Five Dynasties · Ruler

Gaozu 高祖

First attested AD 936; died AD 942

Passages: 12
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Gaozu was a ruler.

Life and dates

Death

AD 942 高祖崩
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 168

Attested activity

AD 937 天福二年二月
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 157
AD 937 天福二年正月
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 151
AD 936 當高祖起太原
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 149
AD 936 高祖即位
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 217
AD 942 高祖崩
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 168
AD 942 高祖臥疾
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 167

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Spouse of Empress Li (李皇后)
empress 皇后 · Primary marriage
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 148
Parent of Chongrui (重睿)
son 子 · paternal line
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 165
Parent of Chonggao (重杲)
son 子 · paternal line
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 172
Parent of Chongyin (重胤)
son 子 · paternal line
Strongly inferred · New History of the Five Dynasties 17, passages 149, 151
Parent of Chongxin (重信)
son 子 · paternal line
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 17, passages 148, 155
Parent of Chongjin (重進)
son 子 · paternal line
Strongly inferred · New History of the Five Dynasties 17, passages 151-152
Parent of Chongyi (重乂)
son 子 · paternal line
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 164
Parent of Chongying (重英)
son 子 · paternal line
Strongly inferred · New History of the Five Dynasties 17, passages 149, 151

the mothers of Gaozu’s other sons are unknown
Kinship Role mothers of his other sons · Quantity unspecified
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 148

Career and standing

AD 936 高祖即位
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 217

Places and affiliations

Polity Jin 晉 · Relation Served
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 17, passages 148, 168
AD 936 當高祖起太原
At Taiyuan 太原 · Relation Rose at
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 149
At Bianzhou 汴州 · Relation Visited
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 218

Works and attributed material

AD 937 天福二年二月
Edict · Author · With Chongxin (重信) · Paraphrased
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 157
皇子無為三公者
Counsel · Addressee · Direct quotation · Mode named-source-report
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 159
此兒為善被禍，吾哀之甚，自我而已，豈有例邪！
Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 160

Events and relationships

Held mourning
AD 937 天福二年正月 · Ritual · Mourner · With Chongying (重英), Chongyin (重胤)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 151
Lay ill
Medical · Patient
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 167
Rose in arms
AD 936 當高祖起太原 · Military · Leader · At Taiyuan 太原
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 149
Sought posthumous grand commandant
Political · Initiator · With Chongxin (重信)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 159
entrusted Chongrui to Feng Dao without speaking
Relation Entrusted to · Person Feng Dao (馮道) · With Chongrui (重睿)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 167

Assessments and attributes

AD 937 天福二年二月
Assessment praised Chongxin’s good governance · With Chongxin (重信) · Mode named-source-report Speaker Gaozu (高祖)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 157
Assessment this boy did good and met calamity; grief for him runs deep · With Chongxin (重信) · Mode quoted-speech Speaker Gaozu (高祖)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 160

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 17, passage 148

References in the histories

Search passages

History

12 passages

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 17Volume 17: The Later Jin Imperial Family · 12 passages

高祖李皇后生楚王重信，其諸子皆不知其母。 Gaozu’s Empress Li bore Prince of Chu Chongxin; the mothers of his other sons are unknown.

當高祖起太原，重英為右衛將軍，重胤為皇城副使，居京師。 When Gaozu rose at Taiyuan, Chongying was Right Guard general and Chongyin deputy commissioner of the Imperial City—both in the capital.

聞高祖舉事，匿民家井中，捕得誅之，並族民家。 Hearing of the rebellion, they hid in a commoner’s well; seized, they were put to death, and the host family was exterminated.

天福二年正月，高祖為二子發哀，皆贈為太保； In the first month of Tianfu 2, Gaozu mourned the two sons; both received posthumous rank as Grand Guardian.

天福二年二月，以左驍衛上將軍拜河陽三城節度使，有善政，高祖下詔褒之。 In the second month of Tianfu 2 he was made military commissioner of the Three Cities of Heyang from senior general of the Left Flying Cavalry; Gaozu issued an edict praising his governance.

高祖欲贈重信太尉，大臣引漢故事，皇子無為三公者。 Gaozu wished to grant Chongxin Grand Commandant; the chief ministers cited Han precedent: no imperial son had ever held one of the Three Excellencies.

高祖曰：「此兒為善被禍，吾哀之甚，自我而已，豈有例邪！」 Gaozu said: “This boy did good and met calamity; my grief for him runs deep. Let the rule begin with me—what need of precedent!”

高祖即位，拜左驍衛大將軍。 When Gaozu took the throne, he was made grand general of the Left Flying Cavalry.

高祖幸汴州，以為東都留守。 When Gaozu visited Bianzhou, he was made regent of the Eastern Capital.

重睿為人貌類高祖。 Chongrui resembled Gaozu in face.

高祖臥疾，宰相馮道入見臥內，重睿尚幼，高祖呼出使拜道於前，因以宦者抱持寘道懷中，高祖雖不言，左右皆知其以重睿托道也。 Gaozu lay ill when Chancellor Feng Dao came to his bedside; Chongrui was still small. Gaozu had the boy brought forward to bow to Dao, then a eunuch lifted him into Dao’s arms. Gaozu never spoke, but everyone present knew he was entrusting Chongrui to Dao.

高祖崩，晉大臣以國家多事，議立長君，而景延廣已陰許立出帝，重睿遂不得立。 At Gaozu’s death the chief ministers, with the realm in turmoil, debated raising an elder prince; but Jing Yanguang had already secretly pledged the throne to the Fleeing Emperor, and Chongrui was passed over.