Like Confucius, Ran Qiu was a native of the
State of Lu, and was 29 years younger than the Master. He came from the same clan as
Ran Geng and
Ran Yong, two other prominent disciples of Confucius, and was of the same age as Ran Yong. Ran Qiu is noted in the
Analects (11.3) for his achievement in government affairs. He was employed in Confucius' household, before becoming the chief officer of the
Jisun (or Ji) household, which dominated the politics of Lu. He served under
Ji Kangzi (季康子), head of the Jisun family, who was the chief minister of Lu from 492 to 468 BC. Ran Qiu professed little interest in Confucian
rituals, and his ambition was in the administration of a state. Confucius thought he lacked the virtue of
ren or humaneness, and severely criticized him for failing to prevent Ji Kangzi from attacking Zhuanyu (顓臾), a vassal state of Lu, and for helping the Jisun household accumulate massive amounts of wealth. So severe was Ran Qiu's violation of core Confucian values, that Confucius suggested that he no longer considered Ran his disciple. In 484 BC, Lu was invaded by the neighbouring
state of Qi. Ran Qiu was appointed commander of the Lu army, and defeated the Qi invaders. Owing to Ran Qiu's influence, Ji Kangzi invited Confucius to return to his native state of Lu, after fourteen years of exile. ==Legacy==