Emperor Zhuanxu Gaoyang (顓頊帝高陽氏)

Overview

Emperor Zhuanxu Gaoyang was a Legendary Ruler.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal name		顓頊氏	Zhuanxu shi
Posthumous name	Human Emperor	人帝
Epithet	of the Gaoyang clan	高陽氏

Life and dates

Death

At tomb inside Puyang city 縣城内顓頊冢
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 122, passage 37
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 1, passage 39

Attested activity

legendary antiquity
Directly stated · Book of Han 20, passage 396; Book of Han 25, passage 20; Book of Han 98, passage 187; Book of Han 99, passage 119; Book of Later Han 122, passage 37; History of Jin 35, passages 62, 64; Book of Jin 108, passage 35; Old History of the Five Dynasties 140, passage 7; Records of the Grand Historian 1, passages 32-33, 38-39, 155, 274; Records of the Grand Historian 2, passage 2; Records of the Grand Historian 13, passage 241; Records of the Grand Historian 25, passage 9; Records of the Grand Historian 26, passage 19; Records of the Grand Historian 36, passage 115; New Book of Tang 12, passage 161; New Book of Tang 70, passage 8

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Ancestor of Yu the Great (大禹)
grandfather 祖 · paternal line · 2 generations
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 2, passage 3
Descendant of Yellow Emperor (黃帝)
grandson 孫 · paternal line · 2 generations
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 1, passages 32-33; Records of the Grand Historian 13, passage 241
Child of Changpu (昌仆)
bore 生
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 1, passage 30
Ancestor of Duke Hu (胡公)
clan ancestor 族 · paternal line
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 36, passages 115, 120
Child of Changyi (昌意)
father 父
fathered 生 · paternal line
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 2, passage 2; Records of the Grand Historian 13, passages 242, 245-246
Parent of Gun (鯀)
father 父
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 2, passage 2
Child of Changyi (昌意)
father 父
fathered 生
son 子
Sources vary in certainty · Records of the Grand Historian 1, passages 30, 32-33, 155
Parent of Qiongchan (窮蟬)
father 父
had a son 生子
Sources vary in certainty · Records of the Grand Historian 1, passages 38, 155
Parent of Qiongchan (窮蟬)
fathered 生 · paternal line
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 13, passage 245
Parent of Gun (鯀)
fathered 生 · paternal line
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 13, passage 270
Parent of Daye (大業)
son 子
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 70, passage 8
Kin of Emperor Ku of the Gaoxin clan (帝嚳高辛氏)
younger clansman 族子 · paternal line
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 1, passage 43

Eight Harmonious 八愷
Kinship Role talented sons · Count 8
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 1, passage 192

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Highest grade: sages 上上聖人
Nine grade table rank · Listed
Directly stated · Book of Han 20, passage 396
Emperor 帝
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 1, passage 32

Places and affiliations

Gaoyang 高陽
Relation Ruled as
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 1, passage 274
At Puyang / Diqiu 濮陽 · Relation Ruins of
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 122, passage 37
Organization Five Human Emperors 五人帝 · Relation Member of
Strongly inferred · New Book of Tang 12, passages 161, 178, 181

Events and relationships

Campaigned against Gonggong
Military · Ruler · With Gonggong (共工)
Directly stated · Book of Han 25, passage 20
Fought
Military · Commander · With Gonggong (共工)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 25, passage 9
Moved from Qiongsang to Shangqiu
Migration · Actor · At Shangqiu 商丘 · Mode named-source-report Source Work Diwang shiji 帝王世記
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 122, passage 37
Paired with
Ritual · Associated deity · Other Black Emperor 黑帝 · Occasion beginning of winter 立冬
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 12, passage 161
Restored separation of people and spirits
Administrative · Ruler · With Chong (重), Li (黎)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 26, passage 19
Shared sacrifice
Ritual · Recipient · At Bright Hall 明堂 · Organization Five Human Emperors 五人帝
Strongly inferred · New Book of Tang 12, passage 181

Show 4 more source-backed claims

Used yimao calendar
Scholarly · Adopter
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 140, passage 7
Relation Superior of · Person Li (黎)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 26, passage 19
Relation Opponent of · Person Gonggong (共工)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 25, passage 9
Relation Superior of · Person Chong (重)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 26, passage 19

Assessments and attributes

Item Zhuanxu's tomb 顓頊冢 · Relation Buried at · At Puyang 濮陽
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 122, passage 37

Source notes

Historicity legendary
Directly stated · History of Jin 35, passage 62; Records of the Grand Historian 1, passage 32; Records of the Grand Historian 2, passage 2; Records of the Grand Historian 25, passage 9; Records of the Grand Historian 36, passage 115; New Book of Tang 12, passage 161
From Gaoyang 高陽 · To Emperor Zhuanxu 帝顓頊
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 1, passage 32

References in the histories

Search passages

History

32 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 20Table of Ancient and Modern Persons · 1 passage

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顓頊帝高陽氏 Emperor Zhuanxu Gaoyang

Book of Han, Chapter 25Volume 23: Treatise on Punishment and Law · 1 passage

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自黃帝有涿鹿之戰以定火災，顓頊有共工之陳以定水害。 From the Yellow Emperor there was the battle of Zhuolu to settle the calamity of fire, and Zhuanxu had the campaign against Gonggong to settle the harm of water.

Book of Han, Chapter 98Volume 87a: Yang Xiong 1 · 1 passage

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於是玄冬季月，天地隆烈，萬物權輿於內，徂落於外，帝將惟田於靈之囿，開北垠，受不周之制，以終始顓頊、玄冥之統。 In deep winter, when life hides within and dies without, the emperor will hunt the sacred park, open the north, and complete the cycle ruled by Zhuanxu and the dark god.

Book of Han, Chapter 99Volume 87b: Yang Xiong 2 · 1 passage

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故《玄》三方、九州、二十七部、八十一家、二百四十三表、七百二十九贊，分為三卷，曰一二三，與《泰初歷》相慶，亦有顓頊之歷焉。 So the work maps three realms, nine domains, twenty-seven parts, eighty-one lineages, two hundred forty-three charts, and seven hundred twenty-nine appraisals in three books titled One, Two, Three—harmonizing with the 《Grand Inception》 calendar and echoing Zhuanxu’s old reckoning.

Book of Later Han, Chapter 122Volume 111: Commanderies and States Part Three · 1 passage

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〖濮阳〗古昆吾国，杜預曰古衞也。帝王世記曰：「顓頊自窮桑徙商丘。」左傳曰「衞，顓頊之墟」，杜預曰帝丘，昆吾氏因之，故曰昆吾之墟，縣城内有顓頊冢。皇覽曰：「冢在城門外廣陽里中。」博物記曰：「桑中在其中。」春秋时曰濮。 Puyang was old Kunwu territory; Du Yu identifies it with ancient Wey. The Diwang shiji says, “Zhuanxu moved from Qiongsang to Shangqiu,” and the Zuo Tradition says, “Wey was the ruins of Zhuanxu.” Du Yu explains that this was Diqiu, from which the Kunwu clan derived, hence the name “ruins of Kunwu”; Zhuanxu's tomb stood inside the county city. The Huanglan says, “The tomb was in Guangyang ward outside the city gate,” and the Bowu ji adds, “Sangzhong was within it.” In Spring and Autumn times the place was called Pu.

History of Jin, Chapter 35Volume 35 Treatises 16: Rites 8: Consecration of Shrines to a Sages; Temple to the Warrior King Cheng of Zhou; Monarchs of Past Ages; Halls to Various Spirits in Changbai Shan, Dafang Shan, Amur River, Jia Yin Hou; Spirits of the Lu River; Spirits of Zhao Yin Shun; Spirits of Zhen an Gong, Rui Shen Gongl; Worshipping, Sacrifices, Vists, and State Ceremonies at Zhen Xian Jun Wang Temple · 2 passages

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三年一祭，于仲春之月祭伏犧于陳州，神農於亳州，軒轅於坊州，少昊於兗州，顓頊於開州，高辛於歸德府，陶唐於平陽府，虞舜、夏禹、成湯於河中府，周文王、武王於京兆府。 Sacrifices were held once every three years: in mid-spring Fuxi was honored at Chen Prefecture, Shennong at Bozhou, the Yellow Emperor at Fang Prefecture, Shaohao at Yan Prefecture, Zhuanxu at Kai Prefecture, Gaoxin at Guide Prefecture, Emperor Yao at Pingyang Prefecture, Shun, Yu, and Tang at Hezhong Prefecture, and Kings Wen and Wu of Zhou at Jingzhao Prefecture.

《開寶禮》犧、軒、顓頊、帝嚳、陶唐、女媧、成湯、文、武請禦署，自漢高祖以下二十七帝不署。 The Kaibao Rites require imperial endorsement for Fu Xi, the Yellow Emperor, Zhuanxu, Di Ku, Emperor Yao, Nüwa, Tang, and Kings Wen and Wu; from Han Gaozu downward twenty-seven emperors are not endorsed.

Book of Jin, Chapter 108Volume 108 Records 8: Murong Hui · 1 passage

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廆以大棘城即帝顓頊之墟也，元康四年乃移居之。 He rebuilt Greater Jicheng on Zhuanxu's legendary capital.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 140Volume 140: Treatises 2 Calendars · 1 passage

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故黃帝始用《辛卯曆》，顓頊次用《乙卯曆》，虞用《戊午曆》，夏用《丙寅曆》，商用《甲寅曆》，周用《丁巳曆》，魯用《庚子曆》，秦用《乙卯曆》。 The Yellow Emperor first adopted the Xinmao Calendar; Zhuanxu next the Yimao; the Yu dynasty the Wuwu; Xia the Bingyin; Shang the Jiayin; Zhou the Dingsi; Lu the Gengzi; and Qin the Yimao.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 1Annals of the Five Emperors · 10 passages

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昌意娶蜀山氏女，曰昌仆，生高陽，高陽有聖德焉。 Changyi married a Shu-shan woman called Changpu and fathered Gaoyang, who showed sage-like virtue.