Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · Official

He Shangzhi 何尚之

Attested AD 420 - AD 479

Passages: 14
Chapters: 6
Histories: 2

Overview

The translated histories identify He Shangzhi as an official and statesman. This record brings together 14 passages from 6 chapters across 2 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	He Shangzhi	何尚之	He Shangzhi
Personal name	He Shangzhi	何尚之	Hé Shàngzhī
Personal	He Shangzhi	何尚之
Title	Secretariat Director	尚書令
Given name	Shangzhi	尚之	Shàngzhī

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Explicit · liangshu:037:s0087, songshu:055:s0087, songshu:058:s0139, songshu:089:s0002
Sex: male
Strongly inferred · songshu:071:s0110

Roles

Official
Statesman

Life and dates

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 元嘉十八年 · Reign Id: liu-song-yuanjia · Regnal Year: 18 · Western Year: AD 441
Explicit event contextual date · songshu:058:s0139
Source Date: Text: 元嘉二十八年 · Reign Id: liu-song-yuanjia · Regnal Year: 28 · Western Year: AD 451
Explicit event contextual date · songshu:071:s0107
Source Date: Text: 元嘉 · Western Interval: Start: AD 424 · End: AD 453
Explicit · songshu:055:s0087
Source Date: Text: 孝建元年 · Western Year: AD 454
Explicit event contextual date · songshu:089:s0014
Source Date: Text: 宋世 · Western Interval: Start: AD 420 · End: AD 479
Explicit event contextual date · liangshu:037:s0087

Career and standing

Label: Grand Master of Works / 司空 · Action: held
Explicit · liangshu:037:s0087
former Minister of Personnel / 前吏部尚書
Explicit · songshu:069:s0270
Vice Director of the Masters of Writing / 尚書僕射
Explicit · songshu:069:s0259
Vice Director / 僕射
Explicit · songshu:069:s0337

Places and affiliations

Polity Id: liu-song · Relation: served
Explicit · liangshu:037:s0087
Polity Id: liu-song · Relation: served
Strongly inferred · songshu:071:s0110

Works and attributed material

Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Other Person Id: Prince Yigong of Jiangxia (江夏王義恭)
Explicit · songshu:058:s0140

Source notes

Historicity: historical
Explicit · liangshu:037:s0087, songshu:071:s0110

References in the histories

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

Book of Liang, Chapter 37Volume 37: Xie Ju; He Jingrong · 1 passage

何氏自晉司空充、宋司空尚之，世奉佛法，並建立塔寺； From Jin’s Grand Master He Chong and Song’s Grand Master He Shangzhi, the He family served Buddhism and raised pagodas and temples;

Book of Song, Chapter 55Volume 55 Biographies 15: Zang Dao, Xu Guang, F Long · 1 passage

年少時與北地傅僧祐俱以通家子始為太祖所引見，時上與何尚之論鑄錢事，凝之便幹其語，上因回與論之。 In his youth he and Fu Shengyou of Beidi, both sons of allied families, were first presented to Emperor Taizu; when the emperor was discussing coinage with He Shangzhi, Ningzhi interjected, and the emperor turned to debate the matter with him.

Book of Song, Chapter 58Volume 58 Biographies 18: Wang Hui, Xie Hongwei, Wang Qiu · 2 passages

錄尚書江夏王義恭謂尚書何尚之曰：「當今乏才，群下宜加戮力，而王球放恣如此，恐宜以法糾之。」 Prince Yigong of Jiangxia, Overseer of the Masters of Writing, told Director He Shangzhi, "The court lacks talent and everyone should exert himself, yet Wang Qiu indulges himself like this—perhaps he ought to be called to account by law."

尚之曰：「球有素尚，加又多疾，應以淡退求之，未可以文案責也。」 He Shangzhi replied, "Qiu has always been a man of pure aims, and besides he is often ill; one should expect quiet withdrawal from him, not fault him on paperwork."

Book of Song, Chapter 69Volume 69 Biographies 29: Liu Zhan, Fan Ye · 5 passages

其夜，上使尚書僕射何尚之視之，問曰：「卿事何得至此？」 That night the Emperor had the Vice Director of the Masters of Writing, He Shangzhi, visit and question him: "How did your affair come to this?"

尚之曰：「卿自應解。」 He Shangzhi said: "You ought to know yourself."

又詰責前吏部尚書何尚之曰：「使孔熙先年將三十作散騎郎，那不作賊！」 He also sternly rebuked the former Minister of Personnel He Shangzhi: "Had you made Kong Xixian an Attendant Cavalier when he was nearly thirty, he would not have become a rebel!"

又語人：「寄語何僕射，天下決無佛鬼。 He also told others: "Send word to Vice Director He: there are absolutely no Buddhas or ghosts in this world.

「零藿虛燥」，比何尚之； "Zerumbet is hollow and dry" referred to He Shangzhi;

Book of Song, Chapter 71Volume 71 Biographies 31: Xu Zhan, Jiang Zhan, Wang Sengchao · 4 passages

時尚書令何尚之以湛之國戚，任遇隆重，欲以朝政推之。 Director He Shangzhi, seeing that Zhanzhi was an imperial kinsman in high favor, wished to turn court affairs over to him.

又以事歸尚之，互相推委。 He likewise held that affairs were Shangzhi's responsibility; the two pushed duty back and forth.

乃使湛之與尚之並受辭訴。 Zhanzhi and Shangzhi were then both ordered to handle petitions and suits.

尚之雖為令，而朝事悉歸湛之。 Though Shangzhi held the directorship, all court affairs passed to Zhanzhi.

Book of Song, Chapter 89Volume 89 Biographies 49: Yuan Can · 1 passage

尚書令何尚之奉法素謹，密以白世祖，世祖使御史中丞王謙之糾奏，並免官。 Secretariat Director He Shangzhi, who always observed the law strictly, secretly reported it to the emperor; the emperor had Imperial Censor Wang Qianzhi impeach them, and both were dismissed from office.