Emperor Xian (献帝) | 24 Histories

Overview

The translated histories identify Emperor Xian as a ruler. This record brings together 21 passages from 9 chapters across 2 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Emperor Xian	献帝	Xiàn dì
Title	Emperor Xian	献帝
Temple	Emperor Xian	献帝	Xiàn dì
Temple name	Emperor Xian	献帝	Xiàndì
Temple name	Emperor Xian	献帝	Xiandi
Temple name	Emperor Xian	献帝
Title	Emperor Xian	献帝	Xiàndì
Title	Emperor Xian	獻帝	Xiàndì
Temple name	Emperor Xian	獻帝	Xiàndì
Personal	Emperor Xian the Filial	孝献	Xiào Xiàn
Regnal	Xian	献	Xiàn
Title	Xiandi	献帝

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Strongly inferred · houhanshu:110:s0141, liaoshi:057:s0006
Sex: male
Explicit · houhanshu:113:s0100, houhanshu:115:s0086, houhanshu:116:s0062, houhanshu:117:s0100, houhanshu:118:s0062, houhanshu:119:s0186, liaoshi:030:s0149

Roles

Ruler

Life and dates

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: AD 189-220 · Western Year: AD 189
Strongly inferred · liaoshi:030:s0149
Source Date: Text: 兴平元年六月丁丑 · Western Year: AD 194
Explicit · houhanshu:117:s0101
Source Date: Text: 初平元年 · Western Year: AD 190
Explicit event contextual date · houhanshu:113:s0100
Source Date: Text: 初平元年二月 · Western Year: AD 190
Explicit · houhanshu:119:s0208
Source Date: Text: 初平四年六月 · Western Year: AD 193
Explicit · houhanshu:117:s0174
Source Date: Text: 初平四年正月 · Western Year: AD 193
Explicit · houhanshu:119:s0186, houhanshu:119:s0187
Source Date: Text: 孝献初平二年九月 · Western Year: AD 191
Explicit event contextual date · houhanshu:113:s0137
Source Date: Text: 建安二十二年 · Western Year: AD 217
Explicit · houhanshu:118:s0082
Source Date: Text: 建安二十五年 · Western Year: AD 220
Explicit · houhanshu:118:s0070
Source Date: Text: 建安五年九月 · Western Year: AD 200
Explicit · houhanshu:119:s0189
Source Date: Text: 建安五年十月辛亥 · Western Year: AD 200
Explicit event contextual date · houhanshu:113:s0143
Source Date: Text: 献帝兴平元年 · Western Year: AD 194
Explicit · houhanshu:115:s0104
Source Date: Text: 献帝兴平元年夏 · Western Year: AD 194
Explicit event contextual date · houhanshu:116:s0149
Source Date: Text: 献帝初平三年五月 · Western Year: AD 192
Explicit event contextual date · houhanshu:116:s0112
Source Date: Text: 献帝初平中 · Western Interval: Start: AD 190 · End: AD 193
Explicit · houhanshu:118:s0062
Source Date: Text: 献帝初平二年六月丙戌 · Western Year: AD 191
Explicit · houhanshu:117:s0100
Source Date: Text: 献帝初平元年 · Western Year: AD 190
Explicit · houhanshu:115:s0086
Source Date: Text: 献帝初平四年六月 · Western Year: AD 193
Explicit event contextual date · houhanshu:116:s0068
Source Date: Text: 献帝即位 · Western Year: AD 189
Explicit · houhanshu:110:s0141
Source Date: Text: 献帝建安二年九月 · Western Year: AD 197
Explicit event contextual date · houhanshu:116:s0062
Source Date: Text: 獻帝失之 · Western Year: AD 189
Explicit event contextual date · liaoshi:057:s0006

Career and standing

Title: Duke of Shanyang / 山阳公 · Place: Shanyang / 山阳 · Action: enfeoffed
Explicit · houhanshu:118:s0070
Action: acceded
Explicit · houhanshu:110:s0141

Places and affiliations

Label: Eastern Han / 东汉 · Relation: ruled
Explicit · houhanshu:117:s0100
Label: Eastern Han / 汉 · Relation: under
Strongly inferred · houhanshu:115:s0086
Label: Later Han / 後漢 · Relation: active-in
Explicit · houhanshu:113:s0100
Polity: Eastern Han / 汉 · Relation: ruled
Explicit · houhanshu:119:s0186
Polity: Han / 汉 · Relation: ruled
Explicit · houhanshu:116:s0062
Polity: Han / 漢 · Relation: ruled
Explicit · liaoshi:057:s0006
Place: Chang’an / 长安 · Relation: capital-moved-to · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 初平元年 · Western Year: AD 190
Explicit · houhanshu:113:s0100

Works and attributed material

Kind: narrative · Role: subject · Note: 上 in s0142 refers to Emperor Xian
Explicit · houhanshu:113:s0142

Events and relationships

Kind: political · Role: subject · Action: enfeoffed at Shanyang ending Han rule
Explicit · houhanshu:118:s0070
Kind: political · Role: loser · Action: lost-possession-of-seal
Explicit · liaoshi:057:s0006
Kind: political · Role: sovereign · Action: moved-capital · Place: Chang’an / 长安
Explicit · houhanshu:113:s0100
Kind: political · Role: sovereign · Action: moved-east-then-to-Xu · Other Person Id: Cao Cao (曹操)
Explicit · houhanshu:113:s0142

Assessments and attributes

Item: imperial transmission seal / 傳國寶 · Relation: lost
Explicit · liaoshi:057:s0006

Source notes

Historicity: historical
Explicit · houhanshu:119:s0186

References in the histories

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

Book of Later Han, Chapter 110Volume 99: Rituals and Worship Part Three · 1 passage

Open chapter

灵帝崩，献帝即位。 Lingdi died and Xiandi succeeded.

Book of Later Han, Chapter 113Volume 102: Astronomy Part Three · 3 passages

Open chapter

桓三十八灵二十献九陨石 Thirty-eight portents under Emperor Huan, twenty under Ling, nine under Emperor Xian, and meteorite records.

至初平元年，献帝迁都长安。 In Chuping 1 Emperor Xian transferred the court to Chang’an.

孝献初平二年九月，蚩尤旗见，长十余丈，色白，出角、亢之南。 In the ninth month of Chuping 2 the Chiyou war-banner stretched ten zhang of white vapor south of Horn and Kang.

Book of Later Han, Chapter 115Volume 104: Five Elements Part Two · 2 passages

Open chapter

献帝初平元年八月，霸桥灾。 In the eighth month of Chuping 1 the Ba Bridge burned.

献帝兴平元年九月，桑复生椹，可食。 In the ninth month of Xingping 1 mulberries fruited out of season—sweet enough to eat.

Book of Later Han, Chapter 116Volume 105: Five Elements Part Three · 5 passages

Open chapter

献帝建安二年九月，汉水流，害民人。 Jian'an 2 (197 CE), ninth month: the Han River rampaged through settled country.

献帝初平四年六月，寒风如冬时。 Chuping 4 (193 CE), sixth month: a blast swept the land as bitter as mid-winter.

献帝初平四年六月，右扶风雹如斗。 Chuping 4, sixth month: west of the capital, hail fell in lumps the size of peck measures.

献帝初平三年五月丙申，无云而雷。 Chuping 3 (192 CE), fifth month, bingshen: thunder pealed from a clear sky.

献帝兴平元年夏，大蝗。 Xingping 1 (194 CE), summer: locusts blotted out the sky.

Book of Later Han, Chapter 117Volume 106: Five Elements Part Four · 2 passages

Open chapter

献帝初平二年六月丙戌，地震。 Chuping 2 (191 CE), sixth month, bingxu: the ground shook.

獻帝初平四年六月，右扶風大風，發屋拔木。 Chuping 4 (193 CE), sixth month: west of the capital, gales stripped roofs and timber.

Book of Later Han, Chapter 118Volume 107: Five Elements Part Five · 4 passages

Open chapter

其后关东州郡各举义兵，卒相攻伐，天子西移，王政隔塞。 Then the eastern provinces each raised "righteous" hosts and fell to fighting one another; the emperor was driven west, and central authority collapsed.

献帝初平中，长沙有人姓桓氏，死，棺敛月余，其母闻棺中声，发之，遂生。 Early in Emperor Xian's Chuping years, a Mr. Huan of Changsha died and lay coffined for over a month until his mother heard noise inside, pried the lid off, and found him alive.

至二十五年，献帝封于山阳。 In Jian'an 25 (220), Emperor Xian was pensioned off with the title of duke of Shanyang.

献帝建安二十二年，大疫。 Jian'an 22 (217), late in Emperor Xian's reign, was remembered for a catastrophic plague.

Book of Later Han, Chapter 119Volume 108: Five Elements Part Six · 2 passages

Open chapter

献帝初平四年正月甲寅朔，日有蚀之，在营室四度。 On the new moon jiayin in the first month of Chuping 4 (193), the sun was eclipsed at four degrees in Encampment.

献帝初平元年二月壬辰，白虹贯日。 On renchen in the second month of Chuping 1 (190), another white rainbow crossed the solar disk.

History of Liao, Chapter 30Volume 30 Annals 30: Emperor Tianzuo 4: Ye Luchun, Ye Luyali, Ye Ludashi and Son: Yilie, Yi Lie and Younger Sister: Pu Suwan, Yi Lieci and Son: Zhilugu · 1 passage

Open chapter

諸葛武侯為獻帝發喪，而後立先主為帝者，不可同年語矣。 When Zhuge the Martial Marquis mourned Emperor Xian and afterward enthroned the Former Lord—that is not a case to be named in the same breath.

History of Liao, Chapter 57Volume 57 Treatises 27: Ceremonial Guards 3 · 1 passage

Open chapter

獻帝失之，孫堅得於井中，傳至孫權，以歸於魏。 Emperor Xian lost possession of it; Sun Jian recovered it from a well. It passed down to Sun Quan, who in turn surrendered it to Wei.