Five Dynasties · Ruler

Ma Yin 馬殷

c. AD 852 - AD 930

Passages: 16
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Ma Yin was a ruler.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Posthumous name	Wumu	武穆

Life and dates

Death

Date Source Date: Text: 長興元年 · Western Year: AD 930 · Age Value: 79 · Reckoning: Sui
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 66, passage 203

Attested activity

AD 927 天成二年
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 66, passage 199
AD 930 長興元年
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 66, passage 203

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Descendant of Ma Zheng (馬正)
grandfather 祖 · paternal line · 2 generations
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 66, passage 202
Descendant of Ma Jun (馬筠)
great-grandfather 曾祖 · paternal line · 3 generations
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 66, passage 202
Child of Ma Yuanfeng (馬元豐)
father 父
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 66, passage 202
Parent of Ma Xisheng (馬希聲)
second son 次子
father 父
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 66, passages 201, 205
Parent of Ma Xifan (馬希範)
fourth son 第四子
father 父
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 66, passage 76
Spouse of Lady Yuan (袁夫人)
Lady 夫人 · Marriage
Strongly inferred · New History of the Five Dynasties 66, passage 77
Parent of Ma Xizhen (馬希振)
son 子
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 66, passage 201
Sibling of Ma Cong (馬賨)
younger brother 弟
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 66, passage 201

Kinship Role sons · Quantity more than ten
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 66, passage 77

Career and standing

King of Chu 楚國王
Enfeoffed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 66, passage 200

References in the histories

Search passages

History

16 passages

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 66Volume 66: Hereditary House of Chu · 16 passages

明宗封殷楚國王，有司言無封國王禮，請如三公用竹冊，乃遣尚書右丞李序持節以竹冊封之。 Mingzong enfeoffed Yin as King of Chu. The responsible offices said no rite existed for enfeoffing a territorial king and asked that the Three Dukes' bamboo-register ceremony be followed. Mingzong then sent Vice Director of the Secretariat Li Xu with credentials and a bamboo register to invest him.

殷以潭州為長沙府，建國承制，自置官屬，以其弟賨為靜江軍節度使，子希振武順軍節度使，次子希聲判內外諸軍事，姚彥章為左相，許德勳為右相，李鐸為司徒，崔穎為司空，拓拔常為僕射，馬珙為尚書，文武皆進位。 Yin made Tanzhou the capital as Changsha Prefecture, declared a state, and assumed imperial authority. He appointed his own officials: younger brother Cong as Jingjiang commissioner; son Xizhen as Wushun commissioner; second son Xisheng to oversee military affairs; Yao Yanzhang as left chancellor and Xu Dexun as right chancellor; Li Duo as Minister of Education, Cui Ying as Minister of Works, Tuoba Chang as Vice Director, and Ma Gong as Director of the Secretariat. Civil and military officials all received promotions.

長興元年，殷卒，年七十九，詔曰「馬殷官爵俱高，無以為贈，謚曰武穆」而已。 In the first year of Changxing (930), Yin died at seventy-nine. The court issued only this edict: "Ma Yin's offices and titles are already so exalted that no further gifts can be granted; his posthumous title is Wumu."

希聲字若訥，殷次子也。 Xisheng, styled Ruone, was Yin's second son.

殷建國，以希聲判內外諸軍事。 When Yin founded the state, he put Xisheng in charge of military affairs.

荊南高季昌聞殷將高郁素教殷以計策而楚以彊，患之，嘗使諜者行間於殷，殷不聽。 Gao Jichang of Jingnan heard that Yin's general Gao Yu had long advised him with stratagems that made Chu strong and was alarmed. He once sent agents to sow discord, but Yin paid no heed.

希聲聞之，矯殷令殺郁。 Hearing this, Xisheng forged an order in Yin's name and had Yu killed.

殷老不復省事，莫知郁死，是日大霧四塞，殷怪之，語左右曰：「吾嘗從孫儒，儒每殺不辜，天必大霧，豈馬步獄有冤死乎？」 Yin was old and no longer managed affairs and did not know Yu was dead. That day fog closed in on every side. Yin found it strange and told his attendants: "When I followed Sun Ru, every wrongful killing brought thick fog. Are there innocent men dying in the cavalry and infantry prisons?"

明日，吏以狀白，殷拊膺大哭曰：「吾荒耄如此，而殺吾勳舊！」 The next day an official reported what had happened. Yin beat his breast and wept: "I have grown so feeble, yet I killed a meritorious old companion!"

明年殷薨。 The following year Yin died.

葬殷上潢，希聲不哭泣，頓食雞肉數器而起。 At Yin's burial at Shanghuang, Xisheng did not weep but devoured several platters of chicken and then stood up.

希範字寶規，殷第四子也。 Ma Xifan, styled Baogui, was Yin's fourth son.

殷子十餘人，嫡子希振長而賢，其次希聲與希範同日生，而希聲母袁夫人有美色，希聲以母寵得立，而希振棄官為道士，居於家。 Yin had more than a dozen sons. The legitimate heir Xizhen was eldest and capable. Xisheng and Xifan were born the same day, but because Xisheng's mother, Lady Yuan, was beautiful, he won the throne through her favor, while Xizhen resigned his posts, became a Daoist, and lived at home.

希聲卒，而希範以次立，襲殷官爵，封楚王。 After Xisheng's death, Xifan succeeded in birth order, took over Yin's offices and titles, and was enfeoffed as King of Chu.

天福四年，加希範天冊上將軍，開府承制如殷故事。 In the fourth year of Tianfu (939) he was named Celestial-Registry Grand General and allowed to open a government with imperial commission, following his father's precedent.

希範好學，善詩，文士廖光圖、徐仲雅、李臯、拓拔常等十八人皆故殷時學士，希範性奢侈，光圖等皆薄徒，飲博歡呼，獨常沈厚長者，上書切諫，光圖等惡之。 Xifan loved learning and wrote poetry well. Eighteen scholars including Liao Guangtu, Xu Zhongya, Li Gao, and Tuoba Chang had served as academicians under Yin. Xifan was extravagant; most of them were idle roisterers who drank and gambled. Only Tuoba Chang, a sober elder, sent a blunt memorial of remonstrance, which the others resented.