Historical figures on Asian currencies

Sun Yat-sen (1866-1925) was a Chinese revolutionary and political leader. He is often referred to as the Father of Modern China. Sun played an instrumental role in overthrowing the Qing Dynasty in 1911. He was the first provisional president when the Republic of China (ROC) was founded in 1912 and later co-founded the Kuomintang (KMT) where he served as its first leader. Sun was a uniting figure in post-Imperial China. He remains unique among 20th-century Chinese leaders for having a high reputation both in mainland China and in Taiwan. In Taiwan, he is seen as the Father of the Republic of China, and is known by the posthumous name Sun Zhongshan, the Father of the Nation.

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1948) was the pre-eminent Indian political and spiritual leader. He was the pioneer of satyagraha (resistance to tyranny through mass civil disobedience, firmly founded upon ahimsa or total non-violence) which led Indian independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. He is commonly known around the world as Mahatma Gandhi and in India also as Bapu. He is officially honoured in India as the Father of the Nation.


Ho Chí Minh (1890-1969) was a Vietnamese Communist revolutionary and statesman who was Prime Minister and President of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam). Uncle Ho is how I would have liked to call him. He led the Viet Minh independence movement from 1941 onward, establishing the communist-governed North Vietnam in 1945 and defeating the French Union in 1954 at Dien Bien Phu. He lost political power inside North Vietnam in the late 1950s, but remained as the highly visible figurehead president until his death. He was named by Time Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century.

Yi Hwang (1501-1570) was one of the two most prominent Korean Confucian scholars of the Joseon Dynasty. He is often referred to by his pen name Toegye ("Retreating Creek"). His courtesy name was Gyeongho. The Taekwondo pattern Toi-Gye was named in his honour.

Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina (1878-1944) was the first Filipino president of the Philippines when it was under U.S. occupation rule in the early 20th century. He is known as the "Father of the (Philippine) National Language".