Qin and Han · Eunuch and Courtier

Cai Lun 蔡倫

Attested AD 95 - AD 107

Passages: 3
Chapters: 2
Histories: 1

Overview

Cai Lun was an eunuch and Courtier.

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 95 永元七年
Dated from the passage context · Book of Later Han 117, passages 19, 21
AD 107 永初元年
Dated from the passage context · Book of Later Han 38, passages 285, 288

Key source chapters

Book of Later Han, Chapter 38 Volume 33: Biographies of Zhu, Feng, Yu, Zheng, Zhou 2 passages
Book of Later Han, Chapter 117 Volume 106: Five Elements Part Four 1 passage

Career and standing

palace attendant 中常侍
Held
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 38, passage 285

Events and relationships

Held power in government
Political · Power holder
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 38, passage 285
Plotted for execution
Political · Target · With Zhou Zhang (周章)
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 38, passage 288
Relation Ally of · Person Emperor He (和帝)
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 117, passage 21

References in the histories

Book of Later Han, Chapter 38Volume 33: Biographies of Zhu, Feng, Yu, Zheng, Zhou · 2 passages

是時中常侍鄭眾，蔡倫等皆秉勢豫政，章數進直言。 Palace attendants Zheng Zhong, Cai Lun, and others then held power in government; Zhou Zhang repeatedly offered blunt counsel.

章以眾心不附，遂密謀閉宮門，誅車騎將軍鄧騭兄弟及鄭眾、蔡倫，劫尚書，廢太后於南宮，封帝為遠國王，而立平原王勝。 Zhou Zhang, finding popular hearts unattached, secretly plotted to shut the palace gates, execute Deng Zhi and his brothers along with Zheng Zhong and Cai Lun, seize the Masters of Writing, depose the empress dowager in the Southern Palace, banish the emperor to a distant kingdom, and enthrone Prince Sheng of Pingyuan.

Book of Later Han, Chapter 117Volume 106: Five Elements Part Four · 1 passage

是时和帝与中常侍郑众谋夺窦氏权，德之，因任用之，及幸常侍蔡伦，二人始并用权。 He had conspired with Zheng Zhong to break the Dous, then raised Zhong and Cai Lun until both eunuchs shared the inner court's power.