Jiang You-gao was a native of She County, Qing Dynasty (now She County, Anhui Province). A renowned scholar of the Wan School, he became an official student at the age of twenty-two but had no interest in pursuing a career in the imperial examinations. Instead, he dedicated himself to ancient studies, particularly phonology and philology. Known for his deep thought and prolific writings, he was rich in original insights. "The Qing Dynasty was a period of great development in ancient phonology. From Gu Yanwu to Jiang Yong, from Jiang Yong to Dai Zhen, Duan Yucai, Wang Niansun, and then to Jiang You-gao, through the efforts of several generations, the study of ancient rhyme categories was largely settled." Their primary work was the study of the division of ancient rhymes. Duan Yucai highly praised Jiang's research, calling his work "profound and meticulous" and the man himself "the culmination of phonology." Mr. Wang Li even regarded Jiang as a giant star in the field of ancient phonology during the Qing Dynasty.

Jiang You-gao's works on phonology include "Shijing Yundu," "Qunjing Yundu," "Chuci Yundu," "Xianqin Yundu," "Hanwei Yundu" (unpublished), "Ershiyibu Yunpu" (unpublished), "Nianshibu Xiesheng Biao," "Guangyun Rusheng Biao," "Sisheng Yunpu" (unpublished), and "Tangyun Sisheng Zheng," collectively known as the "Ten Books on Phonology by Jiang," which includes a chapter on "Suling Yundu," the first specialized work to study the Neijing using phonological methods.