Five Dynasties · Ruler

Jin Founder 晉高祖

Attested AD 933 - AD 938

Passages: 11
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Jin Founder was a ruler.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Posthumous name	Great Jin Emperor	大晉皇帝

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 938 天福三年
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passage 115
AD 936 清泰三年
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passage 106
AD 933 長興末
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passage 105

Career and standing

Emperor of Later Jin 大晉皇帝
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passage 108
military governor of Hedong and northern barbarian-Han commander 河東節度使兼北面蕃漢總管
AD 933 長興末 · Appointed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passage 105
Heroic Martial Enlightened Righteous Emperor 英武明義皇帝
AD 938 天福三年 · Received
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passage 116
Son Emperor 兒皇帝
AD 938 會同元年 · Used
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passage 117
AD 936 清泰三年
Summary Enthroned by Deguang as Great Jin Emperor after the Jinyang victory.
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passage 108

Places and affiliations

Later Jin 晉
Relation Ruled
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passage 108

Events and relationships

Begged troops
AD 936 清泰三年 · Diplomatic · Supplicant · With Yelü Deguang (德光) · Summary Besieged by Zhang Jingda, sent He Fu with a memorial begging Khitan troops and offering to become a vassal.
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passage 106
Invested titles
AD 938 天福三年 · Diplomatic · Sender · With Feng Dao (馮道), Liu Gou (劉句)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passage 115
Sent thanks
AD 936 清泰三年 · Diplomatic · Sender · With Zhao Ying (趙瑩) · Summary Entered Luoyang and sent Chancellor Zhao Ying to thank the Khitan.
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passage 114

Assessments and attributes

Assessment courted the Khitan with extreme deference throughout his reign, almost no rupture · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passages 118, 120

References in the histories

Search passages

History

11 passages

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 137Volume 137: Foreign States Biographies 1: Khitan · 11 passages

長興末，契丹迫雲州，明宗命晉高祖為河東節度使兼北面蕃漢總管。 Late in Changxing the Khitan pressed Yunzhou. Mingzong appointed the future Jin founder military governor of Hedong and commander of all northern barbarian and Han forces.

清泰三年，晉高祖為張敬達等攻圍甚急，遣指揮使何福賫表乞師，願為臣子。 In Qingtai 3 the Jin founder was besieged by Zhang Jingda and others. He sent Commander He Fu with a petition begging for Khitan aid and offering to become their vassal.

德光白其母曰：「兒昨夢太原石郎發使到國，今果至矣，事符天意，必須赴之。」 Deguang told his mother, "I dreamed last night that Lord Stone of Taiyuan was sending envoys to us. They have come. Heaven wills this. I must go."

德光乃自率五萬騎由雁門至晉陽，即日大破敬達之眾於城下，尋冊晉高祖為大晉皇帝，約為父子之國，割幽州管內及新、武、雲、應、朔州之地以賂之，仍每歲許輸帛三十萬。 Deguang led fifty thousand horsemen through Yanmen to Jinyang and the same day routed Zhang Jingda beneath the walls. He then enthroned the Jin founder as emperor of Great Jin, pledged a father-and-son alliance, ceded the Sixteen Prefectures including Youzhou, Xin, Wu, Yun, Ying, and Shuo, and promised three hundred thousand bolts of silk each year.

時幽州趙德鈞屯兵於團柏谷，遣使至幕帳，求立己為帝，以石氏世襲太原，德光對使指帳前一石曰：「我已許石郎為父子之盟，石爛可改矣。」 Zhao Dejun of Youzhou was encamped at Tuanbai Valley and sent envoys offering to make him emperor if the Shi family kept Taiyuan in perpetuity. Deguang pointed at a stone before his tent and said, "I have sworn a father-and-son bond with Lord Stone. Only when stone rots may that bond change."

晉高祖南行，德光自送至潞州。 The Jin founder marched south, and Deguang escorted him as far as Luzhou.

晉高祖入洛，尋遣宰相趙瑩致謝於契丹。 The Jin founder entered Luoyang and soon sent Chancellor Zhao Ying to thank the Khitan court.

德光大悅，尋遣使奉晉高祖為英武明義皇帝。 Deguang was delighted and in return honored the Jin founder as Heroic Martial Enlightened Righteous Emperor.

是歲，契丹改天顯十一年為會同元年，以趙延壽為樞密使，升幽州為南京，以趙思溫為南京留守，既而德光請晉高祖不稱臣，不上表，來往緘題止用家人禮，但云「兒皇帝」，晉祖厚賫金帛以謝之。 That year the Khitan proclaimed the Huitong era, made Zhao Yanshou Grand Councilor, elevated Youzhou to Southern Capital with Zhao Siwen as regent, and persuaded the Jin court to drop the language of vassalage. Their letters used family terms only, calling the Jin ruler "Son Emperor." The Jin founder paid lavish gifts in gratitude.

晉祖奉契丹甚至，歲時問遺，慶吊之禮，必令優厚。 The Jin founder courted the Khitan with extreme deference. Seasonal gifts and rites of congratulation and mourning were always sent in lavish measure.

德光每有邀請，小不如意，則來譴責，晉祖每屈己以奉之，終晉祖世，略無釁隙。 If the slightest request went unmet, Deguang sent rebukes. The Jin founder always humbled himself to comply. Through his reign there was almost no open rupture.