Tian Chang (田常) | 24 Histories

Overview

The translated histories identify Tian Chang as an aristocrat, clan leader, official, and rebel. This record brings together 4 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	Tian Chang	田常	Tian Chang
Personal name	Chang	常
Given name	Chang	常	Cháng
Surname	Tian	田	Tián
Personal name	Tian Chang	田常	Tián Cháng
Personal name	Tian Chang	田常	Tian Chang

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Explicit · shiji:064:s0046

Roles

Aristocrat
Clan Leader
Official
Rebel

Life and dates

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 其後及田常殺簡公 · Western Year: BC 481
Explicit · shiji:064:s0046
Source Date: Text: 田常 · Western Year: BC 481
Explicit · shiji:083:s0204

Family

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

Ancestor of King Wei of Qi (齊威王)
Kinship Term: great-grandson / 曾孫 · Generation Distance: 3 · Line: paternal
Kinship Term: great-grandson / 曾孫 · Generation Distance: 3 · Line: paternal
Parent of Child of Tian Chang
Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: child · Line: paternal
Parentage: biological · Subject Role: child · Object Role: parent · Line: paternal

Career and standing

Label: killed Lord Jian / 殺簡公 · Action: committed · Other Person Id: Lord Jian of Qi (齊簡公)
Explicit · shiji:064:s0046

Places and affiliations

Polity: Qi / 齊 · Relation: associated-with
Explicit · shiji:064:s0046
Organization: Tian clan / 田氏 · Relation: member-of
Explicit · shiji:064:s0046

Events and relationships

Kind: political · Role: perpetrator · Action: exterminated the lineages of Gaozi and Guozi · Other Person Id: Gaozi (高子)
Explicit · shiji:064:s0046
Kind: political · Role: perpetrator · Action: killed Lord Jian · Other Person Id: Lord Jian of Qi (齊簡公)
Explicit · shiji:064:s0046

References in the histories

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

Book of Han, Chapter 75Volume 64b: Yan, Zhu, Wuqiu, Zhufu, Xu, Yan, Zhong, Wang, and Jia 2 · 1 passage

Open chapter

田常篡齊，六卿分晉，並為戰國，此民之始苦也。 Tian Chang seized Qi, six noble clans carved up Jin, and the age of the Warring States began—the first great wave of misery for the common people.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 64Biography of Sima Rangju · 2 passages

Open chapter

其後及田常殺簡公，盡滅高子、國子之族。 Later, when Tian Chang killed Lord Jian, he exterminated the lineages of Gaozi and Guozi completely.

至常曾孫和，因自立為齊威王，用兵行威，大放穰苴之法，而諸侯朝齊。 By the time of Tian Chang's great-grandson He, he thereupon established himself as King Wei of Qi. He employed troops and exercised authority, greatly promulgated Rangju's methods, and the feudal lords came to court Qi.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 83Biographies of Lu Zhonglian and Zou Yang · 1 passage

Open chapter

是以聖王覺寤，捐子之之心，而能不說於田常之賢； This is why the sage kings, upon awakening, cast aside partiality toward their own kin and refused to be swayed by the schemes of a Tian Chang.