Emperor Jianwen of Jin
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| Emperor Jianwen of Jin TấnGiảnVănĐế | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8thEmperor of the Eastern Jin dynasty | |||||||||||||||||
| Reign | 6 January[1]- 12 September 372 | ||||||||||||||||
| Predecessor | Emperor Fei | ||||||||||||||||
| Successor | Emperor Xiaowu | ||||||||||||||||
| Born | 320 | ||||||||||||||||
| Died | 12 September 372(aged 51–52) Jiankang,Eastern Jin | ||||||||||||||||
| Burial | |||||||||||||||||
| Consorts | Empress Jianwenshun Empress Dowager Xiaowuwen | ||||||||||||||||
| Issue | Sima Daosheng Emperor Xiaowu Sima Daozi Princess Poyang Princess Xin'anmin Princess Wuchang | ||||||||||||||||
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| House | House of Sima | ||||||||||||||||
| Dynasty | Eastern Jin | ||||||||||||||||
| Father | Emperor Yuan | ||||||||||||||||
| Mother | Empress Dowager Jianwenxuan | ||||||||||||||||
Emperor Jianwen of Jin(simplified Chinese:Tấn giản văn đế;traditional Chinese:Tấn giản văn đế;pinyin:Jìn Jiǎnwén Dì;Wade–Giles:Chin Chien-wen-ti;320 – September 12, 372[2]), personal nameSima Yu(Tư mã dục),courtesy nameDaowan(Đạo vạn), was an emperor of the EasternJin dynastyinChina.He was the younger brother ofEmperor Mingand installed by military leaderHuan Wen.Prior to taking the throne, he had served in important roles in the administrations of his grandnephewsEmperor Mu,Emperor Ai,andEmperor Fei.Both in his service to his grandnephews and in his own reign as emperor, he is generally viewed as a weak-willed figure who showed enough wisdom to continue to survive and extend Jin rule, but whose effectiveness was also compromised by his over-dedication to philosophical discussions ofTaoismand other related philosophies.
Early life[edit]
Sima Yu was born in 320, as the youngest son ofEmperor Yuan,by his favorite concubine Consort Zheng Achun (Trịnh a xuân). As Emperor Yuan's wife Yu Mengmu (Ngu mạnh mẫu) had died years earlier (in 312), and the mother of his oldest sonSima Shaothe Crown Prince (later Emperor Ming),Lady Xun,had been forced to leave the palace due to Princess Yu's jealousy while she was still alive, Consort Zheng was effectively the mistress of the palace, although she never carried the title of empress. In 322, Emperor Yuan created him the Prince of Langya—the same title that Emperor Yuan had earlier, which was therefore considered a special honor.
In 323, Emperor Yuan died. In 326, Consort Zheng also died, and because, as Prince of Langya, Sima Yu was not permitted by law to mourn his mother, he, at age six, requested another title by which he could. His nephewEmperor Cheng(Emperor Ming's son), himself then a young child, permitted it, and created him thePrince of Kuaiji.As he grew in age, he was given a progression of higher and higher posts, although without actual power.
During Emperor Mu's reign[edit]
In 344, another nephew of Sima Yu,Emperor Kang(Emperor Cheng's younger brother), died, and was succeeded by his infant sonEmperor Mu.Emperor Mu's motherEmpress Dowager Chubecameregent,but she largely followed the advice of prime minister He Chong (Hà sung). As it was customary, at this point of Jin history, for there to be two prime ministers, He Chong recommended Empress Dowager Chu's fatherChu Pou(Chử bầu), who declined and recommended Sima Yu instead. He Chong and Sima Yu thus shared the prime minister responsibilities until He Chong's death in 346. He Chong was replaced byCai Mo.
In 347, after the ambitious generalHuan Wen,without the imperial government's approval, carried out a campaign against and destroyedCheng Han,annexing Cheng Han territory to Jin, the imperial government became apprehensive that Huan would use this opportunity to take over. Sima Yu thus invited the officialYin Hao,who was considered able, to join him and Cai in making important decisions, to counter Huan's influence. In 350, after Cai had repeatedly declined greater honor conferred him by the emperor, Yin accused Cai of disrespecting imperial authority and had him removed, seizing more power than he had before.
In 348, Sima Yu'sheir apparentSima Daosheng (Tư mã đạo sinh), who was described as careless and frivolous, was accused of unspecified crimes, and he was deposed and imprisoned, and died in imprisonment. Sima Yu's wife and Sima Daosheng's mother, Princess Wang Jianji (Vương giản cơ), also died in distress. (She might have also been imprisoned prior to her death) His other sons, one by Princess Wang and three by various concubines, died early, and he was left without an heir, and his concubines were not conceiving any more. He retained a magician to look at his concubines to see which one could conceive an heir, and the magician looked at all of them and opined that none was destined to give him an heir—but then he saw a dark-skinned maid who was working with textiles, who was derogatorily referred to as aMalay,namedLi Lingrong,and he, in surprised, yelled out, "She is the one!" Sima Yu therefore took her as a concubine, and they had two sons:Sima Yaoin 352 andSima Daoziin 353. Sima Yao was subsequently named heir apparent.
Around the new year 352, Huan, impatient after his requests to advance north in light ofLater Zhao's collapse were being rebuffed by Sima Yu and Yin, who were concerned about his expanding power, and mobilized his troops and gestured as if he were about to attack the capital. Yin was shocked, and initially considered either resigning or send the imperial banner of peace (Zouyu Fan, sô ngu phiên ) to order Huan to stop. After advice from Wang Biaozhi (Vương bưu chi), however, he instead asked Sima Yu to write a carefully worded letter to Huan, persuading Huan to stop.
After Yin himself launched unsuccessful northern campaigns in 352 and 353—the latter at great loss of life and property—Huan submitted a petition accusing Yin of crimes. The imperial government, led by Sima Yu, felt compelled to depose Yin in 354. From that point on, Sima Yu became the sole prime minister, although he was often forced to submit to Huan's wishes on important matters. Later in 354, Huan himself launched a campaign north againstFormer Qin,one of the successor states to Later Zhao, but after initial successes, he was forced to withdraw as he hesitated at attacking Former Qin's capitalChang'anand ran out of food supplies.
In 358, Sima Yu offered to resign and return all authority to Emperor Mu. Emperor Mu declined.
In 361, Emperor Mu died without a son, and by order of Empress Dowager Chu, his cousinSima Pithe Prince of Langya ascended the throne as Emperor Ai. Sima Yu continued in his post as prime minister.
During Emperor Ai's reign[edit]
In 363, when Emperor Ai's motherPrincess Dowager Zhoudied, Sima Yu served as regent for the three-month mourning period.
In 364, Emperor Ai, who was obsessed withimmortality,was poisoned by pills given him by magicians, and he could not handle important affairs of state. Empress Dowager Chu again served as regent, but important decisions were made by Sima Yu and Huan Wen. In 365, with theFormer YanregentMurong Kebesieging the important cityLuoyang,Sima Yu and Huan discussed launching a counterattack to relieve Luoyang, but when Emperor Ai died in spring 365, the plans were cancelled. Emperor Ai was succeeded by his brotherSima Yithe Prince of Langya, who took the throne as Emperor Fei. Sima Yu continued in his role as prime minister.
During Emperor Fei's reign[edit]
In late 365, Emperor Fei offered the title Prince of Langya to Sima Yu and further created his heir apparent Sima Yao thePrince of Kuaiji.Sima Yu declined on his son's behalf and further himself declined the title of Prince of Langya, continuing to refer to himself as thePrince of Kuaiji,and Emperor Fei did not insist on his taking the greater title.
In 369, after Huan Wen launched a major attack against Former Yan but suffered a devastating defeat at the hands ofMurong Chui,he considered another way to showcase his power. He decided to depose Emperor Fei, and he spread false rumors that Emperor Fei wasimpotentand that his sons were actually sons of men that he favored (implying a homosexual relationship between him and those men). In winter 371, Huan forced Empress Dowager Chu to issue an edict deposing Emperor Fei and replacing him with Sima Yu, who took the throne with trepidation but felt he had no choice.
Reign[edit]
An immediate issue that Emperor Jianwen had to deal with upon taking the throne was Huan's suspicions toward his older brother Sima Xi (Tư mã hi) the Prince of Wuling, whose interest in military matters made Huan concerned that he would oppose Huan. Huan therefore falsely accused him of plotting treason, and Emperor Jianwen agreed to remove Sima Xi from his posts. Subsequently, however, Huan manufactured evidence against Sima Xi and petitioned that he be put to death. Emperor Jianwen wrote to Huan, stating that he did not want to kill his brother—and that if he was forced to, he would instead yield the throne. Huan, not willing to risk a confrontation, settled for having Sima Xi and his sons demoted to commoner status and exiled.
In summer 372, Emperor Jianwen grew ill, and repeatedly tried to summon Huan to the capital—perhaps to offer him the throne—but Huan, concerned that it was a trap, continuously declined. Emperor Jianwen soon died, and was succeeded by his 10-year-old son Sima Yao, whom he createdcrown princeright before his death. As Huan himself died in early 373, the threats of a Huan usurpation dissipated, and Jin continued for several decades longer.
Era name[edit]
- Xian'an( hàm an, xián ān): 6 January 372 – 9 February 373
Family[edit]
Consorts and Issue:
- Empress Jianwenshun, of the Wang clan of Taiyuan (Giản văn thuận hoàng hậu thái nguyên vương thị;d. 348), personal name Jianji (Giản cơ)
- Sima Daosheng (Hội kê tư thế tử tư mã đạo sinh), first son
- Sima Yusheng(Tư mã du sinh), second son
- Empress Dowager Xiaowuwen,of the Li clan (Hiếu võ văn hoàng thái hậu lý thị;351–400), personal name Lingrong (Lăng dung)
- Sima Yao,Emperor Xiaowu (Hiếu võ hoàng đế tư mã diệu;362–396), third son
- Sima Daozi,Prince Wenxiao of Kuaiji (Hội kê văn hiếu vương tư mã đạo tử;364–403), fifth son
- Princess Poyang (Bà dương công chủ)
- Married Wang Gu of Langya, Duke Shixing (Gia lang vương hỗ), and had issue (one son)
- Shuyi,of the Hu clan (Thục nghi hồ thị)
- Sima Yu, Prince Xian of Linchuan(Lâm xuyên hiến vương tư mã úc), fourth son
- Sima Zhusheng(Tư mã chu sinh), sixth son
- Shuyi,of the Wang clan (Thục nghi vương thị)
- Sima Tianliu(Tư mã thiên lưu), seventh son
- Shuyi,of the Xu clan (Thục nghi từ thị)
- Princess Xin'anmin (Tân an mẫn công chủ), personal name Daofu (Đạo phúc), third daughter
- Married Huan Ji of Qiao, Duke Linhe (Tiếu quốc hoàn tế), the second son ofHuan Wen
- MarriedWang Xianzhiof Langya (Gia lang;344–386), and had issue (Empress Anxi)
- Princess Xin'anmin (Tân an mẫn công chủ), personal name Daofu (Đạo phúc), third daughter
- Unknown
- Princess Wuchang (Võ xương công chủ)
- Married Huan Xiu of Qiao (Tiếu quốc hoàn tu), a son ofHuan Chong
- Princess Wuchang (Võ xương công chủ)
Ancestry[edit]
| Sima Zhou(227–283) | |||||||||||||||
| Sima Jin (256–290) | |||||||||||||||
| Lady Zhuge of Langya | |||||||||||||||
| Emperor Yuan of Jin(276–323) | |||||||||||||||
| Xiahou Zhuang | |||||||||||||||
| Xiahou Guangji (d. 307) | |||||||||||||||
| Lady Yang of Taishan | |||||||||||||||
| Emperor Jianwen of Jin (320–372) | |||||||||||||||
| Zheng He | |||||||||||||||
| Zheng Kai | |||||||||||||||
| Empress Dowager Jianwenxuan (d. 326) | |||||||||||||||
| Lady Wu of Puyang | |||||||||||||||
References[edit]
- ^According to Emperor Jianwen's biography inBook of Jin,he ascended the throne on thejiyouday of the 11th month of the 1st year of theXian'anera of his reign. This corresponds to 6 Jan 372 on the Julian calendar. ( hàm an nguyên niên đông thập nhất nguyệt kỷ dậu, tức hoàng đế vị. )Jin Shu,vol.09.
- ^According to Emperor Jianwen's biography inBook of Jin,he died aged 53 (by East Asian reckoning) on thejiweiday of the 7th month of the 2nd year of theXian'anera of his reign. This corresponds to 12 Sep 372 on the Julian calendar. ([ hàm an nhị niên thu thất nguyệt ] kỷ vị, lập hội kê vương xương minh vi hoàng thái tử, hoàng tử đạo tử vi lang tà vương, lĩnh hội kê nội sử. Thị nhật, đế băng vu đông đường, thời niên ngũ thập tam. )Jin Shu,vol.09. Thus by calculation, his birth year should be 320.