Fusheng (伏生) | 24 Histories

Overview

Fusheng was a scholar and Teacher.

PeriodQin and Han

IdentityHistorical · Male

Roles

Found in

Life and dates

Age

90
BC 180 to BC 157 孝文帝時 · Reckoning Sui over · Statement over ninety 年九十餘
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 121, passage 134
90
Reckoning More than ninety years · 年九十餘
Directly stated · Book of Han 58, passage 129

Attested activity

BC 200 伏生
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 483, passage 120
BC 180 to BC 157 孝文帝時
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 101, passage 153; Records of the Grand Historian 121, passages 133-134
BC 202 to BC 180 漢定
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 121, passage 136
BC 221 to BC 206 秦博士
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 121, passage 132
BC 200 to BC 170 言尚書自濟南伏生
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 121, passage 34

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Ancestor of Grandson of Master Fu (伏生孫)
grandson 孫 · paternal line · 2 generations · Through Child of Master Fu
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 121, passage 153
Parent of Child of Master Fu
child 子
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 121, passage 153

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Erudite 博士
BC 221 to BC 206 秦時 · Held · Polity Qin 秦
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 121, passage 132
former erudite of Qin 故秦博士
Directly stated · Book of Han 58, passage 129
Unable to go
BC 180 to BC 157 孝文帝時 · Too frail to travel
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 121, passage 134

Places and affiliations

Polity Han 漢 · Relation Lived under
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 121, passage 136
Polity Qin 秦 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 121, passage 132
Qi 齊
Directly stated · Book of Han 58, passage 129
At Jinan 濟南
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 101, passage 153; Records of the Grand Historian 121, passages 34, 131
At Jinan 濟南 · Relation Native of
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 121, passage 34
At region between Qi and Lu 齊魯之閒 · Relation Taught at
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 121, passage 136

Works and attributed material

Book of Documents 尚書
Relation Teacher of text
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 101, passage 153
Documents 尚書
Relation Transmitted
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 121, passage 34
Documents (twenty-nine chapters) 尚書二十九篇
Relation Transmitter
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 121, passage 136

Events and relationships

Fled during wars
BC 209 to BC 202 其後兵大起 · Flight · Refugee
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 121, passage 136
Hid books in wall
BC 221 to BC 206 秦時焚書 · Preservation · Concealer
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 121, passage 135
Recovered twenty nine chapters
BC 202 to BC 180 漢定 · Recovery · Recoverer · Outcome several dozen chapters lost; twenty-nine survived 亡數十篇，獨得二十九篇
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 121, passage 136

Assessments and attributes

Item hidden Documents manuscripts 壁藏尚書 · Relation Concealed
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 121, passages 135-136

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 121, passage 34

References in the histories

Search passages

History

12 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 58Volume 49: Yuan Ang and Chao Cuo · 2 passages

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孝文時，天下亡治《尚書》者，獨聞齊有伏生，故秦博士，治《尚書》，年九十餘，老不可征。 Under Emperor Wen no one in the empire still taught the Book of Documents except old Master Fu in Qi—a former Qin academician, past ninety and too frail to travel to court.

太常遣錯受《尚書》伏生所，還，因上書稱說。 The office sent Chao Cuo to study with Master Fu; when he came back he memorialized in glowing terms on what he had learned.

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 483Volume 483 Biographies 270: Confucian Scholars 4: Kong Yinzhi Son: Xing Xie, Yu Qi Son: Chuan Duo, Guang Qi Son: Zhao Huan, Sun :Xianpei, Zeng Sun : Qing Rong, Zeng Sun : Fan Hao, Xuan Sun : Xiang Ke, Lai Sun : Ling Yi · 1 passage

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又增設咸陽姬氏文王后，曲阜東野氏周公後，濟寧閔氏子騫後，濬縣端木氏子貢後，常熟言氏子遊後，鉅野卜氏子夏后，蕭縣顓孫氏子張後，菏澤、肥城兩冉氏伯牛、仲弓後，肥城有氏有子後，鄒平伏氏伏生後，孟縣韓氏文公後，郿縣張氏明公後，各一人。 It further added one post each for the Ji of Xianyang, heirs of King Wen; the Dongye of Qufu, heirs of the Duke of Zhou; the Min of Jining, heirs of Ziqian; the Duanmu of Junxian, heirs of Zigong; the Yan of Changshu, heirs of Ziyou; the Bu of Juye, heirs of Zixia; the Zhuansun of Xiaoxian, heirs of Zizhang; the two Ran lines of Heze and Feicheng, heirs of Boniu and Zhonggong; the You of Feicheng, heirs of Youzi; the Fu of Zouping, heirs of Fusheng; the Han of Mengxian, heirs of Master Wengong; and the Zhang of Meixian, heirs of Master Ming.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 101Biographies of Yuan Ang and Chao Cuo · 2 passages

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孝文帝時，天下無治尚書者，獨聞濟南伏生故秦博士，治尚書，年九十餘，老不可徵，乃詔太常使人往受之。 In the time of Emperor Wen, no one in the realm still studied the Book of Documents. The only master known to survive was Fu Sheng of Jinan, a former Erudite of the Qin, who was over ninety and too old to be summoned to court. An edict was issued ordering the Grand Master of Ceremonies to send someone to study under him.

太常遣錯受尚書伏生所。 The Grand Master of Ceremonies dispatched Cuo to study the Book of Documents under Fu Sheng.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 121Biographies of Confucian Scholars · 7 passages

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言尚書自濟南伏生。 The tradition of the Documents was transmitted from Master Fu of Jinan.

伏生者，濟南人也。 Master Fu was a native of Jinan.

孝文帝時，欲求能治尚書者，天下無有，乃聞伏生能治，欲召之。 During the reign of Emperor Wen, the court sought someone who could expound the Documents, but no one in the realm could be found. When they learned that Master Fu possessed this knowledge, they wished to summon him.

是時伏生年九十餘，老，不能行，於是乃詔太常使掌故晁錯往受之。 At that time, Master Fu was over ninety and too frail to travel. An edict was therefore issued ordering Chao Cuo, the keeper of precedents under the Grand Master of Ceremonies, to go and receive instruction from him.

秦時焚書，伏生壁藏之。 When the Qin burned the books, Master Fu hid his copies inside a wall.

其後兵大起，流亡，漢定，伏生求其書，亡數十篇，獨得二十九篇，即以教于齊魯之閒。 When the great wars erupted, he was forced to flee. After the Han had settled the realm, Master Fu searched for his hidden books. Several dozen chapters had been lost; only twenty-nine survived. With these he began to teach in the region between Qi and Lu.

伏生教濟南張生及歐陽生，歐陽生教千乘兒寬。 Master Fu taught Master Zhang of Jinan and Master Ouyang. Master Ouyang in turn taught Er Kuan of Qiansheng.