Liu Zhan (劉瞻) (died September 29, 874
Academia Sinica
Academia Sinica (AS, la, 1=Academia Sinica, 3=Chinese Academy; ), headquartered in Nangang, Taipei, is the national academy of Taiwan. Founded in Nanking, the academy supports research activities in a wide variety of disciplines, ranging fro ...
br>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter
.['']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 ...
'', vol. 252.),
courtesy name
A courtesy name (), also known as a style name, is a name bestowed upon one at adulthood in addition to one's given name. This practice is a tradition in the East Asian cultural sphere, including China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.Ulrich Theo ...
Jizhi (幾之), was an official of the Chinese
Tang dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...
, serving as a
chancellor
Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...
during the reigns of
Emperor Yizong and (briefly) Emperor Yizong's son
Emperor Xizong.
Background
It is not known when Liu Zhan was born. His family was originally from
Pengcheng, but by Liu Zhan's time had relocated to Guiyang (桂陽, in modern
Guilin
Guilin (Standard Zhuang: ''Gveilinz''; alternatively romanized as Kweilin) is a prefecture-level city in the northeast of China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It is situated on the west bank of the Li River and borders Hunan to the nort ...
,
Guangxi
Guangxi (; ; alternately romanized as Kwanghsi; ; za, Gvangjsih, italics=yes), officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (GZAR), is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in South China and bordering Vietnam ...
).
['']New Book of Tang
The ''New Book of Tang'', generally translated as the "New History of the Tang" or "New Tang History", is a work of official history covering the Tang dynasty in ten volumes and 225 chapters. The work was compiled by a team of scholars of the So ...
'', vol. 181. His ancestry is only traceable to his grandfather Liu Sheng (), who was not listed with any official titles, and his father Liu Jing (), who served as a staff member for a military governor of Fufang Circuit (鄜坊, headquartered in modern
Yan'an
Yan'an (; ), alternatively spelled as Yenan is a prefecture-level city in the Shaanbei region of Shaanxi province, China, bordering Shanxi to the east and Gansu to the west. It administers several counties, including Zhidan (formerly Bao'an) ...
,
Shaanxi
Shaanxi (alternatively Shensi, see § Name) is a landlocked province of China. Officially part of Northwest China, it borders the province-level divisions of Shanxi (NE, E), Henan (E), Hubei (SE), Chongqing (S), Sichuan (SW), Gansu (W), N ...
).
Early career
Early in the ''Taihe'' era (827-835) of
Emperor Wenzong, Liu Zhan passed the
imperial examination
The imperial examination (; lit. "subject recommendation") refers to a civil-service examination system in Imperial China, administered for the purpose of selecting candidates for the state bureaucracy. The concept of choosing bureaucrats by ...
s in the ''Jinshi'' class. In 830, he further passed a special imperial examination for those with broad knowledge and grand speech.
['']Old Book of Tang
The ''Old Book of Tang'', or simply the ''Book of Tang'', is the first classic historical work about the Tang dynasty, comprising 200 chapters, and is one of the Twenty-Four Histories. Originally compiled during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingd ...
'', vol. 177. At the recommendation of the official
Xu Shang Xu Shang (徐商), courtesy name Yisheng (義聲) or Qiuqing (秋卿), formally Viscount of Dongguan (東莞子), was an official of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Yizong of Tang.
Background
It is n ...
, Liu Zhan was made a staff member at the directorate for the salt and iron monopolies. Liu was subsequently made ''Taichang Boshi'' (), a scholar at the ministry of worship (太常寺, ''Taichang Si''). Subsequently, when
Liu Zhuan was
chancellor
Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...
, because Liu Zhan shared a surname with him, Liu Zhuan recommended him to be an imperial scholar (翰林學士, ''Hanlin Xueshi''). Liu Zhan was subsequently also made ''Zhongshu Sheren'' (), a mid-level post at the legislative bureau of government (中書省, ''Zhongshu Sheng''), and then deputy minister of census (戶部侍郎, ''Hubu Shilang'') as well as chief imperial scholar (翰林學士承旨, ''Hanlin Xueshi Chengzhi''). He was later sent out of the capital to serve as the military governor (''
Jiedushi
The ''jiedushi'' (), or jiedu, was a title for regional military governors in China which was established in the Tang dynasty and abolished in the Yuan dynasty. The post of ''jiedushi'' has been translated as "military commissioner", "legate ...
'') of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern
Taiyuan
Taiyuan (; ; ; Mandarin pronunciation: ; also known as (), ()) is the capital and largest city of Shanxi Province, People's Republic of China. Taiyuan is the political, economic, cultural and international exchange center of Shanxi Province. ...
,
Shanxi
Shanxi (; ; formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-leve ...
) as well as the mayor of its capital Taiyuan Municipality. He was later recalled to be the mayor of Jingzhao Municipality (京兆, i.e., the region of the capital
Chang'an
Chang'an (; ) is the traditional name of Xi'an. The site had been settled since Neolithic times, during which the Yangshao culture was established in Banpo, in the city's suburbs. Furthermore, in the northern vicinity of modern Xi'an, Qin ...
), and later again the deputy minister of census and imperial scholar.
[
]
First chancellorship and removal
In 869, then-reigning Emperor Yizong gave Liu Zhan the designation ''Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi'' (), making him a chancellor ''de facto''.[''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 251.] He was subsequently given the additional posts of ''Zhongshu Shilang'' (), the deputy head of the legislative bureau; minister of justice (刑部尚書, ''Xingbu Shangshu''); and imperial scholar at Jixian Institution ().[
In 870, Emperor Yizong's favorite daughter Princess Tongchang died. In anger, Emperor Yizong executed some 20 of imperial physicians who were unable to save her, and further had some 300 of their family members arrested. Liu initially requested the advisory officials, whose responsibilities were to correct the emperor's behavior, to submit petitions to ask for lenience on their behalf, but none of the advisory officials dared to do so, so Liu himself did, drawing Emperor Yizong's displeasure. Subsequently, both he and the mayor of Jingzhao, Wen Zhang (), met with Emperor Yizong to further to plead for these prisoners' case; Emperor Yizong had them ejected from his presence. Soon thereafter, Liu was sent out of the capital to serve as the military governor of Jingnan Circuit (荊南, headquartered in modern ]Jingzhou
Jingzhou () is a prefecture-level city in southern Hubei province, China, located on the banks of the Yangtze River. Its total residential population was 5,231,180 based on the 2020 census, 1,068,291 of whom resided in the built-up (''or metro' ...
, Hubei
Hubei (; ; alternately Hupeh) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, and is part of the Central China region. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Dongting Lake. The p ...
), and Wen committed suicide. A number of other officials who were friendly with Liu were demoted, as was the chief imperial scholar Zheng Tian, who drafted an edict that outwardly rebuked Liu but was instead praising Liu for his frugality, thus angering the chancellor Lu Yan, who bore a grudge against Liu. At instigation by Lu and Princess Tongchang's husband Wei Baoheng, Liu was further accused with conspiring with the imperial physicians to poison Princess Tongchang, and Liu was thereafter demoted to be the prefect of Kang Prefecture (康州, in modern Zhaoqing
Zhaoqing (), alternately romanized as Shiuhing, is a prefecture-level city in Guangdong Province, China. As of the 2020 census, its population was 4,113,594, with 1,553,109 living in the built-up (or metro) area made of Duanzhou, Dinghu ...
, Guangdong
Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020 ...
), and yet later the census officer at Huan Prefecture (驩州, in modern Nghệ An Province, Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making ...
). The edict announcing that demotion was drafted by Li Yu (), at Lu's behest, using extremely harsh language that suggested that Liu would next be put to death. It was said that the people of the empire all lamented the false accusations, and the military governor of Lulong Circuit (盧龍, headquartered in modern Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), Chinese postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the Capital city, capital of the China, People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's Li ...
), Zhang Gongsu, submitted a petition defending Liu. In apprehension, Lu did not dare to have Liu put to death.[
After Emperor Yizong died in 873 and was succeeded by his son Emperor Xizong,][ Liu was first promoted to be the prefect of Kang Prefecture, and then the prefect of Guo Prefecture (虢州, in modern ]Sanmenxia
Sanmenxia (; postal: Sanmenhsia) is a prefecture-level city in the west of Henan Province, China. The westernmost prefecture-level city in Henan, Sanmenxia borders Luoyang to the east, Nanyang to the southeast, Shaanxi Province to the west and S ...
, Henan
Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is a ...
).[ In 874, he was recalled to Chang'an to serve as the minister of justice. It was said that when the people of Chang'an heard of Liu's recall, they, out of their own pocket, hired circus workers to put on a grand welcoming procession for Liu. Liu, however, not wanting to create a scene, bypassed the route of the procession.][
]
Second chancellorship and death
In summer 874, after the death of the chancellor Pei Tan, Liu Zhan was again made ''Zhongshu Shilang'' and chancellor. However, it was said that his chancellor colleague Liu Ye, who had joined the efforts of Lu Yan and Wei Baoheng in defaming Liu Zhan, was apprehensive of this development. In fall 874, Liu Ye invited Liu Zhan to a feast at the directorate of the salt and iron monopolies, and Liu Zhan fell ill after the feast. He soon died, prompting the people to believe that it was Liu Ye who poisoned him.[
It was said in the '']New Book of Tang
The ''New Book of Tang'', generally translated as the "New History of the Tang" or "New Tang History", is a work of official history covering the Tang dynasty in ten volumes and 225 chapters. The work was compiled by a team of scholars of the So ...
'' that Liu Zhan was frugal, and he used his salary to aid those in his clan who were poor, keeping no reserve for himself. He also kept no mansion. He refused any bribe offered to him, and he remained true to these principles to the end.[
]
Notes and references
* ''Old Book of Tang
The ''Old Book of Tang'', or simply the ''Book of Tang'', is the first classic historical work about the Tang dynasty, comprising 200 chapters, and is one of the Twenty-Four Histories. Originally compiled during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingd ...
'', vol. 177.
* ''New Book of Tang
The ''New Book of Tang'', generally translated as the "New History of the Tang" or "New Tang History", is a work of official history covering the Tang dynasty in ten volumes and 225 chapters. The work was compiled by a team of scholars of the So ...
'', vol. 181.
* ''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 ...
'', vols. 251, 252
Year 252 ( CCLII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Trebonianus and Volusianus (or, less frequently, year 1005 ''Ab urbe ...
.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Liu, Zhan
874 deaths
Chancellors under Emperor Yizong of Tang
Chancellors under Emperor Xizong of Tang
Tang dynasty jiedushi of Hedong Circuit
Mayors of Taiyuan
Mayors of Xi'an
Tang dynasty jiedushi of Jingnan Circuit
Year of birth unknown