Qin and Han · King of Yan

Dan 旦

Dàn

Attested BC 87 - BC 80

Passages: 23
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Dan was a king of Yan.

Life and dates

Death

Suicide
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 60, passage 249

Attested activity

BC 87 旦使來上書…會武帝崩
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 60, passages 219, 222
BC 87 to BC 80 昭帝初立…旦自殺
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 60, passages 222, 249

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Sibling of Xu (胥)
flesh and blood 骨肉 · Full siblings
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 60, passages 208, 219
Sibling of Crown Prince (太子)
next after the Crown Prince 次太子
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 60, passage 246
Child of Emperor Wu (武帝)
son 子
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 60, passages 220, 223
Parent of Jian (建)
son 子
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 60, passages 253-254
Parent of Marquis of Anding (安定侯)
son 子
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 60, passage 253
Spouse of Wife of Dan
wife 妻
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 60, passage 250
Sibling of Emperor Zhao (昭帝)
younger brother 弟
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 60, passage 223

Kinship Role sons · Count 2
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 60, passage 253
Kinship Role children · Quantity unspecified
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 60, passages 250-251

Career and standing

King of Yan 燕王
Held
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 60, passage 244
Suffered
Kingdom abolished
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 60, passage 249

Places and affiliations

Polity Western Han 西漢 · Relation Associated with
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 60, passages 219, 222
At Chang'an 長安 · Relation Sought to enter
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 60, passage 219
At Yan 燕 · Relation Enfeoffed in
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 60, passages 212, 220

Works and attributed material

Admonishment commentary · Addressee · Paraphrased
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 60, passages 215-218
Memorial · Author · Paraphrased
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 60, passages 219-220
Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 60, passages 223-224, 246

Events and relationships

Admitted guilt and kowtowed
Political · Actor
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 60, passage 244
Again plotted rebellion with Shangguan Jie
Political · Actor
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 60, passage 246
Plotted rebellion with Liu Ze
Political · Actor
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 60, passages 223, 225-226
Posthumous sacrifices continued by Jian
Ritual · Recipient of sacrifice
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 60, passage 254
Sent memorial requesting palace guard duty in Chang'an
Political · Author
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 60, passage 219
Suicide after judgment
Political · Actor
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 60, passage 249

Show 2 more source-backed claims

Relation Co conspirator with · Person Liu Ze (劉澤)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 60, passage 223
Relation Co conspirator with · Person Shangguan Jie (上官桀)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 60, passage 246

Assessments and attributes

Assessment contentious and unyielding spirit from Yan-Zhao placement · Mode named-speaker Speaker Emperor Wu (武帝)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 60, passage 220
Assessment gradual corruption like orchid in brine · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 60, passage 252
Assessment refuses to mend ways; persists in evil · Mode named-speaker Speaker Guang (光)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 60, passage 247

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 60, passage 219
suicide and abolition matched the investiture charter's warning
如其策指
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 60, passage 249

References in the histories

Search passages

History

23 passages

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 60House of the Three Kings · 23 passages

「無俷德」者，勿使（上）［王］背德也。 "Do not turn from virtue" means that the King should not turn his back on virtuous conduct.

會武帝年老長，而太子不幸薨，未有所立，而旦使來上書，請身入宿衛於長安。 In time, Emperor Wu grew old, and the Crown Prince unfortunately died. No successor had yet been established when Dan sent a memorial requesting permission to come to Chang'an in person to serve in the palace guard.

於是使使即斬其使者於闕下。 He then had Dan's envoy beheaded at the foot of the palace gate.

會武帝崩，昭帝初立，旦果作怨而望大臣。 When Emperor Wu died and Emperor Zhao first ascended the throne, Dan did indeed nurture resentment and harbored expectations of the great ministers.

公卿使大臣請，遣宗正與太中大夫公戶滿意、御史二人，偕往使燕，風喻之。 The ministers at court petitioned for action, and the Director of the Imperial Clan was dispatched along with the Grand Palace Attendant Gong Hu Manyi and two Imperial Censors, who together traveled as envoys to Yan to admonish Dan indirectly.

到燕，各異日，更見責王。 When they arrived in Yan, they visited the King on different days, each in turn reproaching him.

宗正者，主宗室諸劉屬籍，先見王，為列陳道昭帝實武帝子狀。 The Director of the Imperial Clan, who oversees the genealogical registers of all the Liu members of the imperial family, was the first to see the King. He methodically laid out the evidence that Emperor Zhao was in truth the son of Emperor Wu.

侍御史乃復見王，責之以正法，問：「王欲發兵罪名明白，當坐之。 The Attendant Censor then visited the King in turn, confronting him with the law. He declared: "The King's intention to raise troops is a clearly established crime, and by law he should be condemned for it.

漢家有正法，王犯纖介小罪過，即行法直斷耳，安能寬王。」 The House of Han has its established law: if the King commits even the slightest offense, the law is carried out and judgment delivered—how could leniency be shown to the King?"

驚動以文法。 He shook and intimidated the King with the statutes and laws.

王意益下，心恐。 The King's defiance crumbled further, and fear seized his heart.

公戶滿意習於經術，最後見王，稱引古今通義，國家大禮，文章爾雅。 Gong Hu Manyi, well versed in the classics, was the last to see the King. He cited the universal principles of antiquity and the present, spoke of the great rites of the state, and his words were elegant and refined.

謂王曰：「古者天子必內有異姓大夫，所以正骨肉也； He addressed the King: "In ancient times, the Son of Heaven always had ministers of different surnames within the court to keep his own flesh and blood in check;

武帝在時，尚能寬王。 When Emperor Wu was alive, he could still afford to show the King leniency.

方今大臣輔政，奉法直行，無敢所阿，恐不能寬王。 At present the great ministers assist in governing and apply the law without deviation; none dares to show partiality. I fear they will not be able to show the King leniency.

王可自謹，無自令身死國滅，為天下笑。」 The King should exercise the utmost caution, lest he bring about his own death and the destruction of his kingdom, making himself a laughingstock for all the realm."

於是燕王旦乃恐懼服罪，叩頭謝過。 At this, the King of Yan, Dan, was seized with fear and admitted his guilt, kowtowing and begging forgiveness for his offense.

其後旦復與左將軍上官桀等謀反，宣言曰「我次太子，太子不在，我當立，大臣共抑我」云云。 Later, Dan again plotted rebellion, this time with the General of the Left, Shangguan Jie, and others. He declared: "I am next in line after the Crown Prince. Since the Crown Prince is no longer alive, I should be on the throne. The ministers are all conspiring to keep me down"—and so on.

大將軍光輔政，與公卿大臣議曰：「燕王旦不改過悔正，行惡不變。」 The Grand General Guang, who was assisting in the government, deliberated with the ministers and declared: "The King of Yan, Dan, refuses to mend his ways or repent his wrongs; he persists in evil without change."

旦自殺，國除，如其策指。 Dan committed suicide, and his kingdom was abolished—just as the investiture charter had foretold.

有司請誅旦妻子。 The officials requested that Dan's wife and children be executed.

孝昭以骨肉之親，不忍致法，寬赦旦妻子，免為庶人。 Emperor Xiaozhao, out of consideration for their bond of blood, could not bear to apply the full force of the law. He generously pardoned Dan's wife and children, reducing them to the status of commoners.

宣帝初立，推恩宣德，以本始元年中盡復封燕王旦兩子：一子為安定侯； When Emperor Xuan first ascended the throne, he extended favor and proclaimed his virtue. In the middle of the first year of the Benshi era, he restored the enfeoffments of both of the late King Dan of Yan's sons: one was made Marquis of Anding;