Qin and Han · Official

Sang Hongyang 桑弘羊

Sāng Hóngyáng

Died BC 80

Passages
24
Chapters
9
Histories
2

Overview

The translated histories identify Sang Hongyang as an administrator, official, rebel, and statesman. This record brings together 24 passages from 9 chapters across 2 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

TypeEnglishChinesePinyin
Personal Sang Hongyang 桑弘羊 Sāng Hóngyáng
Given Hongyang 弘羊
Personal Hongyang 弘羊 Hongyang
Title Imperial Secretary 御史大夫
Personal name Sang Hongyang 桑弘羊
Personal Sang Hongyang 桑弘羊 Sang Hongyang
Personal name Sang Hongyang 桑弘羊 Sāng Hóngyáng
Personal name Sang Hongyang 桑弘羊 Sang Hongyang
Personal Sang Hongyang 桑 Sang
Personal name 弘羊 Hongyang
Given 弘羊 Hongyang
Surname 桑 Sang

Identity

Historicity
Historical
Identification
Named
Sex
Male

Roles

  • Administrator
  • Official
  • Rebel
  • Statesman

Life and dates

Death

  • Manner: execution · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 元鳳元年九月 · Western Year: BC 80
    Explicit · hanshu:008:s0083
  • exterminated with his clan
    Explicit · hanshu:027:s0273
  • Manner: executed for plotting rebellion
    Explicit · hanshu:069:s0199

Age

Attested activity

  • Source Date: Text: 元鳳元年九月 · Western Year: BC 80
    Explicit event contextual date · hanshu:008:s0083
  • Source Date: Text: 元鼎五年至元封 · Western Interval: Start: BC 112 · End: BC 107
    Explicit event contextual date · hanshu:055:s0056, hanshu:055:s0059
  • Source Date: Text: 元鼎至太初 · Western Year: BC 112
    Explicit event contextual date · shiji:103:s0062
  • Source Date: Text: 御史大夫桑弘羊 · Western Year: BC 80
    Explicit · hanshu:069:s0199
  • Source Date: Text: 昭帝初 · Western Interval: Start: BC 87 · End: BC 74
    Explicit event contextual date · hanshu:085:s0003
  • Source Date: Text: 漢興六十餘載 · Western Interval: Start: BC 141 · End: BC 87
    Explicit event contextual date · hanshu:068:s0254, hanshu:068:s0257, hanshu:068:s0258

Origins and identity

Career and standing

Places and affiliations

Events and relationships

Assessments and attributes

  • Assessment: planning transport / logistical calculation (運籌) · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
    Explicit · hanshu:068:s0258

References in the histories

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

Book of Han, Chapter 8Volume 7: Annals of Emperor Zhao · 2 passages
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冬十月，詔曰：「左將軍安陽侯桀、票騎將軍桑樂侯安、御史大夫弘羊皆數以邪枉干輔政，大將軍不聽， 而懷怨望，與燕王通謀，置驛往來相約結。 In the tenth month of winter, an edict stated: 'Left General Marquis Jie of Anyang, Flying Cavalry General Marquis An of Sang Le, and Imperial Secretary Hongyang all repeatedly interfered in the auxiliary government with crooked and perverse actions. The Grand General would not listen, so they harbored resentment and communicated with King Yan in plotting, establishing post stations for coming and going and mutually agreeing to join together.
Book of Han, Chapter 27Volume 24b: Treatise on Trade 2 · 13 passages
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弘羊以諸官各自市相爭，物以故騰躍，而天下賦輸或不償其僦費，乃請置大農部丞數十人，分部主郡國，各往往置均輸鹽鐵官，令遠方各以其物如異時商賈所轉 Hongyang argued that because offices purchased goods on their own and competed with one another, prices soared, and tax deliveries from the realm sometimes failed even to cover transport costs. He therefore requested dozens of assistant directors under the Grand Minister, divided by region to oversee commanderies and kingdoms, and in many places to establish balanced-transport and salt-and-iron offices, so distant areas could use local products as merchants formerly did when transporting goods
Book of Han, Chapter 55Volume 46: The Lords of Wan, Wei, Zhi, Zhou and Zhang · 1 passage
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Book of Han, Chapter 68Volume 58: Gongsun Hong, Bu Shi and Er Kuan · 2 passages
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漢之得人，於茲為盛，儒雅則公孫弘、董仲舒、兒寬，篤行則石建、石慶，質直則汲黯、卜式，推賢則韓安國、鄭當時，定令則趙禹、張湯，文章則司馬遷、相如，滑稽則東方朔、枚皋，應對則嚴助、硃買臣，歷數則唐都、洛下閎，協律則李延年，運籌則桑弘羊，奉使則張騫、蘇武，將率則衛青、霍去病，受遺則霍光、金日磾，其餘不可勝紀。 Never did the dynasty gather talent so thickly: Hong, Dong, and Kuan for classical breadth; the Shi brothers for steadfast service; Ji An and Bu Shi for blunt loyalty; Han Anguo and Zheng Dangshi for lifting others; Zhao Yu and Zhang Tang for codifying law; Sima Qian and Xiangru for voice; jesters Dongfang Shuo and Mei Gao; debaters Yan Zhu and Zhu Maichen; calendar-makers Tang Du and Luoxia Hong; the harmonist Li Yan'nian; the reckoner Sang Hongyang; envoys Zhang Qian and Su Wu; blades Wei Qing and Huo Qubing; regents Huo Guang and Jin Midi—and a cloud of names besides.
Book of Han, Chapter 69Volume 59: Zhang Tang · 1 passage
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會左將軍上官桀父子及御史大夫桑弘羊皆與燕王、蓋主謀反誅，光以朝無舊臣，白用安世為右將軍光祿勳，以自副焉。 When Left General Shangguan Jie and his son, together with Grand Minister of Finance Sang Hongyang, were executed for plotting with the King of Yan and the Princess of Gai, Huo Guang—finding the court bereft of senior ministers—recommended Anshi as general of the right and superintendent of the masters of writing to serve as his deputy.
Book of Han, Chapter 70Volume 60: Du Zhou · 2 passages
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Book of Han, Chapter 85Volume 74: Wei Xiang and Bing Ji · 1 passage
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Book of Han, Chapter 117Volume 100a: Afterword and Family History 1 · 1 passage
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Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 103Biographies of Wan Shi and Zhang Shu · 1 passage
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公家用少，桑弘羊等致利，王溫舒之屬峻法，兒寬等推文學至九卿，更進用事，事不關決於丞相，丞相醇謹而已。 The state coffers were running low. Sang Hongyang and his like raised revenue, Wang Wenshu and his sort enforced harsh laws, and Er Kuan and others advanced through scholarship to the rank of the Nine Ministers. Those who handled affairs were the ones promoted, and decisions were no longer referred to the Chancellor. The Chancellor was simply upright and cautious, nothing more.