Qin and Han · Merchant

Dao Jian 刀閒

Attested BC 150

Passages: 3
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Dao Jian was a Merchant.

Life and dates

Attested activity

BC 150 刀閒獨愛貴之
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 129, passage 250

Career and standing

fish-salt-commerce using trusted slaves 漁鹽商賈
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 129, passage 251

Places and affiliations

Polity Qi 齊 · Relation Active in
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 129, passage 250

Assessments and attributes

Assessment slaves preferred service under Dao to noble rank · Mode named-saying
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 129, passage 253
Item fortune of tens of millions 數千萬 · Relation Possessed
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 129, passage 252

References in the histories

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 129Biographies of Money-Makers · 3 passages

齊俗賤奴虜，而刀閒獨愛貴之。 In Qi, custom held slaves and captives in contempt, but Dao Jian alone valued and cherished them.

桀黠奴，人之所患也，唯刀閒收取，使之逐漁鹽商賈之利，或連車騎，交守相，然愈益任之。 Cunning and unruly slaves are the bane of most men. Yet Dao Jian alone took them in and set them to work pursuing the profits of fish, salt, and commerce. Some even rode in carriages and cultivated connections with governors and chancellors — and still he only trusted them more.

故曰「寧爵毋刀」，言其能使豪奴自饒而盡其力。 Hence, the saying among them: 'Better serve the Dao family than go free for noble rank' — for he could make his proud slaves prosper on their own account while still driving them to give their full measure of effort.