Confucius, born Kong Qiu, was a Chinese philosopher of the Spring and Autumn period, traditionally regarded as the paragon of Chinese sages. He is thought to have been born in 551 BC in Zou, in what is now Qufu in Shandong, in the state of Lu, where his father was an elderly commandant of the local garrison.
His teachings, called Confucianism, emphasised personal and governmental morality, harmonious relationships, righteousness, kindness, sincerity, and a ruler’s duty to lead by virtue. Sayings recording his teachings were compiled in the Analects, but not until many years after his death. Under Emperor Wu of Han his ideas received official sanction, and they have shaped the culture of much of East Asia since.