Child Prodigies Throughout History

From Europe to Asia, throughout history, every country and era has witnessed the emergence of child prodigies.

In China, Gan Luo was appointed Grand Counselor by Emperor Qin Shi Huang at the young age of 12. When the king of Yan sent Crown Prince Dan to Qin to request the assistance of General Zhang Tang in their war against Zhao, Lü Buwei, Qin Shi Huang’s actual father and the Chancellor, supported the request. However, Zhang Tang, fearing defeat, refused. Lü Buwei was frustrated. Gan Luo, who was staying as a guest at Lü’s residence, overheard this and declared, “I find persuading Zhang Tang as easy as retrieving something from my pocket.” Lü Buwei scoffed, “I am the Chancellor, commanding vast armies, second only to the emperor, yet Zhang Tang defies me. How can you, a mere child, possibly sway him?” Gan Luo replied with a smile, “Do you not recall Xiang Tuo persuading Confucius at the age of 7? I am 12, five years older than Xiang Tuo, and surely possess greater understanding.”

Impressed by his confidence, Lü Buwei allowed Gan Luo to try. Zhang Tang received Gan Luo and inquired about his purpose. Gan Luo replied, “I have come to mourn the General.” Puzzled, Zhang Tang asked, “I am alive and well. What do you mean?”

• “General, you are as good as dead.”

• “Please explain.”

• “Your talent is no match for Bai Qi, and your authority pales in comparison to Lü Buwei. Bai Qi was executed for disobeying Fan Ju’s orders to attack Zhao. Now, Lü Buwei holds even greater power, yet you defy him. Are you not a dead man walking?”

Struck by this logic, Zhang Tang reconsidered and asked Gan Luo to convey his agreement to Lü Buwei. He then led the Qin army against Zhao.

Later, Qin Shi Huang sent Gan Luo as an envoy to persuade the king of Zhao. Seeing Gan Luo’s youth, the king of Zhao mockingly asked, “Has Qin run out of adults?”

• “Your Majesty, there is no shortage of adults in Qin. However, tasks are assigned according to their magnitude. Adults handle important matters, while this mission to Zhao is a minor affair, suitable for someone of my age.”

The king of Zhao was impressed by Gan Luo’s wit. Seizing the opportunity, Gan Luo successfully persuaded the king to surrender his city to Qin and seek peaceful relations.

In Vietnam, during the reign of Emperor Trần Thái Tông, Nguyễn Hiền gained fame as a child prodigy at the age of 12. When he was still a young boy, a district magistrate, upon hearing of Nguyễn Hiền’s reputation, challenged him with this couplet, intending to test his abilities and tease him:

• “A student is a student child, dressed in ragged clothes, a true student indeed.”

Without hesitation, Nguyễn Hiền retorted:

• “A magistrate is a magistrate fellow, speaking nonsense, a true magistrate indeed.”

Instead of being offended, the magistrate was impressed by the child prodigy’s talent and spirit.

In France, Blaise Pascal was a genius of the 17th century, excelling in geometry, physics, philosophy, and literature. He gained renown as a child prodigy at the age of 12. Without formal education, he mastered the first propositions of Euclid’s geometry. At 16, he wrote “Treatise on Conic Sections,” which astonished even the renowned philosopher and mathematician René Descartes.

The German astronomer and mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss solved complex arithmetic problems at the age of three.

William Rowan Hamilton, a philosopher from Ireland, learned Hebrew at the age of three. By seven, his knowledge surpassed that of most master’s degree candidates. At thirteen, he was fluent in twelve languages.

Michelangelo, the Italian artist, displayed such exceptional talent in painting at the age of eight that his teacher, Ghirlandaio, declared he had nothing more to teach him.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the Austrian composer, learned to play the piano at four. By eleven, he had composed two operas, “Finta semplice” and “Bastien und Bastienne,” which were performed in theaters.

There are countless other examples of child prodigies throughout history. We have only mentioned a few to reiterate that without reincarnation, it is impossible to fully explain the extraordinary abilities of these remarkable individuals.