Qin and Han · Royal Family Member

Liu Wu 劉武

Liú Wǔ

Died BC 144

Passages
68
Chapters
13
Histories
4

Overview

The translated histories identify Liu Wu as an aristocrat, royal family member, and ruler. This record brings together 68 passages from 13 chapters across 4 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

TypeEnglishChinesePinyin
Personal Liu Wu 劉武 Liú Wǔ
Title King Liang 梁王
Title King of Dai 代王 Dài wáng
Title King of Dai 代王 Dai wang
Title King of Liang 梁王
Title King of Liang 梁王 Liang Wang
Title King of Liang 梁王 Liáng Wáng
Posthumous name King Xiao 孝王
Posthumous King Xiao 孝王 Xiaowang
Title King Xiao 孝王
Title King Xiao 孝王 Xiaowang
Posthumous name King Xiao 孝王 Xiàowáng
Title King Xiao 孝王 Xiao Wang
Title King Xiao 孝王 Xiàowáng
Title King Xiao of Liang 梁孝王 Liang Xiaowang
Title King Xiao of Liang 梁孝王
Posthumous name King Xiao of Liang 梁孝王
Title King Xiao of Liang 梁孝王 Liang Xiao Wang
Title King Xiao of Liang 梁孝王 Liáng Xiàowáng
Title King Xiao Wu of Liang 梁孝王武 Liang Xiaowang Wu
Title Prince Xiao of Liang 梁孝王
Posthumous Prince Xiao of Liang 梁孝王 Liang Xiaowang
Personal Wu 武 Wǔ
Personal Wu 武 Wu
Given Wu 武 Wu
Title Your Majesty 大王

Identity

Historicity
Historical
Identification
Named
Sex
Male

Roles

  • Aristocrat
  • Royal Family Member
  • Ruler

Life and dates

Death

  • Date Context: Source Date: Text: 六月中，病熱，六日薨 · Western Year: BC 144 · Cause: fever / 病熱
    Explicit · hanshu:056:s0058
  • Date Context: Source Date: Text: 中六年四月 · Western Year: BC 144
    Explicit · shiji:011:s0079
  • Date Context: Source Date: Text: 中六年夏四月 · Western Year: BC 144
    Explicit · hanshu:006:s0129
  • Date Context: Source Date: Text: 六年 · Western Year: BC 151
    Textual variant · shiji:011:s0046
  • Expression: died / 薨 · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 會梁孝王薨 · Western Year: BC 144
    Explicit · hanshu:066:s0008
  • Manner: died / 卒
    Explicit · shiji:108:s0060

Attested activity

  • Source Date: Text: 梁孝王 · Qualitative: Han-dynasty historical figure cited only as a rhetorical precedent, not dated within this chapter · Western Interval: Start: BC 184 · End: BC 144
    Explicit · beiqishu:014:s0068
  • Source Date: Text: Western Han Emperor Wen era · Western Interval: Start: BC 180 · End: BC 157
    Strongly inferred · liaoshi:109:s0020
  • Source Date: Text: 三十五年冬 · Western Year: BC 144
    Explicit event contextual date · hanshu:056:s0054
  • Source Date: Text: 中六年四月 · Western Year: BC 144
    Explicit · shiji:011:s0079, shiji:011:s0080
  • Source Date: Text: 中六年夏四月 · Western Year: BC 144
    Explicit · hanshu:006:s0129
  • Source Date: Text: 二十九年十月 · Western Year: BC 150
    Explicit event contextual date · hanshu:056:s0028
  • Source Date: Text: 二十二年，文帝崩 · Western Year: BC 157
    Explicit event contextual date · hanshu:056:s0009
  • Source Date: Text: 六年 · Western Year: BC 151
    Explicit · shiji:011:s0046
  • Source Date: Text: 六月中，病熱，六日薨 · Western Year: BC 144
    Explicit event contextual date · hanshu:056:s0058
  • Source Date: Text: 其春，七國反 · Western Year: BC 154
    Explicit event contextual date · hanshu:056:s0016
  • Source Date: Text: 吳楚反時 · Western Year: BC 154
    Explicit event contextual date · shiji:108:s0004
  • Source Date: Text: 孝文二年 · Western Year: BC 178
    Explicit event contextual date · hanshu:056:s0003
  • Source Date: Text: 孝景三年 · Western Year: BC 154
    Explicit event contextual date · shiji:057:s0175
  • Source Date: Text: 書奏梁孝王，孝王使人出之 · Western Interval: Start: BC 154 · End: BC 144
    Explicit · shiji:083:s0235
  • Source Date: Text: 會梁孝王薨 · Western Year: BC 144
    Explicit · hanshu:066:s0008
  • Source Date: Text: 梁孝王…景帝 · Western Interval: Start: BC 157 · End: BC 144
    Explicit · hanshu:046:s0119
  • Source Date: Text: 梁孝王使人殺故吳相袁盎 · Western Year: BC 148
    Explicit · shiji:104:s0039
  • Source Date: Text: 梁孝王來朝 · Western Interval: Start: BC 157 · End: BC 144
    Explicit event contextual date · hanshu:066:s0007
  • Source Date: Text: 梁孝王時 · Western Interval: Start: BC 154 · End: BC 144
    Explicit · shiji:083:s0153, shiji:083:s0154

Family

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

  • Ancestor of Yin (音)
    Kinship Term: remote descendant / 玄孫之曾孫 · Generation Distance: 7
  • Child of Emperor Wen (孝文皇帝)
    Kinship Term: begot / 生 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son
  • Sibling of Liu Yi (劉揖)
    Kinship Term: brothers / 兄弟 · Shared Parentage: paternal-half · Subject Relative Age: elder
  • Sibling of Liu Can (代孝王參)
    Kinship Term: brothers / 兄弟 · Shared Parentage: paternal-half
  • Child of Empress Dowager (太后)
    Kinship Term: empress dowager / 太后 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: mother · Object Role: son
  • Child of Father of King Xiao of Liang
    Kinship Term: father / 父 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: son · Object Role: father
  • Child of Lady Dou (竇氏)
    Kinship Term: gave birth to / 生 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: mother · Object Role: son
    Kinship Term: youngest son / 少子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: son · Object Role: mother
  • Parent of Liu Mai (買)
    Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son
    Kinship Term: King Gong succeeded / 共王即位 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: son · Object Role: father
  • Sibling of Emperor Xiaojing (孝景皇帝)
    Kinship Term: King Xiao of Liang / 梁孝王 · Shared Parentage: paternal-half
    Kinship Term: King Xiao of Liang / 梁孝王 · Shared Parentage: paternal-half
  • Child of Empress Dowager (太后)
    Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: son · Object Role: mother
    Kinship Term: mother / 母 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: mother · Object Role: son
  • Spouse of Queen of Liang (梁王后)
    Kinship Term: queen / 王后 · Union Category: primary-marriage
  • Sibling of Emperor Jing (孝景帝)
    Kinship Term: same mother / 同母 · Shared Parentage: maternal-half · Subject Relative Age: elder
  • Parent of Liu Pengli (彭離)
    Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological
    Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son
    Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological
  • Parent of Liu Bushi (不識)
    Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son
    Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological
    Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological
  • Parent of Liu Ding (定)
    Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son
  • Parent of Liu Ming (明)
    Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son
    Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological
    Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological
  • Parent of Liu Ding (定)
    Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological
    Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological
  • Sibling of Emperor Jing (景帝)
    Kinship Term: younger brother by the same mother / 母弟 · Shared Parentage: full · Subject Relative Age: younger · Line: maternal

Career and standing

  • Title: King of Dai / 代王 · Action: enfeoffed · Start Date: Source Date: Text: 孝文二年 · Western Year: BC 178
    Explicit · hanshu:056:s0003, hanshu:056:s0004
  • Title: King of Liang / 梁王 · Action: transferred · Start Date: Source Date: Text: 十二年 · Western Year: BC 167
    Explicit · hanshu:056:s0004, hanshu:056:s0083
  • Title: King of Huaiyang / 淮陽王 · Action: transferred · Start Date: Source Date: Text: 四年 · Western Year: BC 175
    Explicit · hanshu:056:s0004
  • Title En: King of Dai · Title Zh: 代王
    Explicit · hanshu:005:s0107
  • Title: King of Liang / 梁王 · Action: held
    Explicit · shiji:011:s0046
  • Title: King Xiao of Liang / 梁孝王 · Action: held
    Explicit · shiji:083:s0235
  • Status: death-sentence-intent · Action: ordered · Other Person Id: Zou Yang (鄒陽) · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 梁孝王時 · Western Interval: Start: BC 154 · End: BC 144
    Explicit · shiji:083:s0154

Places and affiliations

Events and relationships

Assessments and attributes

  • Assessment: relied on kinship without satiety · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
    Explicit · hanshu:056:s0181
  • Item: bin-vessel worth a thousand gold / 膑尊 · Relation: possessed
    Explicit · hanshu:056:s0190

Source notes

  • Field: death-date · Statement: death recorded in year 6 and again as King Xiao of Liang in middle year 6
    Explicit · shiji:011:s0046, shiji:011:s0079
  • Historicity: historical
    Explicit · shiji:083:s0235
  • Statement: historical figure of the Han dynasty invoked as a rhetorical precedent
    Explicit · beiqishu:014:s0068
  • Statement: cited by Yuanhai as a precedent for a prince who, fearing execution, entered the passes to submit to the throne
    Explicit · beiqishu:014:s0068

References in the histories

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

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 14Volume 14 Biographies 6: Guangping Gongcheng; Yangzhou Gong Yongle; Di Zhangbi; Prince of Xiangle, Xiang Guo; Prince of Shangluo, Si Zong; Zi Yuanhai; Di Sihao; Prince of Pingqin, Guiyan; Prince Pu of Wuxing; Changle, Governor of Lingshan; Sizi Fuhu · 1 passage
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因說梁孝王懼誅入關事，請乘數騎入晉陽，先見太后求哀，後見主上，請去兵權，以死為限，求不干朝政，必保太山之安。 He then spoke of Prince Xiao of Liang, who fearing execution entered the passes, and proposed that with a few horsemen he enter Jinyang, first see the Empress Dowager and beg mercy, then see the sovereign and request removal of military authority, taking death as his limit and seeking not to interfere in court governance — he would surely preserve the security of Mount Tai.
Book of Han, Chapter 5Volume 4: Annals of Emperor Wen · 1 passage
Open chapter
Book of Han, Chapter 6Volume 5: Annals of Emperor Jing · 1 passage
Open chapter
Book of Han, Chapter 44Volume 35: Princes of Jing, Yan and Wu · 1 passage
Open chapter
Book of Han, Chapter 46Volume 37: Ji Bu, Luan Bu and Tian Shu · 2 passages
Open chapter
Book of Han, Chapter 56Volume 47: The Three Sons of Emperor Wen · 29 passages
Open chapter
Book of Han, Chapter 66Volume 57a: Sima Xiangru · 2 passages
Open chapter
會景帝不好辭賦，是時梁孝王來朝，從遊說之士齊人鄒陽、淮陰枚乘、吳嚴忌夫子之徒，相如見而說之，因病免，客遊梁，得與諸侯游士居，數歲，乃著《子虛之賦》。 Emperor Jing had little taste for fu rhapsody. Just then King Xiao of Liang was at court with a retinue of persuader-scholars—Zou Yang of Qi, Mei Sheng of Huaiyin, Master Yan Ji of Wu, and others. Sima Xiangru took to their company, pleaded illness, left his post, and went to Liang as a client. For several years he lived among the itinerant literati at the feudal courts, and there he wrote his “Sir Vacuity.”
History of Liao, Chapter 109Volume 109 Biographies 39: Music and Imperial Officials · 1 passage
Open chapter
Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 11Annals of the Xiaojing Emperor · 3 passages
Open chapter
Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 57House of Zhou Bo, Marquis of Jiang · 2 passages
Open chapter
Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 83Biographies of Lu Zhonglian and Zou Yang · 7 passages
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Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 104Biography of Tian Shu · 2 passages
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Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 108Biography of Han Changru · 16 passages
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梁王念太后、帝在中，而諸侯擾亂，一言泣數行下，跪送臣等六人，將兵擊卻吳楚，吳楚以故兵不敢西，而卒破亡，梁王之力也。 The King of Liang, mindful that the Empress Dowager and the Emperor stood at the center while the feudal lords threw the realm into chaos, wept with every word he spoke, tears streaming down his face. He knelt and sent off six of us as generals, who led troops to drive back Wu and Chu. Because of this, the armies of Wu and Chu dared not advance westward and were ultimately destroyed—all through the efforts of the King of Liang.
梁王父兄皆帝王，所見者大，故出稱蹕，入言警，車旗皆帝所賜也，即欲以侘鄙縣，驅馳國中，以夸諸侯，令天下盡知太后、帝愛之也。 The King of Liang's father and brothers were all emperors, so naturally his vision is grand. When he goes abroad he calls for the roads to be cleared, and when he returns he commands the imperial alert—but his carriages and banners were all bestowed upon him by the Emperor himself. He merely wished to display them through the humble counties and ride throughout his kingdom, to impress the feudal lords and let all under heaven know that the Empress Dowager and the Emperor loved him.