Sang Weihan (桑維翰)

Overview

The translated histories identify Sang Weihan as an administrator, diplomat, military officer, and official. This record brings together 54 passages from 7 chapters across 2 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Sang Weihan	桑維翰	Sāng Wéihàn
Title	Duke of Wei	魏国公	Wei guo gong
Courtesy name	Guoqiao	国侨	Guoqiao
Title	Military Governor of Xiangzhou	相州節度使
Surname	Sang	桑	Sang
Personal name	Sang Weihan	桑維翰	Sāng Wéihàn
Personal name	Sang Weihan	桑維翰	Sang Weihan
Personal	Sang Weihan	桑維翰	Sang Weihan
Personal name	Sang Weihan	桑维翰	Sang Weihan
Personal name	Weihan	維翰
Given	Weihan	維翰	Weihan
Given	Weihan	维翰	Weihan

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:096:s0013, xinwudaishi:029:s0002
Sex: male
Strongly inferred · jiuwudaishi:147:s0124, xinwudaishi:009:s0180
Value: male
Explicit · xinwudaishi:008:s0030

Roles

Administrator
Diplomat
Military Officer
Official
Statesman
Warlord

Life and dates

Death

Cause: strangled / 缢杀 · Manner: killed by Zhang Yanzhe under imperial hint, reported as suicide / 彦泽使人缢杀，告自缢 · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 契丹犯京师 · Western Year: AD 946
Explicit · xinwudaishi:029:s0049, xinwudaishi:029:s0038
Manner: killed · Killer Person Id: Zhang Yanzhe (張彥澤) · Place: capital / 京師 · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 壬申 · Western Year: AD 947
Explicit · xinwudaishi:009:s0180
Manner: murdered · Place: Kaifeng / 開封
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:085:s0070

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 三年十二月壬申 · Western Year: AD 947
Explicit event contextual date · xinwudaishi:009:s0180
Source Date: Text: 天福七年 · Western Year: AD 942
Explicit · xinwudaishi:029:s0019
Source Date: Text: 天福中 · Western Interval: Start: AD 936 · End: AD 944
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:096:s0015
Source Date: Text: 天福五年九月 · Western Year: AD 940
Explicit event contextual date · xinwudaishi:029:s0025, xinwudaishi:029:s0026
Source Date: Text: 天福元年 · Western Year: AD 936
Explicit event contextual date · xinwudaishi:008:s0030, xinwudaishi:008:s0038, xinwudaishi:008:s0039
Source Date: Text: 天福四年 · Western Year: AD 939
Explicit · xinwudaishi:029:s0014
Source Date: Text: 天福四年九月 · Western Year: AD 939
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:147:s0123, jiuwudaishi:147:s0124
Source Date: Text: 天福四年罷 · Western Year: AD 939
Explicit event contextual date · xinwudaishi:008:s0122
Source Date: Text: 契丹犯京师 · Western Year: AD 946
Explicit event contextual date · xinwudaishi:029:s0037, xinwudaishi:029:s0049
Source Date: Text: 密為高祖謀畫 · Western Year: AD 936
Explicit event contextual date · xinwudaishi:010:s0146
Source Date: Text: 晉昌軍節度使桑維翰為侍中。 · Western Year: AD 943
Explicit event contextual date · xinwudaishi:009:s0046
Source Date: Text: 開運三年十二月甲戌 · Western Year: AD 946
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:085:s0070
Source Date: Text: 高祖即位 · Western Year: AD 936
Explicit event contextual date · xinwudaishi:029:s0009

Family

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

Child of Sang Gong (桑珙)
Kinship Term: father / 父 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: son · Object Role: father
Kinship Term: father / 父 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son

Career and standing

Label: chief secretary at Heyang / 河阳节度掌书记
Explicit · xinwudaishi:029:s0009
Label: military governor of Xiangzhou / 相州节度使 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 天福四年 · Western Year: AD 939
Explicit · xinwudaishi:029:s0014
Label: chief councillor of Military Affairs / 枢密使 · Action: appointed
Explicit · xinwudaishi:029:s0013, xinwudaishi:029:s0022
Label: co-grand councilor / 同中書門下平章事 · Action: appointed
Explicit · xinwudaishi:008:s0039
Label: director of Military Affairs Bureau business / 知樞密使事 · Action: appointed
Explicit · xinwudaishi:008:s0038
Label: director of the Bureau of Military Affairs / 知枢密院事 · Action: appointed
Explicit · xinwudaishi:029:s0013
Label: Director of the Secretariat and Bureau commissioner / 中書令充樞密使 · Action: appointed · Start Date: Source Date: Text: 開運元年六月丁未 · Western Year: AD 944
Explicit · xinwudaishi:009:s0108
Label: Grand Secretary / 中书令 · Action: appointed
Explicit · xinwudaishi:029:s0022
Label: Hanlin academician / 翰林学士 · Action: appointed
Explicit · xinwudaishi:029:s0013
Label: Hanlin academician / 翰林學士 · Action: appointed
Explicit · xinwudaishi:008:s0038
Label: Palace Attendant / 侍中 · Action: appointed
Explicit · xinwudaishi:029:s0020
Label: Palace Secretary / 侍中 · Action: appointed
Explicit · xinwudaishi:009:s0046
Label: vice director of the Secretariat / 中書侍郎 · Action: appointed
Explicit · xinwudaishi:008:s0039
Label: Vice Grand Councillor and co-signer / 中书侍郎、同中书门下平章事 · Action: appointed
Explicit · xinwudaishi:029:s0013
Label: vice minister of rites / 尚書禮部侍郎 · Action: appointed
Explicit · xinwudaishi:008:s0038
Label: Vice Minister of Rites / 礼部侍郎 · Action: appointed
Explicit · xinwudaishi:029:s0013
Label: commissioner of military affairs / 樞密使 · Action: concurrent appointment
Explicit · xinwudaishi:008:s0039
Label: mayor of Kaifeng / 开封尹 · Action: demoted
Explicit · xinwudaishi:029:s0031
Label: court office · Action: dismissed
Explicit · xinwudaishi:008:s0122
Label: chief minister / 相位 · Action: held · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 天福中 · Western Interval: Start: AD 936 · End: AD 944
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:096:s0015
Label: metropolitan magistrate of Kaifeng / 開封尹 · Action: held
Explicit · xinwudaishi:009:s0180
Label: Military Governor of Xiangzhou / 相州節度使 · Action: held
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:147:s0124
Label: military governor of Jinchang / 晋昌 · Action: transferred · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 天福七年 · Western Year: AD 942
Explicit · xinwudaishi:029:s0019
Label: military governor of Taining / 泰宁 · Action: transferred
Explicit · xinwudaishi:029:s0014
Title: Duke of Wei / 魏国公 · Action: enfeoffed
Explicit · xinwudaishi:029:s0022
Status: dismissed · Action: left-office · Start Date: Source Date: Text: 開運二年十二月丁亥 · Western Year: AD 945
Explicit · xinwudaishi:009:s0157
Status: bribery-enriched · Action: received
Explicit · xinwudaishi:029:s0027

Places and affiliations

Label: Later Jin / 晉 · Relation: served
Strongly inferred · jiuwudaishi:147:s0124
Label: Later Jin / 晉 · Relation: served
Explicit · xinwudaishi:009:s0180
Polity: Later Jin / 晋 · Relation: served
Explicit · xinwudaishi:029:s0009, xinwudaishi:029:s0013
Place: Henan / 河南
Explicit · xinwudaishi:029:s0002
Place: Henan / 河南 · Relation: native-of
Explicit · xinwudaishi:029:s0002
Place: Kaifeng / 開封 · Relation: posted-to
Explicit · xinwudaishi:009:s0180
Place: Xiangzhou / 相州 · Relation: posted-to
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:147:s0124

Learning and skills

Credential: Presented Scholar / 进士 · Action: earned
Explicit · xinwudaishi:029:s0008

Works and attributed material

Work: Rising Sun over the Mulberry / 日出扶桑赋 · Relation: author
Explicit · xinwudaishi:029:s0006
Kind: memorial · Role: author · Other Person Id: Gaozu of Jin (晉高祖)
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:096:s0016
Kind: memorial · Role: author
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:147:s0124, xinwudaishi:029:s0017
Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Quote: true
Explicit · xinwudaishi:029:s0003
Kind: speech · Role: speaker
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:085:s0138, jiuwudaishi:085:s0141, jiuwudaishi:085:s0142

Events and relationships

Kind: political · Role: victim · Action: killed · Other Person Id: Zhang Yanzhe (張彥澤) · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 壬申 · Western Year: AD 947
Explicit · xinwudaishi:009:s0180
Kind: diplomatic · Role: envoy · Action: persuaded · Other Person Id: Yaogu (堯骨)
Explicit · xinwudaishi:029:s0012
Kind: administrative · Role: memorialist · Action: queried-confiscation-precedent
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:147:s0124
Kind: political · Role: advisor · Action: urged-rebellion-aid · Other Person Id: Gaozu of Jin (晉高祖)
Explicit · xinwudaishi:029:s0010
Relation: endorsed-rebellion-plan-of · Person Id: Gaozu of Jin (晉高祖)
Explicit · xinwudaishi:008:s0030

Assessments and attributes

Assessment: chief architect of Jin’s founding through Khitan aid · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Explicit · xinwudaishi:029:s0012, xinwudaishi:029:s0100
Kind: physical-description · Statement: short and homely
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:096:s0014
Kind: physical-description · Statement: short-bodied, long-faced, ugly and strange
Explicit · xinwudaishi:029:s0003
Item: iron inkstone / 铁砚 · Relation: made
Explicit · xinwudaishi:029:s0007

Source notes

Historicity: historical
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:147:s0124

References in the histories

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

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 85Volume 85 Book of Later Jin 11: Emperor Shao 4 · 4 passages

Open chapter

是夜，開封尹桑維翰、宣徽使孟承誨皆遇害。 That night Sang Weihan, prefect of Kaifeng, and Meng Chenghui, commissioner of the Palace Secretariat, were murdered.

〈（《遼史》云：以張彥澤擅徙重貴開封，殺桑維翰，縱兵大掠，不道，斬於市。）〉 (The History of Liao says Zhang Yanzhe was beheaded in the market for moving Chonggui to Kaifeng on his own authority, killing Sang Weihan, and letting his troops loot the city.)〉

時桑維翰罷相，為開封府尹，謂僚佐曰：「事急矣，非大臣鉗口之時。」 Sang Weihan had left the chancellorship and was prefect of Kaifeng; he told his staff, "The crisis is acute; this is no time for ministers to hold their tongues."

維翰退而嘆曰：「國家阽危如此，草澤逋客亦宜下問，況大臣求見而不召耶！ Weihan withdrew sighing, "The state stands on the brink of ruin; even a fugitive in the wilds ought to be consulted—how much less should a minister be refused when he begs an audience!

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 96Volume 96 Book of Later Jin 22: Biographies 11: Kong Chongbi, Chen Baoji, Wang Yu, Zhang Jizuo, Zhen Ruan, Hu Rao, Liu Suiqing, Fang Gao, Meng Chenghui, Liu Jixun, Zheng Shouyi, Cheng Xun, Li Yu, Zheng Xuansu, Ma Zhongji, Chen Xuan · 5 passages

Open chapter

初，桑維翰登第之歲，保極時在秦王幕下，因戲謂同輩曰：「近知今歲有三個半人及第。」 When Sang Weihan took his degree, Baoji was still on the prince of Qin's staff. He joked to his colleagues, "I've just heard that three and a half men passed the examination this year."

蓋其年收四人，保極以維翰短陋，故謂之半人也。 Four candidates had in fact passed that year, but because Weihan was short and plain-looking, Baoji counted him as only half a man.

天福中，維翰既居相位，保極時在曹郎，慮除官差跌，心不自安，乃乞假南遊，將謀退跡。 In the Tianfu era, once Weihan had become chief minister, Baoji was serving as a bureau secretary. Fearful of being demoted, he grew uneasy and asked leave to travel south, planning to retire from office.

既而襄、鄧長吏以行止入奏，維翰乃奏於高祖曰：「保極閩人，多狡，恐逃入淮海。」 Soon the senior officials of Xiang and Deng reported his movements to court. Weihan then told Gaozu, "Baoji is a Fujian man and notoriously cunning; I fear he may flee to the Huaihai region."

及敗，宰臣桑維翰以父珙早事齊王，奏欲雪之，高祖不允， After the defeat, chief minister Sang Weihan—whose father Gong had long served the prince of Qi—memorialized to clear the family's name, but Gaozu refused,

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 147Volume 147: Treatises 9 Punishment and Law · 1 passage

Open chapter

四年九月，相州節度使桑維翰奏：「管內所獲賊人，從來籍沒財產，雲是鄴都舊例，格律未見明文。」 In the ninth month of the fourth year, Military Governor Sang Weihan of Xiangzhou reported: "Thieves captured in my jurisdiction have always had their property confiscated, said to be an old precedent of the Yedu capital, but no explicit provision appears in the statutes and regulations."

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 8Volume 8 Later Jin Annals 1: Gaozu · 4 passages

Open chapter

桑維翰、劉知遠等共以為然。 Sang Weihan, Liu Zhiyuan, and the others agreed.