Song, Liao, and Jin · Statesman and Official

Sima Guang 司馬光

Attested AD 1086

Passages: 4
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Sima Guang was a statesman and Official.

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 1086 宣仁后臨朝，用司馬光、呂公著
Directly stated · History of Song 339, passages 62, 69, 76, 363

Places and affiliations

Polity Song 宋 · Relation Served
Directly stated · History of Song 339, passage 363

Events and relationships

Refused advice
Political · Rejector · With Su Zhe (蘇轍)
Directly stated · History of Song 339, passage 76
Sought to change examinations
Educational · Reformer
Directly stated · History of Song 339, passage 69
Sought to restore corvee
Administrative · Reformer
Directly stated · History of Song 339, passage 62

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · History of Song 339, passage 363

References in the histories

History of Song, Chapter 339Volume 339 Biographies 98: Su Zhezu and Grandson: Yuanlao · 4 passages

宣仁后臨朝，用司馬光、呂公著，欲革弊事，而舊相蔡確、韓縝、樞密使章惇皆在位，窺伺得失，轍皆論去之。 When Empress Dowager Xuanren held court, she employed Sima Guang and Lü Gongzhu to reform abuses, but former chief counselors Cai Que and Han Zhen and Military Affairs Commissioner Zhang Dun remained in office, watching for openings—Zhe memorialized to remove them all.

司馬光以王安石雇役之害，欲復差役，不知其害相半於雇役。 Sima Guang, seeing the harm of Wang Anshi's hired-labor tax, wished to restore corvée labor but did not see that corvée brought harms half as grave again.

光又以安石私設《詩》、《書新義》考試天下士，欲改科舉，別為新格。 Guang also wished to change the examinations because Anshi had imposed his private new interpretations of the Odes and Documents on candidates nationwide.

光皆不能從。 Guang could not accept any of this.