Qin and Han · Official

Wang Zhang 王章

Wáng Zhāng

Attested BC 33 - BC 7

Passages: 14
Chapters: 5
Histories: 1

Overview

The translated histories identify Wang Zhang as an administrator and official. This record brings together 14 passages from 5 chapters across 1 history, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Wang Zhang	王章	Wáng Zhāng
Surname	Wang	王	Wáng
Personal	Wang Zhang	王章	Wang Zhang
Personal name	Wang Zhang	王章	Wang Zhang
Personal name	Wang Zhang	王章
Given	Zhang	章	Zhāng
Given name	Zhang	章

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Strongly inferred · hanshu:090:s0003
Value: male
Strongly inferred · hanshu:070:s0166
Value: male
Explicit · hanshu:093:s0044

Roles

Administrator
Official

Life and dates

Death

Date Text: winter / 冬 · Circumstance: died after being imprisoned / 下獄死
Explicit · hanshu:011:s0100
died in the imperial prison / 死詔獄
Explicit · hanshu:070:s0179
Manner: executed
Explicit · hanshu:090:s0154
Statement: executed through legal process · Responsible Person Id: Wang Feng (王鳳)
Explicit · hanshu:093:s0045

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 商死後 · Western Interval: Start: BC 25 · End: BC 20
Explicit event contextual date · hanshu:093:s0044
Source Date: Text: 成帝 · Western Interval: Start: BC 33 · End: BC 7
Explicit · hanshu:090:s0153

Career and standing

Label: governor of the capital / 京兆尹 · Action: held
Explicit · hanshu:093:s0044
Jingzhao Governor / 京兆尹
Explicit · hanshu:011:s0100
metropolitan governor / 京兆尹
Explicit · hanshu:070:s0166

Works and attributed material

Kind: sealed memorial · Role: author · Statement: defended Wang Shang and accused Wang Feng of monopolizing power
Explicit · hanshu:093:s0044

References in the histories

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

Book of Han, Chapter 11Volume 10: Annals of Emperor Cheng · 1 passage

冬，京兆尹王章有罪，下獄死。 In winter, Jingzhao Governor Wang Zhang had a crime and was sent to prison where he died.

Book of Han, Chapter 70Volume 60: Du Zhou · 8 passages

頃之，復日蝕，京兆尹王章上封事求見，果言鳳專權蔽主之過，宜廢勿用，以應天變。 Soon another eclipse darkened the sun. Wang Zhang, governor of the capital, sealed a memorial and begged an audience, denouncing Wang Feng for monopolizing power and blinding the throne. He urged that Feng be removed to answer Heaven.

於是天子感悟，召見章，與議，欲退鳳。 The emperor was stirred, received Wang Zhang in audience, and began to consider dismissing Feng.

上令尚書劾奏京兆尹章，章死詔獄。 The emperor then ordered the Masters of Writing to impeach Wang Zhang, who died in the imperial prison.

章既死，眾庶冤之，以譏朝廷。 The people believed Wang Zhang had been wronged, and the court became a laughingstock.

欽欲救其過，復說鳳曰：「京兆尹章所坐事密，吏民見章素好言事，以為不坐官職，疑其以日蝕見對有所言也。 Du Qin, hoping to repair the damage, again urged Feng: "The charge against Metropolitan Governor Wang Zhang was never made public. The capital supposes that because he always spoke boldly on policy, he lost his life not for corruption but for what he said about the eclipse.

假令章內有所犯，雖陷正法，事不暴揚，自京師不曉，況於遠方。 Even if he were guilty of some private crime, a quiet execution would have left the capital guessing, to say nothing of the provinces.

恐天下不知章實有罪，而以為坐言事也。 I fear the realm will conclude he was executed for honest counsel, not for proven guilt.

欽愚以為宜因章事舉直言極諫，並見郎從官展盡其章，加於往前，以明示四方，使天下咸知主上聖明，不以言罪下也。 I suggest you use this case to invite the harshest criticism: let every gentleman-attendant and staff officer air his views more freely than before, so the whole empire will see that the sage Son of Heaven does not punish men for speaking out.

Book of Han, Chapter 90Volume 79: Feng Fengshi · 2 passages

是時，成帝長舅陽平侯王鳳為大司馬大將軍，輔政八九年矣，時數有災異，京兆尹王章譏鳳專權不可任用，薦野王代鳳。 Wang Feng, Cheng's senior uncle, had run the state nearly a decade when capital governor Wang Zhang attacked his monopoly and nominated Yewang to replace him.

上初納其言，而後誅章，語在《元后傳》。 The throne first agreed, then executed Wang Zhang—the tale is told with the Yuan empress.

Book of Han, Chapter 93Volume 82: Wang Shang, Shi Dan and Fu Xi · 2 passages

商死後，連年日蝕、地震，直臣京兆尹王章上封事召開，訟商忠直無罪，言鳳顓權蔽主。 After Wang Shang's death, solar eclipses and earthquakes followed year on year. Wang Zhang, the principled governor of the capital, submitted a sealed memorial; when the emperor summoned him and opened it, Zhang argued that Wang Shang had been loyal and blameless and that Wang Feng had monopolized power and blinded the throne.

鳳竟以法誅章，語在《元後傳》。 Wang Feng eventually had Wang Zhang executed on a legal pretext; the story is told in the biography of Empress Dowager Yuan.

Book of Han, Chapter 117Volume 100a: Afterword and Family History 1 · 1 passage

初，成帝性寬，進入直言，是以王音、翟方進等繩法舉過，而劉向、杜鄴、王章、朱雲之徒肆意犯上，故自帝師安昌侯，諸舅大將軍兄弟及公卿大夫、後宮外屬史許之家有貴寵者，莫不被文傷詆。 Cheng's easy temper invited blunt speech, so ministers such as Wang Yin and Zhai Fangjin policed the law while scholars like Liu Xiang, Du Ye, Wang Zhang, and Zhu Yun flayed the throne; from the imperial tutor the marquis of Anchang through the Wang uncles and every powerful consort kin of the Shi and Xu lines, no favorite escaped their written attacks.