Shao Xinchen (召信臣)

Overview

The translated histories identify Shao Xinchen as an administrator, named individual, and official. This record brings together 12 passages from 3 chapters across 2 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Shao Xinchen	召信臣	Shao Xinchen
Nickname	Father Shao	召父
Surname	Shao	召
Personal name	Shao Xinchen	召信臣	Shao Xinchen
Personal name	Shao Xinchen	召信臣	Shào Xìnchén
Courtesy name	Wengqing	翁卿	Wengqing
Given name	Xinchen	信臣
Given		信臣	Xinchen
Surname		召	Shao

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Explicit · hanshu:068:s0260, hanshu:101:s0022
Sex: male
Strongly inferred · jinshi:050:s0179

Roles

Administrator
Named Individual
Official

Life and dates

Death

Context: died of old age in office
Explicit · hanshu:101:s0221

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 元始四年 · Western Year: AD 4
Explicit · hanshu:101:s0222
Source Date: Text: 孝宣承統 · Western Interval: Start: BC 74 · End: BC 48
Explicit · hanshu:068:s0260
Source Date: Text: 漢召信臣 · Western Interval: Start: BC 48 · End: BC 33
Explicit · jinshi:050:s0179
Source Date: Text: 竟寧中 · Western Year: BC 33
Explicit · hanshu:101:s0218

Career and standing

Label: Privy Treasurer / 少府 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 竟寧中 · Western Year: BC 33
Explicit · hanshu:101:s0218
Label: Governor of Henan / 河南太守 · Action: appointed
Explicit · hanshu:101:s0217
Label: Governor of Nanyang / 南陽太守 · Action: appointed
Explicit · hanshu:101:s0206
Label: Magistrate of Guyang / 穀陽長 · Action: appointed
Explicit · hanshu:101:s0203
Label: called Father Shao / 召父 · Action: popular-title
Explicit · hanshu:101:s0215

Places and affiliations

Label: Western Han / 漢 · Relation: served
Explicit · hanshu:068:s0260, hanshu:101:s0202
Place: Shouchun in Jiujiang / 九江壽春
Explicit · hanshu:101:s0202
Place: Nanyang / 南陽 · Relation: active-at
Explicit · jinshi:050:s0179
Place: Nanyang / 南陽 · Relation: posted-to
Explicit · hanshu:101:s0206

Learning and skills

Credential: top-tier classics graduate / 明經甲科 · Action: earned
Explicit · hanshu:101:s0203

Events and relationships

Kind: infrastructure · Role: builder · Action: built-irrigation · Place: Nanyang / 南陽
Explicit · hanshu:101:s0209
Kind: agricultural · Role: official · Action: irrigated-30000-qing-at-nanyang · Place: Nanyang / 南陽
Explicit · jinshi:050:s0179
Kind: ritual · Role: honoree · Action: sacrificed-to · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 元始四年 · Western Year: AD 4
Explicit · hanshu:101:s0222

Assessments and attributes

Assessment: governed the people (治民) · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Explicit · hanshu:068:s0260
Assessment: had achievements recounted in their age · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Explicit · hanshu:068:s0260

References in the histories

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

Book of Han, Chapter 68Volume 58: Gongsun Hong, Bu Shi and Er Kuan · 1 passage

Open chapter

孝宣承統，纂修洪業，亦講論六藝，招選茂異，而蕭望之、梁丘賀、夏侯勝、韋玄成、嚴彭祖，尹更始以儒術進，劉向，王褒以文章顯，將相則張安世、趙充國、魏相、丙吉、於定國、杜延年，治民則黃霸、王成、龔遂、鄭弘、召信臣、韓延壽、尹翁歸、趙廣漢、嚴延年、張敞之屬，皆有功跡見述於世。 Emperor Xuan inherited the succession and carried forward the great enterprise. He too expounded the Six Arts and recruited outstanding men. Xiao Wangzhi, Liangqiu He, Xiahou Sheng, Wei Xuancheng, Yan Pengzu, and Yin Gengshi advanced through Confucian learning; Liu Xiang and Wang Bao gained distinction for their writing; among the generals and chancellors were Zhang Anshi, Zhao Chongguo, Wei Xiang, Bing Ji, Yu Dingguo, and Du Yannian; and among those who governed the people were Huang Ba, Wang Cheng, Gong Sui, Zheng Hong, Shao Xinchen, Han Yanshou, Yin Wengui, Zhao Guanghan, Yan Yannian, Zhang Chang, and others. All left achievements celebrated in their age.

Book of Han, Chapter 101Volume 89: Upright Officials · 10 passages

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王成、黃霸、朱邑、龔遂、鄭弘、召信臣等，所居民富，所去見思，生有榮號，死見奉祀，此廩廩庶幾德讓君子之遺風矣。 Wang Cheng, Huang Ba, Zhu Yi, Gong Sui, Zheng Hong, Shao Xinchen, and their peers left districts wealthier than they found them and were mourned when they left. Honored in life and worshipped after death, they came closest to the old ideal of the gentleman who leads by deference and virtue.

召信臣字翁卿，九江壽春人也。 Shao Xinchen, courtesy name Wengqing, was a native of Shouchun in Jiujiang Commandery.

信臣為人勤力有方略，好為民興利，務在富之。 Shao Xinchen was tireless and resourceful; he loved creating prosperity for the people and made their wealth his chief aim.

信臣為民作均水約束，刻石立於田畔，以防分爭。 He drafted fair rules for sharing irrigation water and had them cut in stone at the field edge to forestall disputes.

吏民親愛信臣，號之曰召父。 Officials and commoners cherished him and called him "Father Shao."

荊州刺史奏信臣為百姓興利，郡以殷富，賜黃金四十斤。 The regional inspector of Jingzhou reported how Shao Xinchen had enriched the people until the commandery thrived; the court rewarded him with forty catties of gold.

信臣以為此皆不時之物，有傷於人，不宜以奉供養，乃它非法食物，悉奏罷，省費歲數千萬。 Shao Xinchen held that out-of-season produce harmed health and should not provision the palace; he memorialized to end those practices and other irregular delicacies, saving tens of millions each year.

信臣年老以官卒。 He died of old age in office.

元始四年，詔書祀百辟卿士有益於民者，蜀郡以文翁，九江以召父應詔書。 An edict in Yuanshi 4 ordered sacrifices to former ministers who had served the people; Shu Commandery nominated Wen Weng and Jiujiang nominated Father Shao.

歲時郡二千石率官屬行禮，奉祠信臣塚，而南陽亦為立祠。 Each season the governor led his staff in rites at Shao Xinchen's tomb; Nanyang likewise maintained a shrine in his honor.

History of Jin, Chapter 50Volume 50 Treatises 31: Finance and Economics 5: Monopoly Markets, State Purchase of Grain, Rice Fields, Agricultural Land Administration, Buying of Titles or Pardons With Grain and Selling of Ordination Certificates · 1 passage

Open chapter

省奏：「漢召信臣於南陽灌溉三萬頃。 The Department memorialized, "In the Han, Shao Xinchen irrigated 30,000 qing at Nanyang.