Liu Taigong (), personal name Liu Tuan (), was the father of

Liu Bang Emperor Gaozu of Han (256 – 1 June 195 BC), born Liu Bang () with courtesy name Ji (季), was the founder and first emperor of the Han dynasty, reigning in 202–195 BC. His temple name was "Taizu" while his posthumous name was Emper ...

(Emperor Gaozu of Han).

Biography

Not much is recorded about Taigong historically. He was born and likely lived his early life in present-day

Feng County, Jiangsu Feng County, or Fengxian (), is under the administration of Xuzhou, Jiangsu province, China. The northwesternmost and westernmost county-level division in the province, it borders the provinces of Shandong to the north and west, and Anhui to the ...

. His personal name is not known. Some historical sources says his name is Liu Zhijia (Chinese:劉執嘉), although this name is likely chosen after Liu Bang became Emperor. He likely came from a humble, rural background. After Taigong's son Liu Bang became emperor, Liu Bang continued to visit his father once a week. However, upon hearing from an advisor that it was no longer appropriate for Taigong to "receive" his son, as Taigong was technically one of his subjects, Taigong began to greet his son in deprecatory fashion, honoring the latter's status as emperor. Upon learning the reason behind his father's actions, Liu Bang honored Taigong with the title

Taishang Huang In Chinese history, a ''Taishang Huang'' or ''Taishang Huangdi'' is an honorific and institution of a retired emperor. The former emperor had, at least in name, abdicated in favor of someone else. Although no longer the reigning sovereign, ther ...

after Liu Bang declared himself emperor. The title nominally elevated Liu's status in court protocol as to remain consistent with Confucian norms of

filial piety In Confucianism, Chinese Buddhism, and Daoist ethics, filial piety (, ''xiào'') (Latin: pietas) is a virtue of respect for one's parents, elders, and ancestors. The Confucian ''Classic of Filial Piety'', thought to be written around the late W ...

. Taigong died at a palace in the city of

Yueyang Yueyang, formerly known as Yuezhou or Yochow, is a prefecture-level city on the eastern shores of Dongting Lake and Yangtze in the northeastern corner of Hunan Province in the People's Republic of China. Yueyang has an administrative area of a ...

in 197 BC. He is entombed in present-day

Lintong District Lintong District (), formerly Lintong County, is one of 11 urban districts of the prefecture-level city of Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi Province, Northwest China. The district was approved to establish from the former ''Lintong County'' () by th ...

Xi'an Xi'an ( , ; ; Chinese: ), frequently spelled as Xian and also known by #Name, other names, is the list of capitals in China, capital of Shaanxi, Shaanxi Province. A Sub-provincial division#Sub-provincial municipalities, sub-provincial city o ...

Family

Consorts and Issue: * Wang Hanshi (), also known as Liu Ao (, "Old woman Liu"), posthumously honored as Empress Zhaoling () ** Liu Bo, Prince Wu'ai (; b. 262 BC), first son ** Liu Xi, Prince Qing of Wu (; 260–193 BC), second son ** Empress Zhao'ai () **

, Emperor Gao (; 256–195 BC), third son * Retired Empress, of the Li clan (), formerly a concubine ** Liu Jiao, Prince Yuan of Chu (; d. 179 BC), fourth son

Ancestry

References

*''

Zizhi Tongjian ''Zizhi Tongjian'' () is a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084 AD during the Northern Song dynasty in the form of a chronicle recording Chinese history from 403 BC to 959 AD, covering 16 dynast ...

'', volumes 9 to 12 *''

Records of the Grand Historian ''Records of the Grand Historian'', also known by its Chinese name ''Shiji'', is a monumental history of China that is the first of China's 24 dynastic histories. The ''Records'' was written in the early 1st century by the ancient Chinese hist ...

'', volume 8 *''

Book of Han The ''Book of Han'' or ''History of the Former Han'' (Qián Hàn Shū,《前汉书》) is a history of China finished in 111AD, covering the Western, or Former Han dynasty from the first emperor in 206 BCE to the fall of Wang Mang in 23 CE. I ...

'', volume 36 {{DEFAULTSORT:Liu, Zhijia 3rd-century BC births 197 BC deaths Emperor Gaozu of Han