Ancient China · Statesman

Zichan 子產

Attested BC 554 - BC 522

Passages
10
Chapters
5
Histories
4

Overview

The translated histories identify Zichan as an aristocrat, official, and statesman. This record brings together 10 passages from 5 chapters across 4 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

TypeEnglishChinesePinyin
Personal Zichan 子產 Zichan
Given Qiao Qiao
Courtesy Zi Chan 子產 Zi Chan
Courtesy Zichan 子產 Zichan
Personal name Zichan 鄭僑 Zhèng Qiáo
Personal Zichan 子產 Zǐchǎn

Identity

Historicity
Historical
Identification
Named
Sex
Male

Roles

  • Aristocrat
  • Official
  • Statesman

Life and dates

Death

Attested activity

  • Source Date: Text: BC 554-522 · Western Interval: Start: BC 554 · End: BC 522
    Strongly inferred · houhanshu:032:s0130
  • Source Date: Text: 子產鑄刑書 · Western Year: BC 536
    Explicit event contextual date · jinshi:045:s0147
  • Source Date: Text: 春秋之時 · Western Interval: Start: BC 543 · End: BC 522
    Explicit event contextual date · hanshu:025:s0128
  • Source Date: Text: 治鄭二十六年 · Western Interval: Start: BC 543 · End: BC 522
    Strongly inferred · shiji:119:s0026, shiji:119:s0034
  • Source Date: Text: 治鄭二十六年而死 · Western Year: BC 522
    Strongly inferred · shiji:119:s0034, shiji:119:s0078

Career and standing

Places and affiliations

Works and attributed material

Events and relationships

  • Kind: administration · Role: chief-minister · Action: after five years, no conscription rolls needed and mourning rites orderly without commands
    Explicit · shiji:119:s0033
  • Kind: administration · Role: chief-minister · Action: after four years, farming tools left in fields
    Explicit · shiji:119:s0032
  • Kind: administration · Role: chief-minister · Action: after one year, youths ceased mischief, elderly ceased carrying burdens, children ceased plowing
    Explicit · shiji:119:s0029
  • Kind: administration · Role: chief-minister · Action: after three years, gates unbolted at night and lost articles untouched
    Explicit · shiji:119:s0031
  • Kind: administration · Role: chief-minister · Action: after two years, market prices were no longer falsely set
    Explicit · shiji:119:s0030
  • Kind: legislation · Action: cast penal statutes in bronze
    Explicit · hanshu:025:s0128
  • Kind: administration · Role: chief-minister · Action: governed Zheng for twenty-six years
    Explicit · shiji:119:s0034
  • Relation: respondent-to · Person Id: Shuxiang (叔嚮)
    Explicit · hanshu:025:s0145

Assessments and attributes

  • Assessment: people wailed at his death, asking where they would turn · Provenance: Mode: named-source-report

References in the histories

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

Book of Han, Chapter 25Volume 23: Treatise on Punishment and Law · 3 passages
Book of Han, Chapter 76Volume 65: Dongfang Shuo · 1 passage
譬若以周、邵為丞相,孔丘為御史大夫,太公為將軍,畢公高拾遺於後,弁嚴子為衛尉,皋陶為大理,後稷為司農,伊尹為少府,子贛使外國,顏、閔為博士,子夏為太常,益為右扶風,季路為執金吾,契為鴻臚,龍逢為宗正,伯夷為京兆,管仲為馮翊,魯般為將作,仲山甫為光祿,申伯為太僕,延陵季子為水衡,百里奚為典屬國,柳下惠為大長秋,史魚為司直,蘧伯玉為太傅,孔父為詹事,孫叔敖為諸侯相,子產為郡守,王慶忌為期門,夏育為鼎官,羿為旄頭,宋萬為式道候。」 Imagine the Duke of Zhou and the Duke of Shao as your chancellors; Confucius as chief censor; the Grand Duke as commander; Duke Bi Gao as court remonstrant; Bian Zhuangzi as captain of the guard; Gao Yao as chief judge; Hou Ji as minister of agriculture; Yi Yin as palace treasurer; Zigong as foreign envoy; Yan Hui and Min Ziqian as court scholars; Zixia as master of rites; Yi as western capital intendant; Zilu as capital commandant; Xie as master of guest ceremonies; Guan Longpeng as keeper of the imperial genealogy; the minister Boyi as metropolitan governor; Guan Zhong as northern capital intendant; Lu Ban as chief engineer; Zhong Shanfu as palace chamberlain; the Earl of Shen as master of the horse; Prince Jizi of Yanling as keeper of parks and waters; Baili Xi as commissioner for dependent peoples; Liuxia Hui as chamberlain to the empress; Shi Yu as censor of conduct; Qu Boyu as grand tutor; Kong Fu as supervisor of the heir apparent's household; Sunshu Ao as chancellor to the feudal lords; Zichan as commandery governor; Prince Qingji as a palace gate guard; Xia Yu as cauldron officer; Yi the Archer as vanguard officer; and Song Wan as road-clearing scout."
Book of Later Han, Chapter 32Volume 28b: Biography of Feng Yan · 1 passage
History of Jin, Chapter 45Volume 45 Treatises 26: Punishment · 1 passage
Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 119Biographies of Upright Officials · 4 passages