Qin and Han · Emperor of Han

Emperor Wen of Han 文帝

Wéndì

Attested BC 180 - BC 157

Passages: 18
Chapters: 3
Histories: 3

Overview

The translated histories identify Emperor Wen of Han as a ruler. This record brings together 18 passages from 3 chapters across 3 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Emperor Wen of Han	文帝	Wéndì
Temple name	Emperor Wen	文帝	Wéndì
Title	Emperor Wen	漢文
Title	Emperor Wen	文帝
Title	Emperor Wen of Han	漢文帝	Hàn Wéndì
Temple name	Emperor Wen of Han	漢文	Han Wen
Title	Emperor Xiaowen	孝文皇帝
Title	King of Dai	代王

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Explicit · hanshu:026:s0318
Sex: male
Strongly inferred · nanqishu:056:s0008, shiji:057:s0090

Roles

Ruler

Life and dates

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 文帝即位 · Western Interval: Start: BC 180 · End: BC 157
Explicit · hanshu:026:s0318
Source Date: Text: 文帝從錯之言 · Western Year: BC 168
Explicit event contextual date · hanshu:026:s0196
Source Date: Text: 漢文帝之世 · Western Interval: Start: BC 180 · End: BC 157
Explicit · nanqishu:056:s0008
Source Date: Text: 立孝文皇帝 · Western Interval: Start: BC 180 · End: BC 157
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:057:s0088

Family

Immediate source-linked family. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select a person to open their record.

Parent of Princess, daughter of Emperor Wen (公主)
Kinship Term: daughter / 女 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: daughter · Object Role: father

Career and standing

Action: acceded
Explicit · hanshu:026:s0318

Places and affiliations

Polity: Han / 漢 · Relation: ruled
Explicit · hanshu:026:s0318

Works and attributed material

Kind: narrative · Role: addressee
Explicit · hanshu:026:s0319, hanshu:026:s0140, hanshu:026:s0142, hanshu:026:s0197
Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Other Person Id: Emperor Jing (景帝) · Quoted: true
Explicit · shiji:057:s0150

Events and relationships

Kind: ritual · Role: ruler · Action: opened imperial fields and personally plowed
Explicit · hanshu:026:s0141
Kind: fiscal · Role: ruler · Action: ordered grain submission to frontiers for ranks
Explicit · hanshu:026:s0196
Kind: policy · Role: ruler · Action: practiced austerity and sought to settle the people
Explicit · hanshu:026:s0318
Kind: fiscal · Role: ruler · Action: remitted half rent-tax in year 12 then abolished field tax
Explicit · hanshu:026:s0204, hanshu:026:s0205
Relation: advised-by · Person Id: Chao Cuo (晁錯)
Explicit · hanshu:026:s0142, hanshu:026:s0196
Relation: advised-by · Person Id: Jia Yi (賈誼)
Explicit · hanshu:026:s0319, hanshu:026:s0141

Source notes

Historicity: historical
Explicit · hanshu:026:s0318

References in the histories

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

Book of Han, Chapter 26Volume 24a: Treatise on Trade 1 · 2 passages

文帝即位，躬修儉節，思安百姓。 When Emperor Wen took the throne, he personally practiced austerity and sought to settle the common people.

於是文帝從錯之言，令民入粟邊，六百石爵上造，稍增至四千石為五大夫，萬二千石為大庶長，各以多少級數為差。 Emperor Wen then followed Cuo's advice and ordered the people to submit grain to the frontiers under a tiered grain-to-rank schedule with escalating thresholds for higher titles.

Book of Southern Qi, Chapter 56Volume 56 Biographies 37: Trusted Officials · 2 passages

漢文幸鄧通，雖錢徧天下，位止郎中。 Emperor Wen of Han favored Deng Tong; though his wealth reached every corner of the empire, his office never rose above Gentleman of the Palace.

宋文世，秋當、周糾竝出寒門。 In the reign of Emperor Wen of Song, Qiu Dang and Zhou Jiu both rose from humble households.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 57House of Zhou Bo, Marquis of Jiang · 14 passages

於是勃與平謀，卒誅諸呂而立孝文皇帝。 Thereupon Bo and Chen Ping conspired together and at last destroyed the entire Lu clan, establishing Emperor Wen on the throne.

其語在呂后、孝文事中。 The full account appears in the records of Empress Lu and Emperor Wen.

文帝既立，以勃為右丞相，賜金五千斤，食邑萬戶。 After Emperor Wen was enthroned, he appointed Bo as Right Chancellor, rewarded him with five thousand jin of gold, and granted him a fief of ten thousand households.

居月餘，人或說勃曰：「君既誅諸呂，立代王，威震天下，而君受厚賞，處尊位，以寵，久之即禍及身矣。」 After little more than a month, someone cautioned Bo: "Having destroyed the Lu clan and installed the King of Dai on the throne, your prestige now overawes the realm. Yet you continue to accept lavish rewards and hold a position of supreme honor in the emperor's favor. If this goes on too long, disaster will surely overtake you."

公主者，孝文帝女也，勃太子勝之尚之，故獄吏教引為證。 The princess was Emperor Wen's daughter; Bo's heir, Shengzhi, had married her. That is why the prison officials advised him to call upon her as a witness.

文帝朝，太后以冒絮提文帝，曰：「絳侯綰皇帝璽，將兵於北軍，不以此時反，今居一小縣，顧欲反邪！」 At Emperor Wen's morning audience, the Empress Dowager seized the emperor by his headdress cloth and said: "The Marquis of Jiang once held the imperial seal in his hands and commanded the Northern Army. If he did not rebel then, why would he now, living in some small county, suddenly wish to rebel?"

文帝既見絳侯獄辭，乃謝曰：「吏［事］方驗而出之。」 After Emperor Wen reviewed the Marquis of Jiang's prison deposition, he apologized and said: "The officials are finishing their verification, and he will be released."

孝文帝十一年卒，謚為武侯。 He died in the eleventh year of Emperor Wen's reign and was given the posthumous title of Marquis Wu.

絕一歲，文帝乃擇絳侯勃子賢者河內守亞夫，封為條侯，續絳侯後。 After a lapse of one year, Emperor Wen chose the most worthy of the Marquis of Jiang's sons, Yafu, who was then serving as Governor of Henei, and enfeoffed him as the Marquis of Tiao to continue the line of the Marquis of Jiang.

居三歲，其兄絳侯勝之有罪，孝文帝擇絳侯子賢者，皆推亞夫，乃封亞夫為條侯，續絳侯後。 Three years later, his elder brother Shengzhi, the Marquis of Jiang, was found guilty of a crime. Emperor Wen selected from among the Marquis of Jiang's sons the most worthy; all agreed on Yafu. He was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Tiao to carry on the line of the Marquis of Jiang.

文帝之後六年，匈奴大入邊。 In the latter sixth year of Emperor Wen's reign, the Xiongnu launched a major invasion of the frontier.

文帝曰：「嗟乎，此真將軍矣！ Emperor Wen exclaimed: "Ah, now that is a true general!

孝文且崩時，誡太子曰：「即有緩急，周亞夫真可任將兵。」 When Emperor Wen lay on his deathbed, he admonished the Crown Prince: "If ever there is an emergency, Zhou Yafu is the man you can truly entrust to command the army."

文帝崩，拜亞夫為車騎將軍。 After Emperor Wen passed away, Yafu was appointed General of Chariots and Cavalry.