Overview
The translated histories identify Emperor Xuan as an administrator, poet, royal family member, and ruler. This record brings together 47 passages from 8 chapters across 3 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.
Names
| Type | English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal | Emperor Xuan | 高宗 | Gaozong |
| Alternate name | Bright Emperor | 明皇帝 | Ming huangdi |
| Title | Cloud-Banner Prince of Jin'an | 雲麾晉安王 | Yunhui Jin'an wang |
| Title | crown prince | 皇太子 | huang taizi |
| Title | Crown Prince | 皇太子 | huang taizi |
| Title | Crown Prince | 皇太子 | |
| Title | Crown Prince Gang | 太子綱 | Taizi Gang |
| Title | Emperor | 主上 | |
| Posthumous name | Emperor Jianwen | 簡文皇帝 | Jianwen huangdi |
| Temple | Emperor Jianwen | 簡文皇帝 | |
| Title | Emperor Xuan | ||
| Given | Gang | 綱 | Gang |
| Personal name | Gang | 綱 | Gang |
| Temple | Gaozong | 高宗 | Gaozong |
| Temple name | Gaozong | 高宗 | Gaozong |
| Title | Heir Apparent | 太宗 | Taizong |
| Childhood name | Liutong | 六通 | Liutong |
| Title | Prince of Jin'an | 晉安王 | Jin'an wang |
| Title | Prince of Jin'an | 晉安王 | |
| Title | Propagation and Grace Prince of Jin'an | 宣惠晉安王 | |
| Courtesy | Shizuan | 世纘 | Shizuan |
| Temple name | Taizong | 太宗 | Taizong |
| Temple | Taizong | 太宗 | Taizong |
| Surname | Xiao | 蕭 | Xiao |
| Personal name | Xiao Gang | 蕭綱 | Xiao Gang |
| Title | Xiao Gang | 太子綱 | Xiao Gang |
Identity
- Historicity
- Historical
- Identification
- Named
- Sex
- Male
- Sex: male
- Sex: maleStrongly inferred · liangshu:036:s0030
Roles
- Administrator
- Poet
- Royal Family Member
- Ruler
- Scholar
- Writer
Life and dates
Birth
- Place: Xianyang Hall / 顯陽殿 · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 天監二年十月丁未 · Western Year: AD 503Explicit · liangshu:004:s0004
Death
- Manner: suffocated with earth bag · Place: Yongfu Palace / 永福省 · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 大寶二年 · Western Year: AD 551 · Authority Person Id: Hou Jing (侯景)Explicit · liangshu:004:s0126, liangshu:004:s0115
- Manner: suffered a cruel end like Emperors Huai and Min / 罹懷、愍之酷 · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 終罹懷、愍之酷 · Western Year: AD 551Explicit event contextual date · liangshu:004:s0154
Age
- Age: 49 · Reckoning: sui · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 大寶二年 · Western Year: AD 551Explicit · liangshu:004:s0126
Attested activity
- Qualitative: prior Liang reign (Jianwen)Strongly inferred · liangshu:006:s0037
- Source Date: Text: 四年 · Note: 中大通四年 · Western Year: AD 532Explicit event contextual date · liangshu:036:s0041, liangshu:036:s0042
- Source Date: Text: 中大同元年 · Western Year: AD 546Explicit event contextual date · zizhitongjian:159:s0193, zizhitongjian:159:s0193a, zizhitongjian:159:s0240b
- Source Date: Text: 中大通三年 · Western Year: AD 531Explicit event contextual date · liangshu:004:s0020, liangshu:004:s0027
- Source Date: Text: 冬，十月，乙亥 · Western Year: AD 546Explicit event contextual date · zizhitongjian:159:s0263a
- Source Date: Text: 大寶二年 · Western Year: AD 551Explicit event contextual date · liangshu:004:s0115, liangshu:004:s0126
- Source Date: Text: 大寶二年八月 · Western Year: AD 551Explicit · liangshu:008:s0224
- Source Date: Text: 大寶元年 · Western Year: AD 550Explicit event contextual date · liangshu:004:s0052, liangshu:004:s0068
- Source Date: Text: 天監中 · Western Interval: Start: AD 502 · End: AD 519Explicit · liangshu:019:s0097
- Source Date: Text: 天監二年十月丁未 · Western Year: AD 503Explicit event contextual date · liangshu:004:s0004
- Source Date: Text: 天監五年 · Western Year: AD 506Explicit event contextual date · liangshu:004:s0005
- Source Date: Text: 太平元年 · Western Year: AD 556Explicit event contextual date · liangshu:006:s0037
- Source Date: Text: 太建十一年八月 · Western Year: AD 579Explicit · chenshu:014:s0100
- Source Date: Text: 太清三年五月 · Western Year: AD 549Explicit event contextual date · liangshu:004:s0029, liangshu:004:s0030
- Source Date: Text: 太清三年五月 · Western Year: AD 549Explicit · liangshu:008:s0222
- Source Date: Text: 太清二年 · Western Year: AD 548
- Source Date: Text: 幼年 · Western Interval: Start: AD 531 · End: AD 549Explicit event contextual date · liangshu:004:s0151
- Source Date: Text: 往荊州 · Western Year: AD 552Explicit event contextual date · chenshu:014:s0012
- Source Date: Text: 普通元年 · Western Year: AD 520Explicit event contextual date · liangshu:004:s0012
- Source Date: Text: 普通四年 · Western Year: AD 523Explicit · liangshu:008:s0216, liangshu:008:s0217
- Source Date: Text: 終罹懷、愍之酷 · Western Year: AD 551Explicit event contextual date · liangshu:004:s0154
- Source Date: Text: 繼統 · Western Year: AD 549Explicit event contextual date · liangshu:004:s0153
- Source Date: Text: 養德東朝 · Western Interval: Start: AD 531 · End: AD 549Explicit event contextual date · liangshu:004:s0153
Family
Immediate source-linked family. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select a person to open their record.
- Child of Honored Consort Mu (穆貴嬪)Kinship Term: birth mother / 所生 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: son · Object Role: mother · Line: maternal
- Spouse of Principal Consort of TaizongKinship Term: chief consort / 嫡 · Union Category: primary-marriage · Relationship State: active
- Spouse of Empress Jian (簡皇后)Kinship Term: consort / 妃 · Union Category: primary-marriage
- Child of Emperor Wu of Liang (梁武帝)Kinship Term: Crown Prince / 太子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son
Kinship Term: sons / 諸子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son
Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: son · Object Role: father · Subject Birth Order: 3 · Line: paternal - Parent of Xiao Daqi (大器)Kinship Term: father / 父 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son · Subject Birth Order: 1
Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: son · Object Role: father · Line: paternal - Parent of Xiao Dagun (蕭大鈞)Kinship Term: imperial son / 皇子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: son · Object Role: father · Line: paternal
- Parent of Xiao Daxin (蕭大昕)Kinship Term: imperial son / 皇子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: son · Object Role: father · Line: paternal
- Parent of Xiao Daqiu (蕭大球)Kinship Term: imperial son / 皇子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: son · Object Role: father · Line: paternal
- Parent of Xiao Dazhi (蕭大摯)Kinship Term: imperial son / 皇子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: son · Object Role: father · Line: paternal
- Parent of Xiao Dawei (蕭大威)Kinship Term: imperial son / 皇子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: son · Object Role: father · Line: paternal
- Parent of Xiao Dayuan (蕭大圜)Kinship Term: imperial son / 皇子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: son · Object Role: father · Line: paternal
- Parent of Xiao Dakuan (蕭大款)Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: son · Object Role: father · Line: paternal
- Parent of Xiao Daxin (蕭大心)Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: son · Object Role: father · Line: paternal
- Parent of Xiao Dalian (蕭大連)Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: son · Object Role: father · Line: paternal
- Parent of Xiao Dacheng (蕭大成)Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: son · Object Role: father · Line: paternal
- Parent of Xiao Dazhuang (蕭大莊)Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: son · Object Role: father · Line: paternal
- Parent of Xiao Dalin (蕭大臨)Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: son · Object Role: father · Line: paternal
- Parent of Xiao Dachun (蕭大春)Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: son · Object Role: father · Line: paternal
- Parent of Xiao Dafeng (蕭大封)Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: son · Object Role: father · Line: paternal
- Sibling of Xiao Tong (蕭統)Kinship Term: younger brother by the same mother / 母弟 · Shared Parentage: full · Subject Relative Age: younger · Subject Role: younger-brother · Object Role: elder-brother
Career and standing
- Label: Palace Attendant / 侍中 · Action: added · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 天監十七年 · Western Year: AD 518Explicit · liangshu:004:s0011
- Label: Crown Prince / 皇太子 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 中大通三年五月丙申 · Western Year: AD 531
- Label: Yangzhou inspector / 揚州刺史 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 中大通二年 · Western Year: AD 530Explicit · liangshu:004:s0019
- Label: South Yanzhou inspector / 南兗州刺史 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 天監九年 · Western Year: AD 510Explicit · liangshu:004:s0007
- Label: General of the Cloud Banner / 雲麾將軍 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 天監八年 · Western Year: AD 509Explicit · liangshu:004:s0006
- Label: Jingzhou inspector / 荊州刺史 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 天監十三年 · Western Year: AD 514Explicit · liangshu:004:s0009
- Label: Intendant of Danyang / 丹陽尹 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 天監十二年 · Western Year: AD 513Explicit · liangshu:004:s0008
- Label: Jiangzhou inspector / 江州刺史 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 天監十四年 · Western Year: AD 515Explicit · liangshu:004:s0010
- Label: South Xuzhou inspector / 南徐州刺史 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 普通元年 · Western Year: AD 520Explicit · liangshu:004:s0013
- Label: Yongzhou inspector / 雍州刺史 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 普通四年 · Western Year: AD 523Explicit · liangshu:004:s0014
- Label: General Who Pacifies the North / 安北將軍 · Action: promoted · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 普通五年 · Western Year: AD 524Explicit · liangshu:004:s0015
- Title: Prince of Jin'an / 晉安王 · Action: enfeoffed · Fief Households: 8000 · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 天監五年 · Western Year: AD 506Explicit · liangshu:004:s0005
- Status: heir-apparent · Label: cultivated virtue in the Eastern Palace / 養德東朝 · Action: heldExplicit · liangshu:004:s0153
- Status: constrained · Label: constrained by the rebel minister / 受制賊臣 · Action: sufferedExplicit · liangshu:004:s0154
- Status: imprisoned · Place: Yongfu Palace / 永福省 · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 大寶二年八月戊午 · Western Year: AD 551Explicit · liangshu:004:s0115
- Status: Crown Prince · Label: Crown Prince / 太子Explicit · zizhitongjian:159:s0240b
- Date Context: Source Date: Text: 太清三年五月 · Western Year: AD 549Explicit · liangshu:008:s0222
- Date Context: Source Date: Text: 太清三年五月辛巳 · Western Year: AD 549Explicit · liangshu:004:s0030, liangshu:004:s0029
- Date Context: Source Date: Text: 繼統 · Western Year: AD 549Explicit event contextual date · liangshu:004:s0153
- Date Context: Source Date: Text: 大寶二年八月 · Western Year: AD 551 · Authority Person Id: Hou Jing (侯景)Explicit · liangshu:008:s0224
- Date Context: Source Date: Text: 大寶二年八月戊午 · Western Year: AD 551 · Authority Person Id: Hou Jing (侯景)Explicit · liangshu:004:s0115
Places and affiliations
- Polity: Liang / 梁 · Relation: ruledExplicit · liangshu:004:s0030
- Polity: Liang / 梁 · Relation: servedExplicit · zizhitongjian:159:s0263a
- Place: Zhuang Mausoleum / 莊陵 · Relation: buried-at · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 次年四月乙丑 · Western Year: AD 552Explicit · liangshu:004:s0129
- Place: Eastern Palace / 東朝 · Relation: resided-as-heirExplicit · liangshu:004:s0153
- Place: Lanling / 蘭陵 · Relation: ancestral-placeExplicit · liangshu:004:s0130
Learning and skills
- Label: composed texts from age six / 六歲便屬文Explicit · liangshu:004:s0133
- Belief: Dark Learning / Neo-Daoist discourse / 玄理 · Relation: practicedExplicit · liangshu:004:s0141
- Skill: literary composition / 文 · Level: practiced but faulted for frivolous ornamentExplicit · liangshu:004:s0152
- Skill: composition and poetry / 篇章辭賦 · Level: proficientExplicit · liangshu:004:s0140, liangshu:004:s0148
Works and attributed material
- Work: Biographies of the Princes / 諸王傳 · Relation: authorExplicit · liangshu:004:s0150
- Work: Biography of the Heir Apparent Zhaoming / 昭明太子傳 · Relation: authorExplicit · liangshu:004:s0150
- Work: Great Meaning of the Rites / 禮大義 · Relation: authorExplicit · liangshu:004:s0150
- Work: Linked Pearls / 連珠 · Relation: authorExplicit · liangshu:004:s0132
- Work: Meaning of the Laozi / 老子義 · Relation: authorExplicit · liangshu:004:s0150
- Work: Meaning of the Zhuangzi / 莊子義 · Relation: authorExplicit · liangshu:004:s0150
- Work: Recorded Meaning of Eternal Spring / 長春義記 · Relation: authorExplicit · liangshu:004:s0150
- Work: Treasured Laws Linked Pearls / 法寶連璧 · Relation: authorExplicit · liangshu:004:s0150
- Kind: edict · Role: authorExplicit · liangshu:004:s0031, liangshu:004:s0032, liangshu:004:s0033, liangshu:004:s0034, liangshu:004:s0035, liangshu:004:s0053, liangshu:004:s0054, liangshu:004:s0055, liangshu:004:s0056, liangshu:004:s0057, liangshu:004:s0058, liangshu:004:s0059, liangshu:004:s0060, liangshu:004:s0061, liangshu:004:s0062, liangshu:004:s0063, liangshu:004:s0064, liangshu:004:s0065, liangshu:004:s0066, liangshu:004:s0067, liangshu:004:s0068
- Kind: historian-appraisal · Role: subject · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
- Kind: self-account · Role: authorExplicit · liangshu:004:s0130, liangshu:004:s0131
- Explicit · liangshu:043:s0014, liangshu:043:s0061
- Explicit · liangshu:004:s0119
- Kind: speech · Role: speakerExplicit · liangshu:004:s0123, liangshu:004:s0125
Events and relationships
- Kind: ritual · Role: subject · Action: buried · Place: Zhuang Mausoleum / 莊陵 · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 次年四月乙丑 · Western Year: AD 552Explicit · liangshu:004:s0129
- Kind: political · Role: ruler · Action: constrained-by-rebel-minister · Outcome: could not unfold his latent capacityExplicit · liangshu:004:s0154
- Kind: political · Role: heir · Action: cultivated-virtue · Place: Eastern Palace / 東朝 · Outcome: fame reached barbarians and Chinese alikeExplicit · liangshu:004:s0153
- Kind: palace security · Role: principal · Action: kept picked troops to guard the Eastern Palace against his brothers · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 中大同元年 · Western Year: AD 546
- Kind: military · Role: commander · Action: northern-campaign · Place: Xiangyang / 襄陽Explicit · liangshu:004:s0144
- Kind: scholarly · Role: lecturer · Action: presented · Work: Expositions on the Five Classics / 五經講疏 · Place: Dark Garden / 玄圃Explicit · liangshu:004:s0147
- Kind: political · Role: victim · Action: suffered-cruel-end · Outcome: compared to the fates of Emperors Huai and MinExplicit · liangshu:004:s0154
- Relation: student-of · Person Id: Kong Xiuyuan (孔休源)Explicit · liangshu:036:s0033
Assessments and attributes
- Assessment: clever, perceptive, and of unmatched heavenly talent from youth · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgmentExplicit · liangshu:004:s0151
- Assessment: faulted for frivolous ornament; Palace Style · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgmentExplicit · liangshu:004:s0149
- Assessment: fit to match Emperors Wen and Jing · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgmentExplicit · liangshu:004:s0154
- Assessment: gifted in letters; naturally filial · Provenance: Mode: edict · Source Person Id: Emperor Wu of Liang (梁武帝)Explicit · liangshu:004:s0025
- Assessment: literature at times burdened by frivolous ornament, not taken up by gentlemen · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgmentExplicit · liangshu:004:s0152
- Assessment: truly had a ruler's excellence · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgmentExplicit · liangshu:004:s0153
- Kind: physical-description · Statement: square cheek, full below, beard and temples like painted lines; sidelong glance lit upon menExplicit · liangshu:004:s0137
- Item: curved-neck pipa / 曲項琵琶 · Relation: usedExplicit · liangshu:004:s0124
- Item: earth bag / 土囊 · Relation: killed-withExplicit · liangshu:004:s0126
Source notes
- Historicity: historicalExplicit · liangshu:004:s0151
- Statement: His sons (諸子) were posthumously honored; count unspecified · Field: descendantsExplicit · liangshu:006:s0037
- From: Emperor / 皇帝 · To: Prince of Jin'an / 晉安王 · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 大寶二年八月戊午 · Western Year: AD 551Explicit · liangshu:004:s0115
References in the histories
Open any source group to read the Chinese and English passage in context.