Qin and Han · Ruler

Wang Mang 王莽

Attested AD 1 - AD 23

Passages: 17
Chapters: 2
Histories: 2

Overview

Wang Mang was a ruler.

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 9 to AD 23 不急莽、卓之誅
Dated from the passage context · Book of Liang 6, passage 166
AD 1 to AD 5 元始中
Directly stated · Book of Han 104, passage 144
AD 9 to AD 23 及王莽時
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 104, passage 29
AD 9 to AD 23 王莽
Directly stated · Book of Han 104, passages 250, 269
AD 9 to AD 23 王莽在位
Directly stated · Book of Han 104, passage 183
AD 6 to AD 8 王莽居攝
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 104, passage 291

Show 4 more source-backed claims

AD 23 王莽敗
Directly stated · Book of Han 104, passage 211
AD 23 王莽末
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 104, passages 275-276
AD 9 王莽篡位
Directly stated · Book of Han 104, passage 152
AD 6 to AD 8 莽居攝
Directly stated · Book of Han 104, passage 149

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Parent of Wang Yu (王宇)
eldest son 長子
Directly stated · Book of Han 104, passage 144

Key source chapters

Book of Han, Chapter 104 Volume 92: Youxias 16 passages
Book of Liang, Chapter 6 Volume 6: Emperor Jing 1 passage

Career and standing

Lord of Anhan 安漢公
AD 1 to AD 5 元始中 · Held
Directly stated · Book of Han 104, passage 144
Held
AD 1 to AD 5 元始中 · Monopolized government
Directly stated · Book of Han 104, passage 144
Held
AD 6 to AD 8 莽居攝 · Regent
Directly stated · Book of Han 104, passage 149
Usurped throne
AD 9 王莽篡位
Directly stated · Book of Han 104, passage 152

Places and affiliations

Polity Western Han 西漢 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Han 104, passage 144
Polity Xin 新 · Relation Ruled
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 104, passage 29
Polity Xin 新 · Relation Ruled
Directly stated · Book of Han 104, passages 152, 183, 211, 275, 291
Polity Xin 新 · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 104, passage 250

Events and relationships

Cited as usurper analogue whom Yuan should have punished urgently
Political · Exemplar · Mode historical-example Speaker Wei Zheng (魏徵)
Directly stated · Book of Liang 6, passage 166
Extirpated fierce knights and sought by name
AD 6 to AD 8 王莽居攝 · Purge · Authority · With Cao Zhongshu (漕中叔)
Directly stated · Book of Han 104, passage 291
Fell from power
AD 23 王莽敗 · Political · Ruler
Directly stated · Book of Han 104, passage 211
Raised Chen Zun to Henan governor
Political · Patron · With Chen Zun (陳遵)
Directly stated · Book of Han 104, passage 183
Summoned rebuked pardoned and appointed
Legal · Authority · With Yuan She (原涉)
Directly stated · Book of Han 104, passage 276
Suspected and questioned about hiding
Investigation · Authority · With Sun Jian (孫建)
Directly stated · Book of Han 104, passage 292

Show 1 more source-backed claim

Relation Valued · Person Sun Jian (孫建)
Directly stated · Book of Han 104, passage 294

Assessments and attributes

Assessment had always marveled at Chen Zun's talent · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Han 104, passage 183
Assessment ruthless and intolerant, yet valued Sun Jian and dropped the probe · With Sun Jian (孫建) · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Han 104, passage 294

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Book of Han 104, passages 144, 275

References in the histories

Search passages

History

17 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 104Volume 92: Youxias · 16 passages

及王莽時，諸公之間陳遵為雄，閭里之俠原涉為魁。 By Wang Mang's day Chen Zun lorded it among the great ministers, while Yuan She ruled the back-alley swordsmen.

元始中，王莽為安漢公，專政，莽長子宇與妻兄呂寬謀以血塗莽第門，欲懼莽令歸政。 In the Yuan shi years Wang Mang ruled as Lord of Anhan while his heir Wang Yu and brother-in-law Lü Kuan smeared blood on the mansion gate hoping to scare him into yielding power.

發覺，莽大怒，殺宇，而呂寬亡。 The plot surfaced; Mang executed his own son while Lü Kuan ran.

莽大喜，徵護入為前煇光，封息鄉侯，列於九卿。 Wang Mang was delighted, recalled Lou Hu to govern Qianhuiguang Commandery, enfeoffed him as Marquis of Xixiang, and ranked him among the Nine Ministers.

莽居攝，槐里大賊趙朋、霍鴻等群起，延入前煇光界，護坐免為庶人。 During Mang's regency, the Huaili rebels Zhao Peng and Huo Hong rose in force and spread into Qianhuiguang Commandery; Lou Hu was held responsible, dismissed, and reduced to commoner status.

至王莽篡位，以舊恩召見護，封為樓舊裡附城。 When Wang Mang seized the throne he remembered old ties, summoned Lou Hu, and enfeoffed him as a minor attached-city noble at Loujiuli.

王莽素奇遵材，在位多稱譽者，由是起為河南太守。 Wang Mang admired his gifts; enough officials sang his praise that he was named governor of Henan.

及王莽敗，二人俱客於池陽，竦為賊兵所殺。 When Wang Mang fell they fled to Chiyang, where bandits cut down Zhang Song.

王莽數收系欲殺，輒復赦出之。 Wang Mang jailed him again and again, then pardoned him every time.

尹公如其計，莽果以為真令。 Yin followed the advice; Wang Mang gave him the full prefecture.

王莽末，東方兵起，諸王子弟多薦涉能得士死，可用。 Late in Wang Mang's reign eastern rebels rose; princelings urged hiring Yuan She for his suicide squads.

莽乃召見，責以罪惡，赦貰，拜鎮戎大尹天水太守。 Wang Mang summoned him, rebuked him for his crimes, then pardoned him and appointed him grand administrator of Zhenrong, Wang Mang's name for Tianshui Commandery.

時莽州牧使者依附涉者皆得活。 At the time, all of Wang Mang's provincial governors and envoys who attached themselves to Yuan She were spared.

王莽居懾，誅鋤豪俠，名捕漕中叔，不能得。 Wang Mang's purge named Cao Zhongshu, who vanished.

素善強弩將軍孫建，莽疑建藏匿，泛以問建。 He was tight with General Sun Jian; Wang Mang suspected Jian of hiding him and pressed the general.

莽性果賊，無所容忍，然重建，不竟問，遂不得也。 Wang Mang was vicious but prized Sun Jian, dropped the probe, and never caught Cao.

Book of Liang, Chapter 6Volume 6: Emperor Jing · 1 passage

不急莽、卓之誅，先行昆弟之戮。 He did not urgently punish Wang Mang and Zhuo—first he slaughtered his brothers.