Xu Shen

Xu Shen was a Chinese politician, philologist, and writer of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-189). He was born in the Zhaoling district of Run'an prefecture. During his own lifetime, Xu was recognized as a preeminent scholar of the Five Classics. He was the author of Shuowen Jiezi, which was the first comprehensive dictionary of Chinese characters, as well as the first to organize entries by radical. This work continues to provide scholars with information on the development and historical usage of Chinese characters. Xu Shen completed his first draft in 100 CE but, waited until 121 CE before having his son present the work to the Emperor An of Han.