Wang Tan (王檀) | 24 Histories

Overview

The translated histories identify Wang Tan as an aristocrat, general, and official. This record brings together 16 passages from 5 chapters across 2 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Wang Tan	王檀	Wang Tan
Posthumous	Loyal and Resolute	忠毅
Title	Prince of Langya	琅琊郡王
Personal name	Wang Tan	王檀	Wang Tan
Personal	Wang Tan	王檀	Wáng Tán
Courtesy	Zhongmei	眾美	Zhòngměi

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Strongly inferred · jiuwudaishi:007:s0007, jiuwudaishi:065:s0042, xinwudaishi:044:s0070
Sex: male
Explicit · xinwudaishi:002:s0079, xinwudaishi:023:s0076

Roles

Aristocrat
General
Official

Life and dates

Death

Manner: killed in a mutiny by his own tent troops · Age: 58
Explicit · xinwudaishi:023:s0088

Age

Age: 58 · Reckoning: source-stated at death
Explicit · xinwudaishi:023:s0088

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: AD 917-919 · Western Year: AD 917
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:065:s0042
Source Date: Text: from the Baixiang campaign through Zhenming 1 · Western Interval: Start: AD 911 · End: AD 915
Explicit event contextual date · xinwudaishi:023:s0084, xinwudaishi:023:s0086
Source Date: Text: 乾化二年 · Western Year: AD 912
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:007:s0007
Source Date: Text: 开平三年 · Western Year: AD 909
Explicit event contextual date · xinwudaishi:002:s0079
Source Date: Text: 貞明元年 · Western Year: AD 915
Explicit · xinwudaishi:044:s0070

Career and standing

Label: co-equal grand councilor / 同中書門下平章事 · Action: added-for-merit
Explicit · xinwudaishi:023:s0084
Label: Baoyi military governor / eastern Lu campaign commander / 保义军节度使潞州东面行营招讨使 · Action: appointed
Explicit · xinwudaishi:002:s0079
Label: military governor of Baoyi / 保義軍節度使 · Action: appointed
Explicit · xinwudaishi:023:s0083
Label: pacification commissioner northeast of Lu / 潞州東北面招討使 · Action: appointed
Explicit · xinwudaishi:023:s0083
Label: prefect of Mi / 密州刺史 · Action: appointed
Explicit · xinwudaishi:023:s0082
Label: Baoyi Military Commissioner / 保義節度使 · Action: held
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:007:s0007
Label: chief adjutant of Chong Mountain / 沖山都虞候 · Action: promoted
Explicit · xinwudaishi:023:s0080
Label: deputy commander of the scout corps / 踏白副指揮使 · Action: promoted
Explicit · xinwudaishi:023:s0077
Title: Prince of Langya / 琅琊郡王 · Action: enfeoffed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 乾化二年正月 · Western Year: AD 912
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:007:s0007
Honor: Loyal and Resolute / 忠毅 · Action: posthumous-name
Explicit · xinwudaishi:023:s0088
Honor: Grand Preceptor / 太師 · Action: posthumously-bestowed
Explicit · xinwudaishi:023:s0088
Title: Prince of Langya commandery / 瑯琊郡王 · Action: advanced
Explicit · xinwudaishi:023:s0084

Places and affiliations

Place: Jingzhao / 京兆 · Relation: native-of
Explicit · xinwudaishi:023:s0076
Place: Xuanhua / 宣化 · Relation: transferred-to · Authority Person Id: Zhu Yougui (朱友圭)
Explicit · xinwudaishi:023:s0085
Place: Kuangguo / 匡國 · Relation: transferred-to · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 貞明元年 · Regnal Year: 1 · Western Year: AD 915
Explicit event contextual date · xinwudaishi:023:s0086
Place: Tianping / 天平 · Relation: transferred-to
Explicit · xinwudaishi:023:s0088

Events and relationships

Kind: military · Role: commander · Action: captured a commander at Xu prefecture and took Mi prefecture from Wang Shifan · Other Person Id: Wang Shifan (王師範)
Explicit · xinwudaishi:023:s0081, xinwudaishi:023:s0082
Kind: military · Role: minor officer · Action: distinguished himself against Shang Rang · Other Person Id: Shang Rang (尚讓)
Explicit · xinwudaishi:023:s0077
Kind: military · Role: defender · Action: prevented Taizu from going personally, fought Jin, and saved Xing prefecture · Other Person Id: Taizu of Liang (太祖) · Date Context: Source Date: Text: after the Baixiang defeat · Western Year: AD 911
Explicit event contextual date · xinwudaishi:023:s0084
Kind: military · Role: soldier · Action: raised troops with Zhu Zhen and repeatedly won merit · Other Person Id: Zhu Zhen (朱珍)
Explicit · xinwudaishi:023:s0078
Kind: military · Role: rescuer · Action: rescued Li Chongyi and captured an enemy commander at Banqiao · Other Person Id: Li Chongyi (李重裔)
Explicit · xinwudaishi:023:s0079
Kind: military · Role: commander · Action: unsuccessfully raided Taiyuan after Zhuangzong took Weibo · Other Person Id: Emperor Zhuangzong of Later Tang (後唐莊宗)
Explicit · xinwudaishi:023:s0087

References in the histories

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

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 7Volume 7 Book of Later Liang 7: Taizu Annals 7 · 1 passage

Open chapter

封保義節度使王檀為琅琊郡王。 Baoyi Military Commissioner Wang Tan was enfeoffed as Prince of Langya.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 65Volume 65 Book of Later Tang 41: Biographies 17: Li Jianji, Shi Junli, Gao Xinggui, Zhang Tingyu, Wang Sitong, Suo Zitong · 2 passages

Open chapter

王檀之逼晉陽也，城中無備，安金全驅市人以登陴，保聚不完。 When Wang Tan closed on Taiyuan the city was unprepared. An Jinquan pressed townsfolk onto the ramparts, but the defenses were still patchwork.

王檀遊軍扼汾橋，君立一戰敗之，徑至城下，馳突斬擊，出入如神，大呼曰：「昭義侍中大軍至矣！」 Wang Tan's scouts held the Fen Bridge; Junli smashed them in one clash, raced to the wall, and wheeled through the Bian ranks like a force of nature, roaring, "The Grand Preceptor of Zhaoyi is here with the main host!"

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 2Volume 2 Later Liang Annals 2: Taizu 2 · 1 passage

Open chapter

丁未，保义军节度使王檀为潞州东面行营招讨使。 On the day dingwei Wang Tan of Baoyi was appointed to command the eastern Lu Prefecture campaign.

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 23Volume 23 Later Liang Biographies 3: Yang Shihou, Wang Jingren, He Gui, Wang Tan, Ma Sixun, Wang Qianyu, Xie Yanzhang · 11 passages

Open chapter

王檀，字眾美，京兆人也。 Wang Tan, courtesy name Zhongmei, came from Jingzhao.

少事梁太祖為小校，尚讓攻梁，戰尉氏門，檀勇出諸將，太祖奇之，遷踏白副指揮使。 As a youth he served Taizu of Liang as a minor officer. When Shang Rang attacked Liang at the Weishi Gate, Tan’s courage outshone the other commanders; Taizu noted him and made him deputy commander of the scout corps.

梁與蔡兵戰板橋，李重裔馬踣，為蔡兵所擒，檀馳取之，並獲其將一人。 Liang and Cai fought at Banqiao. Li Chongyi’s horse stumbled and Cai took him; Tan galloped in, recovered him, and captured one of their commanders.

從太祖破魏內黃，遷沖山都虞候。 When Taizu broke Neihuang in Wei, Tan was made chief adjutant of Chong Mountain.

復從朱珍攻徐州，檀獲其將一人。 Again with Zhu Zhen against Xu prefecture he captured one of their commanders.

梁兵攻王師範，檀以一軍破其密州，拜密州刺史。 When Liang attacked Wang Shifan, Tan with one army broke Mi prefecture and was made its prefect.

太祖即位，遷保義軍節度使，潞州東北面招討使。 When Taizu took the throne Tan was made military governor of Baoyi and pacification commissioner for the northeast of Lu.

王景仁敗於柏鄉，晉兵圍邢州，太祖大懼，欲自將救之，檀止太祖，請自拒敵，力戰，卒全邢州，以功加同中書門下平章事，進封瑯琊郡王。 When Wang Jingren lost at Baixiang and Jin besieged Xing prefecture, Taizu was deeply afraid and meant to rescue it in person. Tan stopped him, asked to hold the enemy himself, fought with all his strength, and at last saved Xing. For that he was made co-equal grand councilor and advanced to Prince of Langya.

友珪立，徙鎮宣化。 When Yougui took the throne Tan was moved to Xuanhua.

是時，莊宗取魏博，檀以謂晉兵悉在河北，乃以奇兵西出陰地襲太原，不克而還。 When Zhuangzong took Weibo, Tan judged that all Jin troops were in Hebei and led a surprise force west through Yin territory to raid Taiyuan. They did not take it and returned.

徙鎮天平，檀嘗招納亡盜居帳下，帳下兵亂，入殺檀，年五十八，贈太師，謚曰忠毅。 Moved to Tianping, Tan had often taken in outlaws and fugitives under his tent. His tent troops mutinied, entered, and killed him. He was fifty-eight. He was posthumously made Grand Preceptor with the posthumous title Loyal and Resolute.

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 44Volume 44 Miscellaneous Biographies 24: Liu Zhijun, Ding Hui, He Delun, Yan Bao, Kang Yanxiao · 1 passage

Open chapter

王檀攻太原，德倫麾下多奔檀，承業懼德倫為變，殺之。 Wang Tan struck Taiyuan; Delun’s men ran to Tan. Chengye feared revolt and killed Delun.