A source-linked biographical index

People in Chinese History

Follow rulers, generals, officials, scholars, writers, rebels, and families through the passages that preserve their lives.

People
72
Source histories
1
Chapters indexed
16

This growing index currently covers 16 of 4,099 chapters. Person records and cross-book identifications will continue to expand as the remaining chapters are reviewed.

Browse by period

Move through the dynasties

Dates reflect the period in which each person is most strongly attested, not the date of a later retrospective mention.

Ancient ChinaBefore 221 BC1Three Kingdoms and Six DynastiesAD 221-58936Dates uncertainUnplaced in time35

A place to begin

Most mentioned in the translated histories

These people have the most indexed source passages. The ordering reflects the surviving text, not a judgment of historical importance.

  1. Sima Yu 司馬遹 c. AD 278 - AD 300 Crown Prince Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · 74 passages
  2. Empress Jia 賈后 Died AD 300 Empress; persecutor of Sima Yu Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · 31 passages
  3. Emperor Hui 惠帝 Attested AD 290 - AD 301 Emperor of Western Jin Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · 22 passages
  4. Emperor Wu 武帝 Dates uncertain Emperor of Western Jin Dates uncertain · 9 passages
  5. Sima Bin 司馬虨 Died AD 300 Eldest son of Sima Yu Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · 9 passages
  6. Sima Lun 司馬倫 Attested AD 300 Prince of Zhao; usurper Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · 8 passages
  7. Sima Zang 司馬臧 First attested AD 300; died AD 301 Second son of Sima Yu; imperial grandson-heir Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · 7 passages
  8. Chen Wu 陳舞 Attested AD 300 Palace maid Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · 6 passages
  9. Jia Mi 賈謐 Dates uncertain Favorite of Empress Jia Dates uncertain · 5 passages
  10. Lady Xie 謝才人 Died AD 300 Consort; mother of Sima Yu Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · 5 passages
  11. Sima Shang 司馬尚 First attested AD 300; died AD 302 Third son of Sima Yu; imperial grandson-heir Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · 4 passages
  12. Sun Lü 孫慮 Died AD 300 Yellow Gate; murderer of Sima Yu Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · 4 passages

Browse by role

Courts, armies, schools, and temples

Explore how the histories describe what people did and the worlds they inhabited.

Official29Royal Family Member17Family Member11Attendant7Aristocrat6Statesman6Consort5Ruler5Named Individual4General3Military Officer3Writer3Courtier2Eunuch2Maid2Scholar2
Show all 23 roles
Assassin1Judge1Physician1Poet1Strategist1Teacher1Warlord1

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Enter through a history

See every indexed person who appears in a particular dynastic history or related chronicle.

Book of Jin晉書72

Complete directory

Browse A-Z

Every person page is linked through this directory, including records with uncertain dates or sparse evidence.