| Born | 45 |
|---|---|
| Died | 115 (aged 69–70) |
| Spouse(s) | Cao Shishu |
| Parent(s) | Ban Biao |
| Relatives | Ban Chao (brother} Ban Gu (brother) |
Ban Zhao (Chinese: 班昭; 45 – c. 115 CE), courtesy name Huiban (Chinese: 惠班; pinyin: Huìbān; Wade–Giles: Hui4-Pan1), was a Chinese historian, philosopher, and politician. She was the first known female Chinese historian. She completed her brother Ban Gu's work on the history of the Western Han, the Book of Han. She also wrote Lessons for Women, an influential work on women's conduct. She also had great interest in astronomy and mathematics and wrote poems, commemorative writings, argumentations, commentaries, essays and several longer works, not all of which survive. She became China's most famous female scholar and an instructor of Taoist sexual practices for the imperial family.