Qin and Han · Father of Liu Bang

Taishang Huang 太上皇

Attested BC 202 - BC 181

Passages: 20
Chapters: 5
Histories: 3

Overview

Taishang Huang was a Father of Liu Bang.

Life and dates

Death

十年秋七月癸卯
Directly stated · Book of Han 2, passage 203

Attested activity

BC 181 昭靈夫人，太上皇妃也
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 4, passage 100
BC 202 漢初
Directly stated · Book of Han 82, passages 146, 156, 159
BC 201 高祖為帝，封昆弟
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 50, passages 6-7

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Spouse of Lady Zhaoling (昭靈夫人)
consort 妃 · Secondary marriage
Directly stated · Book of Han 4, passage 100
Parent of Liu Bang (劉邦)
father 父
Retired Emperor 太上皇
Sources vary in certainty · Book of Han 82, passage 156; Records of the Grand Historian 50, passage 7; Book of Han 4, passages 100-101
Parent of Bo (伯)
Retired Emperor 太上皇
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 50, passage 7
Parent of Liu Jiao (劉交)
Retired Emperor 太上皇
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 50, passage 7
Parent of Liu Xi (劉喜)
Retired Emperor 太上皇
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 50, passage 7
Parent of Emperor Gaozu of Han (漢高)
son 子
Directly stated · History of Song 110, passage 89

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Exalted Supreme Emperor 太上皇
Held
Directly stated · Book of Han 82, passages 146, 156

Places and affiliations

Polity Han · Relation Noble of
Directly stated · Book of Han 82, passage 146

Events and relationships

Type father-of · Person Local Id Liu Bang (劉邦)
Directly stated · Book of Han 2, passage 138

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 50, passage 7
尊太公曰太上皇
Directly stated · Book of Han 2, passage 149

References in the histories

Search passages

History

20 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 2Volume 1: Annals of Emperor Gaozu 2 · 14 passages

上歸櫟陽，五日一朝太公。 The emperor returned to Queyang. He visited the Duke of Tai every five days.

太公家令說太公曰：「天亡二日，土亡二王。 The Duke of Tai's household steward advised the Duke of Tai: "Heaven has no two suns, earth has no two kings.

太公雖父，人臣也。 The Duke of Tai is father, but is a subject.

後上朝，太公擁彗，迎門卻行。 Later when the emperor came to court, the Duke of Tai held a broom and went backwards to meet him at the gate.

上大驚，下扶太公。 The emperor was greatly shocked and got down to support the Duke of Tai.

太公曰：「帝，人主，奈何以我亂天下法！」 The Duke of Tai said: "The emperor is the ruler of men. How can you disorder the world's laws for my sake!"

前日天下大亂，兵革並起，萬民苦殃，朕親被堅執銳，自帥士卒，犯危難，平暴亂，立諸侯，偃兵息民，天下大安，此皆太公之教訓也。 Previously the world was in great disorder, weapons and armor rose together, and the people suffered calamity. I personally wore armor and grasped sharp weapons, personally led the officers and soldiers, faced danger and difficulty, pacified violent disorder, established the feudal lords, laid down arms and gave the people rest, and brought great peace to the world. This is all due to the teaching and instruction of the Taigong.

諸王、通侯、將軍、群卿、大夫已尊朕為皇帝，而太公未有號。 The various kings, noble marquises, generals, ministers, and grandees have honored me as emperor, but the Duke of Tai has no title.

今上尊太公曰太上皇。」 Now I honor the Duke of Tai as Taishang Huang."

上奉玉卮為太上皇壽，曰：「始大人常以臣亡賴，不能治產業，不如仲力。 The emperor raised a jade goblet to toast the Taishang Huang, saying: "At first, Father often said that I was worthless and could not manage property, unlike my elder brother Zhong in ability.

秋七月癸卯，太上皇崩，葬萬年。 In the seventh month of autumn on the day guimao, the Taishang Huang passed away and was buried at Wannian.

八月，令諸侯王皆立太上皇廟于國都。 In the eighth month, he commanded all feudal lords to establish Taishang Huang temples in their capitals.

已下，皇太子群臣皆反至太上皇廟。 After descending, the imperial crown prince and ministers all returned to the Taishang Huang temple.

豐公，蓋太上皇父。 Lord of Feng — that is, the father of the Grand Emperor Father.

Book of Han, Chapter 4Volume 3: Annals of Empress Lü Zhi · 1 passage

夏五月辛未，詔曰：「昭靈夫人，太上皇妃也； In summer, on the xin-wei day of the fifth month, an edict declared: "Lady Zhaoling was consort of the Supreme Emperor;

Book of Han, Chapter 82Volume 71: Jun, Shu, Yu, Xue, Ping and Peng · 3 passages

自元帝時，韋玄成為丞相，奏罷太上皇寢廟園，當上書言：「臣聞孔子曰：『如有王者，必世而後仁。』 Under Emperor Yuan, Chancellor Wei Xuancheng had persuaded the throne to close the shrine park of the Exalted Supreme Emperor. Ping Dang memorialized: "Confucius said, 'Give a true king one generation and benevolence will appear.'

高皇帝聖德受命，有天下，尊太上皇，猶周文、武之追王太王、王季也。 The High Emperor received heaven's mandate and ruled the world; he honored his father as Exalted Supreme Emperor just as Kings Wen and Wu of Zhou posthumously ennobled King Tai and Wang Ji.

上納其言，下詔復太上皇寢廟園。 The emperor accepted the argument and ordered the shrine park of the Exalted Supreme Emperor restored.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 50House of Prince Yuan of Chu · 1 passage

太上皇以為言，高祖曰：「某非忘封之也，為其母不長者耳。」 The Retired Emperor raised the matter, and Gaozu replied, "It is not that I forgot to grant him a fief—it is because his mother was no woman of virtue."

History of Song, Chapter 110Volume 110 Treatises 63: Rites 13 · 1 passage

於是禮部、太常寺言：“《漢書》高皇帝五日一朝太上皇，乞依此故事，每五日一次詣德壽宮朝見，如宮中禮。” The Ministry of Rites and the Temple of Rites then reported: "The 《Book of Han》 records that Emperor Gaozu of Han attended the Supreme Emperor once every five days. We request following this precedent and visiting Deshou Palace once every five days, using inner-palace ceremony."