Emperor Wen of Han (漢文帝)

Overview

The translated histories identify Emperor Wen of Han as a ruler. This record brings together 3 passages from 1 chapter across 1 history, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Emperor Wen of Han	漢文帝	Han Wendi
Title	Emperor Wen	聖文
Temple name	Taizong	太宗
Title	Wen	文

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Explicit · hanshu:099:s0196

Roles

Ruler

Life and dates

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 逮至聖文 · Western Interval: Start: BC 180 · End: BC 157
Explicit event contextual date · hanshu:099:s0021

References in the histories

Open any source group to read the Chinese and English passage in context.

Book of Han, Chapter 99Volume 87b: Yang Xiong 2 · 3 passages

Open chapter

逮至聖文，隨風乘流，方垂意於至寧，躬服節儉，綈衣不敝，革□不穿，大夏不居，木器無文。 Then came Emperor Wen, who moved with the times and set his heart on deepest peace. He lived plainly himself—homespun that never wore through, leather soles that never split—shunning grand summer halls and keeping wooden vessels free of carving.

亦所以奉太宗之烈，遵文、武之度，復三王之田，反五帝之虞； It is also how he honors Taizong’s martial legacy, holds to the models of Wen and Wu, revives the royal hunts of the Three Kings, and walks again in the royal parks of the Five Sovereigns.

昔老聃著虛無之言兩篇，薄仁義，非禮學，然後世好之者尚以為過於《五經》，自漢文、景之君及司馬遷皆有是言。 Laozi wrote two brief texts that spurned benevolence, right, and ritual learning—yet later admirers ranked them above the Five Classics. Emperors Wen and Jing of Han, and Sima Qian, said as much.