Gaozu of Han (漢高祖)

Overview

The translated histories identify Gaozu of Han as a general, military officer, ruler, and warlord. This record brings together 64 passages from 10 chapters across 3 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Gaozu of Han	漢高祖	Han Gaozu
Temple name	Emperor Gaozu of Han	漢高祖
Changed	Gao	暠	Gǎo
Title	Gaozu	高祖
Temple	Gaozu	高祖	Gāozǔ
Temple name	Gaozu	高祖	Gāozǔ
Temple name	Gaozu	高祖
Temple name	Gaozu of Han	漢高祖	Han Gaozu
Title	Gaozu of Han	漢高祖	Han Gaozu
Temple name	Gaozu of Later Han	漢高祖
Temple name	Han Founder	漢高祖	Han Gaozu
Title	Han Founder	漢祖	Han Zu
Title	Han Gaozu	漢高祖
Temple name	Han Gaozu	漢高祖	Hàn Gāozǔ
Surname	Liu	劉	Liu
Surname	Liu	劉	Liú
Personal name	Liu Zhiyuan	劉知遠	Liu Zhiyuan
Personal name	Liu Zhiyuan	劉知遠	Liú Zhīyuǎn
Personal name	Liu Zhiyuan	劉知遠
Personal	Liu Zhiyuan	劉知遠
Title	Prince of Beiping	北平王
Title	Prince of Taiyuan	太原王
Posthumous	the Sagely Literary, Sagely Military, Resplendent and Solemn, Filial Emperor	睿文聖武昭肅孝皇帝
Given name	Zhiyuan	知遠	Zhiyuan
Personal	Zhiyuan	知遠	Zhīyuǎn

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:051:s0179, jiuwudaishi:096:s0217, jiuwudaishi:130:s0007, xinwudaishi:010:s0001, xinwudaishi:010:s0002, xinwudaishi:053:s0111, xinwudaishi:069:s0059
Sex: male
Strongly inferred · jiuwudaishi:065:s0143, liaoshi:076:s0020

Roles

General
Military Officer
Ruler
Warlord

Life and dates

Death

Place: Hall of Myriad Years / 萬歲殿 · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 乾祐元年正月丁丑 · Western Year: AD 948
Explicit · xinwudaishi:010:s0066

Age

Age: 54 · Reckoning: sui · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 崩時 · Western Year: AD 948
Explicit · xinwudaishi:010:s0159

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 乾祐元年正月；崩 · Western Year: AD 948
Explicit · xinwudaishi:010:s0064, xinwudaishi:010:s0066
Source Date: Text: 事明宗為偏將；德勝 · Western Year: AD 923
Explicit event contextual date · xinwudaishi:010:s0004
Source Date: Text: 五年；徙鄴都留守 · Western Year: AD 940
Explicit · xinwudaishi:010:s0011
Source Date: Text: 六年；河東節度使 · Western Year: AD 941
Explicit · xinwudaishi:010:s0013
Source Date: Text: 天福二年 · Western Year: AD 937
Explicit · xinwudaishi:010:s0008
Source Date: Text: 天福十二年；皇帝即位 · Western Year: AD 947
Explicit · xinwudaishi:010:s0024
Source Date: Text: 契丹主死 · Western Year: AD 947
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:051:s0179
Source Date: Text: 契丹滅晉 · Western Year: AD 947
Explicit event contextual date · xinwudaishi:069:s0059
Source Date: Text: 師還州郡叛 · Western Year: AD 947
Explicit · liaoshi:076:s0020
Source Date: Text: 清泰末 · Western Year: AD 936
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:130:s0007
Source Date: Text: 漢祖踐阼 · Western Year: AD 947
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:130:s0008
Source Date: Text: 漢高祖 · Western Interval: Start: AD 947 · End: AD 948
Explicit · xinwudaishi:053:s0111
Source Date: Text: 漢高祖入汴 · Western Year: AD 947
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:096:s0118
Source Date: Text: 漢高祖即位 · Western Year: AD 947
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:065:s0143
Source Date: Text: 漢高祖即位 · Western Year: AD 947
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:096:s0217
Source Date: Text: 漢高祖從晉起兵 · Western Year: AD 936
Explicit event contextual date · xinwudaishi:050:s0121
Source Date: Text: 潞王從珂反；遇愍帝于衞州 · Western Year: AD 934
Explicit event contextual date · xinwudaishi:010:s0006, xinwudaishi:010:s0007
Source Date: Text: 開運三年五月 · Western Year: AD 946
Explicit · xinwudaishi:010:s0017
Source Date: Text: 開運三年十二月 · Western Year: AD 946
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:085:s0045
Source Date: Text: 開運二年四月；北平王 · Western Year: AD 945
Explicit · xinwudaishi:010:s0017
Source Date: Text: 開運四年；契丹犯京師 · Western Year: AD 947
Explicit · xinwudaishi:010:s0020
Source Date: Text: 高祖即位 · Western Interval: Start: AD 947 · End: AD 948
Explicit · xinwudaishi:050:s0123, xinwudaishi:050:s0109

Family

Immediate source-linked family. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select a person to open their record.

Descendant of Han Wen Zu (漢文祖)
Kinship Term: great-great-grandfather / 高祖 · Generation Distance: 4 · Line: paternal
Sibling of Murong Yanchao (慕容彥超)
Kinship Term: younger brother of the same mother / 同產弟 · Parentage: biological · Shared Parentage: full · Subject Relative Age: younger · Subject Role: younger-brother · Object Role: elder-brother · Intermediary Person Ids: Mother of Liu Zhiyuan (劉知遠母)
Kinship Term: uterine younger brother / 同產弟 · Shared Parentage: maternal-half · Subject Relative Age: younger · Subject Role: younger-brother · Object Role: elder-brother · Parentage: biological
Spouse of Empress Li (李氏)
Kinship Term: empress / 皇后 · Union Category: primary-marriage · Subject Role: husband · Object Role: wife
Parent of Cheng Xun (承訓)
Kinship Term: father / 父 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son · Object Birth Order: 1
Parent of Emperor Yin (隱帝)
Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Birth Order: 2
Kinship Term: father / 父 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son · Object Birth Order: 2
Child of Xian Zu (顯祖)
Kinship Term: father / 考 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son · Line: paternal
Child of Lady An (安氏)
Kinship Term: mother / 妣 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: mother · Object Role: son
Child of Mother of Han Gaozu and Murong Yanchao (漢高祖與慕容彥超之母)
Kinship Term: mother / 母 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: mother · Object Role: son · Line: maternal
Child of Mother of Liu Zhiyuan (劉知遠母)
Kinship Term: mother / 母 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: mother · Object Role: son

Origins and identity

Label: Shatuo / 沙陀
Explicit · xinwudaishi:010:s0001

Career and standing

Label: chief aide of the Palace Guard / 侍衞親軍都虞候 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 即位太原時 · Western Year: AD 936
Explicit · xinwudaishi:010:s0147
Label: commander of palace horse-and-foot guards / 侍衛馬步軍都指揮使 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 天福二年 · Western Year: AD 937
Explicit · xinwudaishi:010:s0008
Label: military commissioner of Zhongwu / 忠武軍節度使 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 天福二年 · Western Year: AD 937
Explicit · xinwudaishi:010:s0008
Label: regent of Yedu / 鄴都留守 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 天福五年 · Western Year: AD 940
Explicit · xinwudaishi:010:s0011
Label: military commissioner of Hedong and Northern Capital regent / 河東節度使、北京留守 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 天福六年 · Western Year: AD 941
Explicit · xinwudaishi:010:s0013
Label: Defender Grand Marshal / 守太尉 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 開運三年五月 · Western Year: AD 946
Explicit · xinwudaishi:010:s0017
Label: Director of the Secretariat / 中書令 · Action: appointed
Explicit · xinwudaishi:010:s0016
Label: military governor of Baoyi / 保義軍節度使 · Action: appointed
Explicit · xinwudaishi:010:s0147
Label: chief adjutant / 押衙 · Action: held
Explicit · xinwudaishi:010:s0005
Label: military commissioner of Guide / 歸德 · Action: transferred
Explicit · xinwudaishi:010:s0009
Title: Prince of Beiping / 北平王 · Action: enfeoffed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 開運二年四月 · Western Year: AD 945
Explicit · xinwudaishi:010:s0017
Title: Prince of Taiyuan / 太原王 · Action: enfeoffed
Explicit · xinwudaishi:010:s0016
Action: exterminated · Other Person Id: Bai Chengfu (白承福) · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 八月 · Western Year: AD 946
Explicit · xinwudaishi:010:s0019
Date Context: Source Date: Text: 天福十二年二月辛未 · Western Year: AD 947
Explicit · xinwudaishi:010:s0024
Label: took the throne / 勸進
Explicit · xinwudaishi:069:s0059

Places and affiliations

Polity: Later Han / 漢 · Relation: founded · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 天福十二年 · Western Year: AD 947
Explicit · xinwudaishi:010:s0153, xinwudaishi:010:s0024
Label: Later Han / 後漢 · Relation: ruled
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:096:s0217
Label: Later Han / 漢 · Relation: ruled
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:051:s0179
Polity: Later Han · Relation: ruled
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:065:s0143
Polity Name: Later Han / 漢 · Relation: ruled
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:130:s0008
Place: Taiyuan / 太原 · Relation: ancestral-home
Explicit · xinwudaishi:010:s0001
Place: Ruiling / 睿陵 · Relation: buried-at · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 乾祐元年十一月壬申 · Western Year: AD 948
Explicit · xinwudaishi:010:s0094, xinwudaishi:010:s0167
Place: Taiyuan / 太原 · Relation: rose-at
Explicit · xinwudaishi:069:s0059

Works and attributed material

Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Other Person Id: Wang Jingchong (王景崇)
Explicit · xinwudaishi:053:s0005

Events and relationships

Kind: military · Role: commander · Action: defeated Great King at Xiurong · Other Person Id: Prince Weiwang (偉王)
Explicit · xinwudaishi:010:s0018
Kind: military · Role: rescuer · Action: gave mount and covered rear · Other Person Id: Gaozu of Jin (晉高祖) · Place: Desheng / 德勝
Explicit · xinwudaishi:010:s0004
Kind: military · Role: commander · Action: northern campaign; accepted Du Chongwei surrender · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 天福十二年 · Western Year: AD 947
Explicit · xinwudaishi:010:s0060, xinwudaishi:010:s0062
Kind: political · Role: ruler · Action: ordered-deaths · Other Person Id: Li Congyi (李從益)
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:051:s0180, jiuwudaishi:051:s0183
Kind: political · Role: protector · Action: rescued Jin Gaozu and killed Mindi attendants · Place: Weizhou / 衞州
Explicit · xinwudaishi:010:s0006, xinwudaishi:010:s0007
Relation: ally-of · Person Id: Gaozu of Jin (晉高祖)
Explicit · xinwudaishi:010:s0004, xinwudaishi:010:s0146

Assessments and attributes

Assessment: not a virtuous ruler · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Explicit · xinwudaishi:010:s0151
Kind: physical-description · Statement: purple face; prominent whites of the eyes; chilling presence
Explicit · xinwudaishi:010:s0002

Source notes

From: Zhiyuan / 知遠 · To: Gao / 暠 · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 乾祐元年正月己未 · Western Year: AD 948
Explicit · xinwudaishi:010:s0065

References in the histories

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

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 51Volume 51 Book of Later Tang 27: Biographies 3: Imperial Family · 3 passages

Open chapter

及漢高祖將離太原，從益召高行周、武行德欲拒漢高祖，行周等不從，且奏其事。 When Gaozu of Han was about to march from Taiyuan, Congyi summoned Gao Xingzhou and Wu Xingde to resist him. They refused and memorialized the court.

漢高祖怒，車駕將至闕，從益與王妃俱賜死於私第，時年十七； Gaozu of Han was enraged. As the imperial carriage neared the capital, Congyi and his consort were both ordered to die in their private residence. He was seventeen;

〈（《五代史闕文》：漢高祖自太原起軍建號，至洛陽，會郭從義先入京師，受密旨殺王淑妃與許王從益。 (Lost Writings of the History of the Five Dynasties records that Gaozu of Han raised his army at Taiyuan and established his reign. Reaching Luoyang, he found Guo Congyi already in the capital with a secret order to kill Consort Wang Shufei and Prince Xu Congyi.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 65Volume 65 Book of Later Tang 41: Biographies 17: Li Jianji, Shi Junli, Gao Xinggui, Zhang Tingyu, Wang Sitong, Suo Zitong · 1 passage

Open chapter

及漢高祖即位，詔贈侍中。 When Gaozu of Later Han came to the throne, the court posthumously made him Palace Attendant.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 85Volume 85 Book of Later Jin 11: Emperor Shao 4 · 1 passage

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是夜，偵知張彥澤已至滑州，召李崧、馮玉、李彥韜入內計事，方議詔河東劉知遠起兵赴難，至五鼓初，張彥澤引蕃騎入京。 That night scouts reported Zhang Yanzhe at Huazhou; Li Song, Feng Yu, and Li Yantao were called in to deliberate and were debating an edict for Liu Zhiyuan of Hedong to march to the rescue when at the fifth watch Zhang Yanzhe led Khitan cavalry into the capital.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 96Volume 96 Book of Later Jin 22: Biographies 11: Kong Chongbi, Chen Baoji, Wang Yu, Zhang Jizuo, Zhen Ruan, Hu Rao, Liu Suiqing, Fang Gao, Meng Chenghui, Liu Jixun, Zheng Shouyi, Cheng Xun, Li Yu, Zheng Xuansu, Ma Zhongji, Chen Xuan · 2 passages

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漢高祖即位，詔贈太保。 When Gaozu of Han took the throne, an edict posthumously enfeoffed him as Grand Guardian.

漢高祖入汴，贈太尉。 When Han Gaozu entered Bian, Jixun was posthumously made grand commandant.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 130Volume 130 Book of Later Zhou 32: Biographies 10: Wang Jun, Murong Yanchao, Yan Honglu, Cui Zhoudu · 3 passages

Open chapter

清泰末，延朗誅，漢祖盡得延朗之資產仆從，而峻在籍中，從歷數鎮，常為典客。 Near the end of the Qingtai era Yanlang was put to death. The Han founder Liu Zhiyuan seized all his property and retainers; Jun was listed among them and followed him through several provincial postings, usually as protocol officer.

漢祖踐阼，授客省使，奉使荊南，留於襄、漢為監軍，入為內客省使。 When Liu Zhiyuan took the throne he made Jun commissioner of the guest bureau, then sent him on embassy to Jingnan. He was left behind as military supervisor at Xiangyang and Hanzhong, and later recalled to serve as inner commissioner of the guest bureau.

為兗州節度使，彥超即漢高祖之同產弟也。 He served as military governor of Yan Prefecture; Yanchao was a younger brother of the same mother as the Han founder Liu Zhiyuan.

History of Liao, Chapter 76Volume 76 Biographies 6: Yelu Jieli, Yelu Balide, Yelu Shuogu, Yelu Lubugu, Zhao Yanshou, Gao Mohan, Zhao Siwen, Yelu Oulisi, Zhang Li · 1 passage

Open chapter

師還，州郡往往叛，以應劉知遠，拔裏得不能守而歸。 After the army withdrew, prefectures and districts rose in revolt one after another to rally to Liu Zhiyuan; Balide could not hold the territory and came back.

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 10Volume 10 Later Jin Annals 1: Gaozu, Emperor Yin · 24 passages

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高祖睿文聖武昭肅孝皇帝，姓劉氏，初名知遠，其先沙陀部人也，其後世居於太原。 Gaozu, posthumous name the Sagely Literary, Sagely Military, Resplendent and Solemn, Filial Emperor, was of the Liu clan and originally named Zhiyuan. His forebears were Shatuo; his family later settled at Taiyuan.

知遠弱不好弄，嚴重寡言，面紫色，目多白睛，凜如也。 As a boy Zhiyuan shunned childish games. Grave and sparing of speech, with a purple cast to his face and prominent whites in his eyes, he had a chilling presence.

與晉高祖俱事明宗為偏將，明宗及梁人戰德勝，晉高祖馬甲斷，梁兵幾及，知遠以所乘馬授之，復取高祖馬殿而還，高祖德之。 He and Gaozu of Jin served Mingzong as subordinate commanders. At Desheng, Gaozu’s horse armor broke and Liang soldiers nearly reached him; Zhiyuan gave Gaozu his own mount, then took Gaozu’s horse and guarded the rear. Gaozu was grateful.

高祖留守北京，知遠為押衙。 When Gaozu held the Northern Capital, Zhiyuan was his chief adjutant.

潞王從珂反，愍帝出奔，高祖自鎮州朝京師，遇愍帝于衞州，止傳舍，知遠遣勇士石敢袖鐵槌侍高祖以虞變。 When Prince Congke of Lu rebelled and Mindi fled, Gaozu came from Zhenzhou toward the capital and met Mindi at Weizhou, where they stopped at the courier lodge. Zhiyuan sent the warrior Shi Gan to wait on Gaozu with an iron mallet hidden in his sleeve in case matters turned dangerous.

高祖與愍帝議事未決，左右欲兵之，知遠擁高祖入室，敢與左右格鬬而死，知遠即率兵盡殺愍帝左右，留帝傳舍而去。 When Gaozu and Mindi could not settle matters, the emperor’s attendants moved to seize Gaozu. Zhiyuan bundled Gaozu into an inner room. Shi Gan fought the attendants and died, and Zhiyuan then led troops in, killed all of Mindi’s attendants, left the emperor at the lodge, and went away.

廢帝入立，高祖復鎮河東，已而有隙，高祖將舉兵，知遠與桑維翰密為高祖謀畫，贊成之。 After the Deposed Emperor took the throne, Gaozu returned to Hedong. A rift soon opened; when Gaozu prepared to raise troops, Zhiyuan and Sang Weihan secretly planned for him and helped make the revolt happen.

高祖即位於太原，以知遠為侍衞親軍都虞候，領保義軍節度使。 When Gaozu proclaimed himself emperor at Taiyuan, he appointed Zhiyuan chief aide of the Palace Guard and military governor of Baoyi.