Emperor Gong of Jin
 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(October 2022) |
| Emperor Gong of Jin TấnCungĐế | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11thEmperor of the Eastern Jin dynasty | |||||||||||||
| Reign | 28 Jan 419[1]– 5 July 420 | ||||||||||||
| Predecessor | Emperor An | ||||||||||||
| Born | 386 | ||||||||||||
| Died | Oct or Nov 421 (aged 35) Jiankang,Liu Song | ||||||||||||
| Burial | |||||||||||||
| Consorts | Empress Gongsi | ||||||||||||
| Issue | Princess Haiyan Princess Fuyang | ||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
| House | House of Sima | ||||||||||||
| Dynasty | Eastern Jin | ||||||||||||
| Father | Emperor Xiaowu | ||||||||||||
| Mother | Empress Dowager Ande | ||||||||||||
Emperor Gong of Jin(simplified Chinese:Tấn cung đế;traditional Chinese:Tấn cung đế;pinyin:Jìn Gōng Dì;Wade–Giles:Chin Kung-ti;386 – October or November 421[2]), personal nameSima Dewen(Chinese:Tư mã đức văn;pinyin:Sīmǎ Déwén), was the last emperor of the EasternJin Dynasty (266–420)inChina.He became emperor in 419 after hisdevelopmentally disabledbrotherEmperor Anwas killed by the regentLiu Yu,and during his brief reign, actual power was in Liu Yu's hands. On 5 July 420,[3]under pressure from Liu Yu, he yielded the throne to Liu Yu, ending Jin's existence. Liu Yu foundedLiu Song,and in October or November 421, believing that the former Jin emperor posed a threat to his rule, had him asphyxiated with a blanket.
Early life[edit]
Sima Dewen was the second son ofEmperor Xiaowu of Jinand hisconcubineConsort Chen Guinüin 386, born four years after Consort Chen had given birth to their oldest son,Sima Dezong.Contrary to his older brother who was described as so developmentally disabled that he was unable to speak, clothe himself, or express whether he was hungry or full, Sima Dewen was described as an intelligent child. From childhood, he became accustomed to care for his brother, especially after their mother's death in 390. Their father did not have any other sons. Despite Sima Dezong's severe up developmental disability, he was madecrown princein 387 at the age of five by Emperor Xiaowu. On 27 Dec 392,[4]Emperor Xiaowu bestowed upon Sima Dewen the title of "Prince of Langye" – the second most prestigious title for a prince after "Crown Prince". In 396, Emperor Xiaowu was strangled by his favorite concubineHonoured Lady Zhangafter making an offensive remark about her age, and in 397 Sima Dezong succeeded the throne asEmperor An of Jin.Sima Dewen continued to care for his brother after his ascension to the throne.
During Emperor An's reign[edit]
Sometime during Emperor An's reign, Sima Dewen married his wife,Chu Lingyuan,who was from an aristocratic family. She had two daughters,Sima Maoying,later created the Princess Haiyan, and the later Princess Fuyang.
Throughout Emperor An's early reign, Sima Dewen received increasingly honorific offices, but had little actual power, as the power was initially in the hands of his uncle, the regentSima Daozithe Prince of Kuaiji, and later in the hands of Sima Daozi's sonSima Yuanxian.The situation continued after Sima Yuanxian was overthrown by the warlordHuan Xuanin 402.
In 403, Huan Xuan forced Emperor An to yield the throne to him, temporarily ending Jin. Huan Xuan established a new state of Chu, and he created Emperor An the Prince of Pinggu ( bình cố vương ) and Sima Dewen the Duke of Shiyang[5]( thạch dương huyện công ), but kept them close to him to watch them. In 404, however, a rebellion by the generalLiu Yuquickly led to Huan Xuan's destruction and Emperor An's restoration. When, however, later that year Emperor An and Sima Dewen fell into the hands of Huan Xuan's nephew Huan Zhen (Hoàn chấn), Huan Zhen considered executing Emperor An to avenge Huan Xuan's young son Huan Sheng (Hoàn thăng), who was killed by the rebels. It took great pleading on Sima Dewen's part, explaining that neither he nor Emperor An had had anything to do with Huan Sheng's death, for Huan Zhen to spare Emperor An. In early 405, Huan Zhen was defeated, and Emperor An and Sima Dewen returned to the capitalJiankang,but by this point power was in Liu Yu's hands, albeit in a power-sharing agreement with a number of allies whom he had had to recruit in his campaign against Huan Xuan.
As the years went by, Liu Yu gradually concentrated more and more power in his hands, destroying rivals including Liu Yi (Lưu nghị), Zhuge Zhangmin (Chư cát trường dân), andSima Xiuzhi(Tư mã hưu chi), while greatly showing his strength in campaigns destroying rival statesSouthern Yan,Western Shu,andLater Qin.Sima Dewen continued to be largely ceremonially honored but actually powerless during this period. In 416, during Liu Yu's campaign against Later Qin, Sima Dewen asked to undertake a mission inLuoyang,recently captured from Later Qin, to try to restore the imperial tombs of the early Jin emperors, but it is not known what came of the mission. He returned to Jiankang in 418 after Liu Yu destroyed Later Qin.
Late that year, Liu Yu, intending to seize the throne and believing a prophecy stating, "There will be two more emperors after Changming" (Changming,which meant "dawn," was thecourtesy nameof Emperor Xiaowu), became intent on killing Emperor An and replacing him with Sima Dewen. However, because Sima Dewen continuously attended to his brother, assassins whom Liu Yu sent to poison Emperor An did not have the opportunity to do so. However, around the new year 419, Sima Dewen was ill and had to be at his own house, and Liu Yu's assassin Wang Shaozhi (Vương thiều chi) took the opportunity to kill Emperor An. Liu Yu then declared Sima Dewen emperor, as Emperor Gong.
Reign[edit]
Emperor Gong's reign was a brief and powerless one. He created his wife Princess Chu empress in spring 419. He also promoted Liu Yu, then carrying the title Duke of Song, to the Prince of Song, which Liu Yu initially declined but accepted in fall 419. In spring 420, Liu Yu, then atShouyangsent his assistantFu Liangto Jiankang to pressure Emperor Gong to yield the throne. Emperor Gong responded by summoning Liu Yu back to the capital in summer 419, and Fu then offered him a draft of an abdication edict, requesting that he write it personally. Sima Dewen did so, and then left the palace and went to his old house while he was Prince of Langya. Five[6]days later, Liu Yu took the throne and established theLiu Song dynasty,ending Jin.
After abdication[edit]
Liu Yu created Sima Dewen the Prince of Lingling and built a palace for him near Jiankang. He had the general Liu Zunkao (Lưu tuân khảo), a distant cousin, lead a group of guards, ostensibly to protect the prince but instead to keep him under watch.
Soon, Liu Yu, still believing Sima Dewen to be a threat, sent Sima Dewen's former attendant Zhang Wei (Trương vĩ) a bottle of poisoned wine, ordering him to poison Sima Dewen. Zhang, not wanting to carry out the order, drank the wine himself and died. Meanwhile, however, in order to prevent any likelihood that Sima Dewen would have a male heir, Liu Yu ordered Princess Chu's brothers Chu Xiuzhi (Chử tú chi) and Chu Danzhi (Chử đạm chi) to poison any male children whom Princess Chu or Sima Dewen's concubines would bear. Sima Dewen himself feared death greatly, and he and Princess Chu remained in the same house, cooking their own meals, with Princess Chu paying for the material herself. Assassins whom Liu Yu sent initially could find no chance to kill the former emperor.
In fall 421, Liu Yu sent Chu Danzhi and his brother Chu Yuzhi[7](Chử dụ chi) to visit their sister. As Princess Chu came out to meet her brothers in a different house, soldiers sent by Liu Yu intruded into Sima Dewen's house and ordered him to take poison. He refused, stating thatBuddhistdoctrines prohibit suicide and that those who commit suicide could not be reborn as humans in their next lives. The assassins therefore used a blanket to cover his head and asphyxiated him. He was buried with imperial honors.
As for the title of "Prince of Lingling", it remained in the Sima clan until it was abolished byEmperor Wu of Liangin April 502, when he ascended the throne.[8]The last known Prince of Lingling was Sima Yaoshi ( tư mã dược sư ), who died on 30 March 490.[9]
Era name[edit]
- Yuanxi( nguyên hi, Yuánxī): 11 February 419 – 10 July 420
Family[edit]
Consorts and Issue:
- Empress Gongsi,of the Chu clan of Henan (Cung tư hoàng hậu hà nam Chử thị;384–436), personal name Lingyuan (Linh viện)
- Princess Haiyan(Hải diêm công chủ;403–439), personal name Maoying (Mậu anh)
- MarriedLiu Yifu(406–424)
- Princess Fuyang (Phú dương công chủ)
- Princess Haiyan(Hải diêm công chủ;403–439), personal name Maoying (Mậu anh)
Ancestry[edit]
| Emperor Yuan of Jin(276–323) | |||||||||||||||
| Emperor Jianwen of Jin(320–372) | |||||||||||||||
| Empress Dowager Jianwenxuan (d. 326) | |||||||||||||||
| Emperor Xiaowu of Jin(362–396) | |||||||||||||||
| Empress Dowager Xiaowuwen(351–400) | |||||||||||||||
| Emperor Gong of Jin (386–421) | |||||||||||||||
| Chen Guang | |||||||||||||||
| Empress Dowager Ande(362–390) | |||||||||||||||
References[edit]
- ^According to Sima Dewen's biography inBook of Jin,he ascended the throne on the same day as his brother's death, which took place on 28 Jan 419. ( an đế băng.... Thị nhật, tức đế vị )Jin Shu,vol.10
- ^According to Sima Dewen's biography inBook of Jin,he was killed aged 36 (by East Asian reckoning) on thedingchouday of the 9th month of the 2nd year of theYongchuera of Liu Yu's reign. However, there is nodingchouday in the month; the month corresponds to 12 Oct to 10 Nov 421 in the Julian calendar. ( tống vĩnh sơ nhị niên cửu nguyệt đinh sửu... Hữu gian, binh nhân du viên nhi nhập, thí đế vu nội phòng. Thời niên tam thập lục. )Jin Shuvol. 10. Thus by calculation, his birth year should be 386.
- ^According to Sima Dewen's biography inBook of Jin,he renounced the throne on therenxuday of the 6th month of the 2nd year of theYuanxiera of his reign. This corresponds to 5 Jul 420 in the Julian calendar. [( nguyên hi ) nhị niên hạ lục nguyệt nhâm tuất, lưu dụ chí vu kinh sư. Phó lượng thừa dụ mật chỉ, phúng đế thiền vị, thảo chiếu, thỉnh đế thư chi. Đế hân nhiên vị tả hữu viết: “Tấn thị cửu dĩ thất chi, kim phục hà hận.” Nãi thư xích chỉ vi chiếu ]Jin Shu,vol.10
- ^According to Sima Yao's biography inBook of Jin,Sima Dewen was made Prince of Langye on thegengyinday of the 11th month of the 17th year of theTaiyuanera of Yao's reign. This corresponds to 27 Dec 392 in the Julian calendar. ([ thái nguyên thập thất niên thập nhất nguyệt ] canh dần,..., phong hoàng tử đức văn vi lang tà vương. )Jin Shuvol. 09.
- ^Zhang Senkai ( trương sâm giai ), a late-Qing era commentator toSong Shu,commented in his "Jiao Kan Ji" that in his opinion, Sima Dewen's daughter Maoying was likely to be 36-37 years old (by East Asian reckoning) when she died in 439. (《 giáo khám ký 》 vân: “Án thiếu đế tử niên thập cửu, tắc phi vu thời diệc đương nhị thập tả hữu. Hậu thập lục thất niên chí nguyên gia thập lục niên tốt, ứng niên tam thập lục thất, bất ứng tứ thập thất, nghi hữu ngộ.” ) By this theory, Maoying should be born during her father's tenure as Duke of Shiyang.
- ^10 July 420 on the Julian calendar
- ^In Chu Yuzhi's biography inBook of Song,he is addressed by hiscourtesy nameShudu ( thúc độ ) as his "Yu" is the same character as Liu Yu's name, as acknowledged in the biography (( thúc độ danh dữ cao tổ đồng, cố dĩ tự hành.)Song Shu,vol. 52.); volume 28 ofNan Shirecords his name as "Dụ chi".
- ^Book of Liang,vol.02
- ^renchenday of the 2nd month of the 8th year of theYong'mingera, per vol.03 ofBook of Southern Qi