Er Kuan

Also known as Ni Kuan · Kuan

Er Kuan, also written Ni Kuan, was a Western Han official and classical scholar from Qiancheng. Poor in youth, he studied while working in the fields, learned the Book of Documents from Ouyang Sheng and served as a clerk under the chief justice Zhang Tang. In 113 BCE he became left prefect of the capital region and proposed the six auxiliary canals to water the higher land beside the Zheng Guo canal. As imperial counsellor he took part in setting the rites for Emperor Wu's feng sacrifice and, with Sima Qian and others, in drawing up the Taichu calendar. He died in 103 BCE.