Qin and Han · Emperor Zhao of Han

Emperor Zhao 昭帝

Zhāo Dì

Attested BC 87 - BC 80

Passages: 6
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Emperor Zhao was an emperor Zhao of Han.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Posthumous name	Emperor Xiaozhao	孝昭	Xiào Zhāo

Life and dates

Age

Label young in years 年幼，富於春秋
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 60, passage 240

Attested activity

BC 80 天子…無治廣陵王，獨誅首惡楚王
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 60, passage 208
BC 80 孝昭…寬赦旦妻子
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 60, passage 251
BC 87 to BC 80 昭帝初立…旦自殺
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 60, passages 222, 249

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Sibling of Xu (胥)
flesh and blood 骨肉 · Full siblings
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 60, passage 208
Child of Emperor Wu (武帝)
son 子
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 60, passage 230
Sibling of Dan (旦)
younger brother 弟
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 60, passage 223

Career and standing

first ascended the throne 初立
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 60, passage 222

Places and affiliations

Polity Western Han 西漢 · Relation Associated with
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 60, passages 208, 222

Events and relationships

Suppressed case without publicizing
Political · Actor
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 60, passage 227

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 60, passage 208

References in the histories

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 60House of the Three Kings · 6 passages

天子以骨肉之故，不忍致法於胥，下詔書無治廣陵王，獨誅首惡楚王。 The Son of Heaven, out of consideration for their bond of blood, could not bear to apply the full force of the law to Xu. He issued an edict sparing the King of Guangling from prosecution and executed only the chief culprit, the King of Chu.

會武帝崩，昭帝初立，旦果作怨而望大臣。 When Emperor Wu died and Emperor Zhao first ascended the throne, Dan did indeed nurture resentment and harbored expectations of the great ministers.

昭帝緣恩寬忍，抑案不揚。 Emperor Zhao, out of familial kindness and forbearance, suppressed the case and did not publicize it.

宗正者，主宗室諸劉屬籍，先見王，為列陳道昭帝實武帝子狀。 The Director of the Imperial Clan, who oversees the genealogical registers of all the Liu members of the imperial family, was the first to see the King. He methodically laid out the evidence that Emperor Zhao was in truth the son of Emperor Wu.

今昭帝始立，年幼，富於春秋，未臨政，委任大臣。 Now Emperor Zhao has only just ascended the throne; he is young in years, still in his youth, has not yet taken personal charge of the government, and has entrusted affairs to the ministers.

孝昭以骨肉之親，不忍致法，寬赦旦妻子，免為庶人。 Emperor Xiaozhao, out of consideration for their bond of blood, could not bear to apply the full force of the law. He generously pardoned Dan's wife and children, reducing them to the status of commoners.