Shaoyi and father Gao Yuanyu, however, were prominent officials in the imperial government.

Early career

Gao Qu passed the imperial examinations in the Jinshi class in 849, during the reign of Emperor Xuānzong of Tang, and after that he served on the staffs of regional governors. He later served as Zuo Shiyi, a low-level advisory official at the examination bureau of government, and was made an imperial scholar, apparently during Emperor Xuānzong's reign. He was later raised in his examination bureau post from Zuo Shiyi to Jianyi Daifu, against the trend at the time that imperial scholars were rarely promoted in their other posts.

Chancellorship

During the reign of Emperor Xuānzong's son Emperor Yizong, Gao Qu was made the military governor of Dongchuan Circuit, but soon thereafter was recalled to Chang'an to serve as deputy minister of defense, with the additional designation of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi, making him a chancellor. He died ten months thereafter and was given posthumous honors — although, at the urging of the scholar Cao Ye, who argued that many of Gao's associations were with improper people, he was given the rather unflattering posthumous name of La.