Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · Founder and first emperor of Liu Song

Song Gaozu 宋高祖

c. AD 363 - AD 422

Passages
53
Chapters
10
Histories
3

Overview

Song Gaozu was a Founder and first emperor of Liu Song.

IdentityHistorical · Male

Other names

TypeEnglishChinesePinyin
Personal name Liu Yu 劉裕 Liu Yu
Posthumous name Emperor Wu of Liu Song 宋武帝 Sòng Wǔdì
Temple name Founding Emperor of Song 宋祖

Life and dates

Death

Age

Attested activity

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Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

  • Kinship Role daughters · Count 2 · 諸主 princesses married out; (plural; exact count unstated)
    Directly stated · Book of Song 3, passage 201
  • Kinship Role sons · Count 2 · 諸子 morning greetings; (plural; exact count unstated)
    Directly stated · Book of Song 3, passage 205

Key source chapters

  1. Book of Song, Chapter 4 Volume 4 Annals 4: Emperor Shao 8 passages
  2. Book of Song, Chapter 3 Volume 3 Annals 3: Emperor Wu 3 7 passages
  3. Book of Song, Chapter 56 Volume 56 Biographies 16: Xie Zhan, Kong Linzhi 7 passages
  4. Book of Wei, Chapter 30 Volume 25: Zhang Sunsong, Zhangsun Daosheng 7 passages
  5. Book of Song, Chapter 69 Volume 69 Biographies 29: Liu Zhan, Fan Ye 6 passages

Career and standing

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Places and affiliations

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Works and attributed material

Events and relationships

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Assessments and attributes

Source notes

References in the histories

53 passages

Book of Liang, Chapter 20Volume 20: Liu Lijian; Chen Bozhi · 1 passage
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Book of Song, Chapter 3Volume 3 Annals 3: Emperor Wu 3 · 7 passages
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Book of Song, Chapter 4Volume 4 Annals 4: Emperor Shao · 8 passages
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Book of Song, Chapter 56Volume 56 Biographies 16: Xie Zhan, Kong Linzhi · 7 passages
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Book of Song, Chapter 58Volume 58 Biographies 18: Wang Hui, Xie Hongwei, Wang Qiu · 5 passages
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Book of Song, Chapter 69Volume 69 Biographies 29: Liu Zhan, Fan Ye · 6 passages
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高祖領鎮西將軍、荊州刺史，以湛為功曹，仍補治中別駕從事史，復為太尉參軍，世子征虜西中郎主簿。 When Gaozu served as General Who Pacifies the West and Governor of Jing Province, he appointed Zhan Merit Officer, then Headquarters Attending Clerk and Separate-Chariot Attending Clerk. Zhan later served again as Staff Officer to the Grand Commandant and as Registrar to the heir apparent in his commands as General Who Conquers the Caitiffs and Western Center-Rank Commandant.
高祖相國掾，彭城王義康冠軍參軍，隨府轉右軍參軍，入補尚書外兵郎，出為荊州別駕從事史。 He served as Staff Member to Emperor Gaozu when the latter was Chancellor of State, then as Staff Officer to Prince of Pengcheng Yikang, General Who Conquers Champions; he transferred with the prince's staff to Staff Officer to the General of the Right, entered court as Outer Troops Gentleman of the Masters of Writing, and was sent out as Separate-Chariot Attending Clerk of Jing Province.
彭城王體自高祖，聖明在躬，德格天地，勳溢區宇，世路威夷，勿用南服，龍潛鳳棲，於茲六稔，蒼生饑德，億兆渴化，豈唯東征有《鴟鴞》之歌，陝西有勿翦之思哉！ Prince of Pengcheng springs from Gaozu's line; sagely brilliance resides in him, his virtue reaches heaven and earth, and his merit fills the realm. Through the world's vicissitudes he has gone unused in the southern lands, hidden like a dragon and roosting like a phoenix for six years. The people hunger for his virtue and the millions thirst for his rule. Is it only in the east that they sing the 'Owl,' or west of the passes that they cherish the memory of the tree that must not be cut?
Book of Song, Chapter 71Volume 71 Biographies 31: Xu Zhan, Jiang Zhan, Wang Sengchao · 6 passages
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Book of Song, Chapter 73Volume 73 Biographies 33: Yan Yanzhi · 5 passages
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義熙十二年，高祖北伐，有宋公之授，府遣一使慶殊命，參起居，延之與同府王參軍俱奉使至洛陽，道中作詩二首，文辭藻麗，為謝晦、傅亮所賞。 In the twelfth year of Yixi (416), when the Founder Liu Yu campaigned north and received the title Duke of Song, the staff sent an envoy to mark the exceptional honor and attend court. Yanzhi and a fellow retainer named Wang went together to Luoyang; en route they wrote two poems whose diction was rich and polished, winning the praise of Xie Hui and Fu Liang.
Book of Song, Chapter 96Volume 96 Biographies 56: Xianbei and Tuyuhun Peoples · 1 passage
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Book of Wei, Chapter 30Volume 25: Zhang Sunsong, Zhangsun Daosheng · 7 passages
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