Miao Jinqing (苗晉卿) (685–765),
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 Theobald ...
Yuanfu (元輔), formally Duke Wenzhen of Han (韓文貞公), was a Chinese politician during the
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 Suzong and
Emperor Daizong. He was noted for his peaceful nature, but also noted for his overeagerness to please powerful individuals at court.
Background
Miao Jinqing was born in 685, during the first reign of
Emperor Ruizong. His family was from Lu Prefecture (潞州, roughly modern
Changzhi
Changzhi () is a prefecture-level city in the southeast of Shanxi Province, China, bordering the provinces of Hebei and Henan to the northeast and east, respectively. Historically, the city was one of the 36 administrative areas (see Administrat ...
,
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-lev ...
) and traced its ancestry to the royal clan of
Chu, a state of the
Warring States period
The Warring States period () was an era in History of China#Ancient China, ancient Chinese history characterized by warfare, as well as bureaucratic and military reforms and consolidation. It followed the Spring and Autumn period and concluded ...
.
['']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. 75. His ancestors had been
Confucian
Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a Religious Confucianism, religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, ...
scholars for generations. His grandfather Miao Kui (苗夔) was known for having refused appointment to civil service. His father Miao Daishu (苗殆庶) did serve as an official, but only reached the office of secretary general of Longmen County (龍門, in modern
Yuncheng
Yuncheng is the southernmost prefecture-level city in Shanxi province, People's Republic of China. It borders Linfen and Jincheng municipalities to the north and east, and Henan (Luoyang and Jiyuan to the east, Sanmenxia to the south) and Shaan ...
,
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-lev ...
). Miao Jinqing himself was known for studiousness in his youth, and he was able to pass 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, allowing him to enter civil service.
During Emperor Xuanzong's reign
Sometime during the reign of Emperor Ruizong's son
Emperor Xuanzong, Miao Jinqing started his official career as the sheriff of Xiuwu County (修武, in modern
Jiaozuo
Jiaozuo ( ; postal: Tsiaotso) is a prefecture-level city in the northwest of Henan province, China. Sitting on the northern bank of the Yellow River, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the south, Xinxiang to the east, Jiyuan to the ...
,
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 al ...
), and then served as the sheriff of Fengxian County (奉先, near the Tang 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 Shi ...
) – which, given its proximity to Chang'an, was considered a promotion. For the faults of someone he was associated with – the historical accounts were not clear
[''Old Book of Tang'', vol. 113.] – he was then demoted to be a census officer at Xu Prefecture (徐州, roughly modern
Xuzhou
Xuzhou (徐州), also known as Pengcheng (彭城) in ancient times, is a major city in northwestern Jiangsu province, China. The city, with a recorded population of 9,083,790 at the 2020 census (3,135,660 of which lived in the built-up area ma ...
,
Jiangsu
Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, Postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an Eastern China, eastern coastal Provinces of the People's Republic of China, province of the China, People's Republic of China. It is o ...
). After his term of service was complete at Xu Prefecture, his performance was judged to be of high rank, and he was made the sheriff of Wannian County (萬年) – one of the two counties making up Chang'an, making the sheriff position, while low rank, a very prestigious position. He later served as ''Shiyushi'' (侍御史), a low-level imperial censor, before successively serving as a junior official at the ministries of finance, defense, and civil service affairs. In 735, he was promoted within the civil service affairs ministry to the position of ''Libu Langzhong'' (吏部郎中), serving under the deputy ministers. In 736, he and his colleague as ''Libu Langzhong'', Sun Ti (孫逖), were both given additional titles as ''Zhongshu Sheren'' (中書舍人) as mid-level officials of the legislative bureau of government (中書省, ''Zhongshu Sheng''). In 739, while still carrying those titles, he became one of the officials in charge of selecting officials for civil service. Miao was said to be peaceful and humble in his character, and when the reserve officials argued with him over their commissions, regardless of how talkative or argumentative they got, he still tolerated their arguments without displeasure. In 741, he was promoted to be deputy minister of civil service affairs (吏部侍郎, ''Libu Shilang''). Overall, he was responsible for selecting officials for five years. It was said that because he was not an exacting supervisor, his subordinates were carrying out misdeeds, including accepting bribes for commissions.
At that time, there was peace in the Tang realm, and it was said that in a typical year, over 10,000 men would arrive at Chang'an to undergo the imperial examinations. Miao's superior, the minister of civil service affairs, was
Li Linfu
Li Linfu () (died January 3, 753), nickname Genu (), formally the Duke of Jin (), was a Chinese historian, musician, and politician during the Tang dynasty, serving as a chancellor for 18 years (734–752), during the reign of Emperor Xuanzon ...
, who also served as
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 ...
and concentrated that office, and the ministry was effectively entrusted to Miao and his colleague as deputy minister, Song Yao (宋遙). Because there were so many examinees, Emperor Xuanzong often also selected officials from other ministries to assist Miao and Song, hoping that by doing so the examination process could be fair. In 743, while Miao and Song were still in charge, there was a major scandal in the examination process. That year, Zhang Shi (張奭), the son of the deputy chief imperial censor, Zhang Yi (張倚), was one of the examinees. Miao and Song knew that Zhang Yi was then well-trusted by Emperor Xuanzong and wanted to ingratiate him. When they selected 64 examinees who passed the examinations and ranked them, therefore, they ranked Zhang Shi the highest. It was well known among the other examinees, however, that Zhang Shi never studied diligently, and there was much murmur. A former county magistrate, Su Xiaoyun (蘇孝慍), heard about this, and he reported this to his former superior, the general
An Lushan
An Lushan (; 20th day of the 1st month 19 February 703 – 29 January 757) was a general in the Tang dynasty and is primarily known for instigating the An Lushan Rebellion.
An Lushan was of Sogdian and Göktürk origin,Yang, Zhijiu, "An Lushan ...
, who then was much favored by Emperor Xuanzong. An reported this to Emperor Xuanzong. Emperor Xuanzong therefore gathered the 64 passing examinees and personally tested them. Only less than 20% of the examinees were able to satisfy Emperor Xuanzong, and in particular, Zhang Shi, when given the questions by Emperor Xuanzong, was not able to write a single character on his examination sheet. Emperor Xuanzong, in anger, demoted Miao, Song, and Zhang Yi all to be commandery governors — in Miao's case, to be the governor of Ankang Commandery (安康, roughly modern
Ankang
Ankang () is a prefecture-level city in the south of Shaanxi Province in the People's Republic of China, bordering Hubei province to the east, Chongqing municipality to the south, and Sichuan province to the southwest.
History
The settl ...
,
Shaanxi
Shaanxi (alternatively Shensi, see #Name, § Name) is a landlocked Provinces of China, province of China. Officially part of Northwest China, it borders the province-level divisions of Shanxi (NE, E), Henan (E), Hubei (SE), Chongqing (S), Sichu ...
).
[''New Book of Tang'', vol. 140.]['']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. 215.
In 744, Miao was moved to be the governor of Wei Commandery
Wei Commandery ( zh, 魏郡) was a historical commandery of China, located in modern southern Hebei and northern Henan.
The commandery was created during Emperor Gaozu of Han's reign, with its seat at Ye. In late Western Han, it administered 18 ...
(魏郡, roughly modern Handan
Handan is a prefecture-level city located in the southwest of Hebei province, China. The southernmost prefecture-level city of the province, it borders Xingtai on the north, and the provinces of Shanxi on the west, Henan on the south and Shando ...
, Hebei
Hebei or , (; alternately Hopeh) is a northern province of China. Hebei is China's sixth most populous province, with over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. The province is 96% Han Chinese, 3% Manchu, 0.8% Hui, an ...
), as well as the surveyor of Hebei Circuit (河北, i.e., roughly modern Hebei
Hebei or , (; alternately Hopeh) is a northern province of China. Hebei is China's sixth most populous province, with over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. The province is 96% Han Chinese, 3% Manchu, 0.8% Hui, an ...
). He served there for three years and was said to have governed Wei Commandery well. After three years, he was summoned back to Chang'an, and, at his request, Emperor Xuanzong allowed him to visit his home county, Huguan County (壺關), on the way. When he arrived at Huguan, he got off his horse and began to walk as soon as he spotted the gates to the county seat. His attendant stated to him, "You, Governor, are highly honored and known for your virtues, and you should not take yourself lightly." Miao responded:[
Once Miao arrived at Huguan, he spent several days inviting the people of the county to feasts and also donated a major part of his salary to serve as an education fund for the young men. Soon thereafter, he was made the governor of Hedong Commandery (河東, roughly modern ]Yuncheng
Yuncheng is the southernmost prefecture-level city in Shanxi province, People's Republic of China. It borders Linfen and Jincheng municipalities to the north and east, and Henan (Luoyang and Jiyuan to the east, Sanmenxia to the south) and Shaan ...
, 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-lev ...
), as well as the surveyor of Hedong Circuit (also 河東, but referring to the entire circuit, 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-lev ...
). He was later moved to serve as governor of Fufeng Commandery
Fufeng ( zh, 扶風), also known as You Fufeng ( zh, 右扶風), was a historical region located in modern western Shaanxi.
In early Han dynasty, the administrator of the capital Chang'an and its vicinities was known as ''You Neishi'' (右內史) ...
(扶風, roughly modern Baoji
() is a prefecture-level city in western Shaanxi province, People's Republic of China. Since the early 1990s, Baoji has been the second largest city in Shaanxi.
Geography
The prefecture-level city of Baoji had a population of 3,321,853 accordin ...
, Shaanxi
Shaanxi (alternatively Shensi, see #Name, § Name) is a landlocked Provinces of China, province of China. Officially part of Northwest China, it borders the province-level divisions of Shanxi (NE, E), Henan (E), Hubei (SE), Chongqing (S), Sichu ...
) and created the Baron of Gaoping. He later served as the minister of public works (工部尚書, ''Gongbu Shangshu'') and the official in charge of the eastern capital Luoyang
Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of Luo River (Henan), Luo River and Yellow River in the west of Henan province. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the ...
. After that tour of duty, he was summoned back to Chang'an to serve as the minister of justice (憲部尚書, ''Xianbu Shangshu'') as well as ''Shangshu Zuo Cheng'' (尚書左丞), one of the secretaries general of the examination bureau (尚書省, ''Shangshu Sheng'').
In 755, when An rebelled at Fanyang Circuit (范陽, headquartered in modern Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
) and quickly captured Luoyang, the governor of the key Shan Commandery (陝郡, roughly 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 Sh ...
, 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 al ...
), abandoned his post without defending it. The powerful chancellor Yang Guozhong
Yang Guozhong () (died July 15, 756Volume 218 of ''Zizhi Tongjian'' recorded that Yang was killed on the ''bingshen'' day of the 6th month of the 1st year of the Zhide era of Tang Suzong's reign. This date corresponds to 15 Jul 756 on the Gregori ...
, who disliked Miao, wanted to use this as an opportunity to get Miao out of Chang'an, and therefore suggested that as Miao was a senior official, he would be a good choice to defend Shan. Emperor Xuanzong agreed and commissioned Miao as the governor of Shan as well as the commander of the forces in the region. Miao, who was then 70 years old and who did not want to undertake this military duty, visited Emperor Xuanzong to decline this commission on account of old age, and in doing so offended Emperor Xuanzong. Emperor Xuanzong thus removed him from his office and made him retire.
During Emperor Suzong's reign
In 756, with forces of An Lushan's new state of Yan
Yan may refer to:
Chinese states
* Yan (state) (11th century – 222 BC), a major state in northern China during the Zhou dynasty
* Yan (Han dynasty kingdom), first appearing in 206 BC
* Yan (Three Kingdoms kingdom), officially claimed indepe ...
approaching Chang'an, Emperor Xuanzong fled Chang'an toward Chengdu
Chengdu (, ; Simplified Chinese characters, simplified Chinese: 成都; pinyin: ''Chéngdū''; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: ), Chinese postal romanization, alternatively Romanization of Chi ...
, without taking most members of his court. Many officials surrendered to Yan forces. Miao Jinqing did not do so, but instead fled into a valley and eventually to Ankang Commandery. Meanwhile, Emperor Xuanzong's son and crown prince
A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the wif ...
Li Heng
Emperor Suzong of Tang (''yihai'' day, 711 – 16 May 762; r. 756 – 762), personal name Li Heng, né Li Sisheng (), known as Li Jun () from 725 to 736, known as Li Yu () from 736 to 738, known briefly as Li Shao () in 738, was an emperor of t ...
also did not follow Emperor Xuanzong but instead fled to Lingwu
Lingwu (, Xiao'erjing: لِئٍوُ شِ) is a county-level city of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Southwest China, it is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Yinchuan. It is the most important industrial city of Ningxia. Li ...
, where he was proclaimed emperor (as Emperor Suzong), an act later recognized by Emperor Xuanzong, who took the title of ''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 ...
'' (retired emperor). As Tang forces staged their counterattack in 757, Emperor Suzong advanced from Lingwu to Fengxiang (鳳翔, i.e., the capital of Fufeng Commandery). He summoned Miao to his court and made Miao ''Zuo Xiang'' (左相) – the head of the examination bureau (門下省, ''Menxia Sheng'') and a post considered one for a chancellor. He often consulted Miao on important affairs of state. Later in the year, after Tang forces recaptured Chang'an and Luoyang, Miao continued to serve as chancellor and the head of the examination bureau — now retitled ''Shizhong'' (侍中). He was also created the Duke of Han. Miao repeatedly requested retirement, and in 759, as a part of Emperor Suzong's reorganization of his chancellors, he removed Miao and his colleague Wang Yu from their chancellor positions, replacing them with Lü Yin
Lü Yin (呂諲) (712–762), formally Count Su of Xuchang (須昌肅伯), was a Chinese military general and politician during the Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Suzong. Historians often regarded him as being m ...
, Li Xian, and Li Kui. Emperor Suzong gave Miao the post of ''Taizi Taifu'' (太子太傅) – senior advisor to Emperor Suzong's crown prince Li Yu. In 760, however, Emperor Suzong again made Miao ''Shizhong'', returning him to the rank of chancellors.
The ''Old Book of Tang'' had this to say about Miao's style of governance:[
In 762, Emperor Xuanzong died. Emperor Suzong, who was already ill, commissioned Miao to serve as regent for three days while he mourned. After Emperor Suzong himself died soon thereafter, Li Yu took the throne as Emperor Daizong but wanted Miao to serve as regent again briefly. This time, Miao declined, citing his own old age and his belief that having a regent was inappropriate given the circumstances, and Emperor Daizong agreed.
]
During Emperor Daizong's reign
In his old age, Miao Jinqing continued to serve as chancellor. He requested that he be allowed to report to the office of chancellors only every other day, and Emperor Daizong agreed – and further permitted Miao to enter the office in a litter. He also met Miao regularly at Yanying Hall (延英殿) – a mode which set a precedent for later emperors and later ailing chancellors.[
In 763, ]Tibetan
Tibetan may mean:
* of, from, or related to Tibet
* Tibetan people, an ethnic group
* Tibetan language:
** Classical Tibetan, the classical language used also as a contemporary written standard
** Standard Tibetan, the most widely used spoken dial ...
, or Tubo Tubo may refer to:
* Tibet, called Tubo or Tufan in Chinese historical texts
** Tibetan Empire (618–842)
* Tubo, Abra
Tubo, officially the Municipality of Tubo ( ilo, Ili ti Tubo; tgl, Bayan ng Tubo), is a 4th class municipality in the provin ...
, forces launched a surprise attack on Chang'an, and Emperor Daizong was forced to flee east. Miao, being ill, could not follow Emperor Daizong, and Tibetan forces, which proclaimed Emperor Daizong's second cousin Li Chenghong the Prince of Guangwu the Emperor of Tang, went to Miao's mansion to try to force him to serve Li Chenghong. Miao refused to cooperate and remained silent. Tibetan forces did not dare to kill him and left him alone. Later in the year, after Emperor Daizong's forces were able to force Tibetan forces to leave Chang'an and remove Li Chenghong, allowing Emperor Daizong's return, Miao was given the exceedingly highly honored title of ''Taifu'' (太傅), but was removed from his chancellor position. He died in 765 and was buried with great honors. Initially, the officials responsible for posthumous name
A posthumous name is an honorary name given mostly to the notable dead in East Asian culture. It is predominantly practiced in East Asian countries such as China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, and Thailand. Reflecting on the person's accomplishments or ...
s proposed for him the posthumous name of ''Yixian'' (懿獻, meaning "benevolent and wise"). At that time, the most powerful figure at court was the chancellor Yuan Zai
Yuan Zai (元載) (713 – May 10, 777), courtesy name Gongfu (公輔), formally Duke Huang of Yingchuan (潁川荒公) and then Duke Chengzong of Yingchuan (潁川成縱公), Duke Zhong of Yingchuan (潁川忠公), was a Chinese economist, histori ...
, who had previously served under Miao and was grateful to Miao, and he ordered the officials to change the proposal to the more honored ''Wenzhen'' (文貞, meaning, "civil and virtuous"). In 772, Emperor Daizong ordered that Miao be worshipped with Emperor Suzong at Emperor Suzong's temple.
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 Kingdo ...
'', vol. 113 113 may refer to:
*113 (number), a natural number
*AD 113, a year
* 113 BC, a year
*113 (band), a French hip hop group
* 113 (MBTA bus), Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority bus route
* 113 (New Jersey bus), Ironbound Garage in Newark and run ...
.
* ''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. 140 140 may refer to:
* 140 (number), an integer
* AD 140, a year of the Julian calendar
* 140 BC, a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar
* ''140'' (video game), a 2013 platform game
* Tin King stop
Tin King () is an at-grade MTR Light Rail stop ...
.
* ''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. 215
Year 215 ( CCXV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Laetus and Sulla (or, less frequently, year 968 ''Ab urbe condita''). ...
, 219
__NOTOC__
Year 219 ( CCXIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Antonius and Sacerdos (or, less frequently, year 972 '' ...
, 221
__NOTOC__
Year 221 (Roman numerals, CCXXI) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Gratus and Vitellius (or, less frequently, ...
, 222
__NOTOC__
Year 222 ( CCXXII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. In the Roman Empire, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Antoninus and Severus (or, less frequently, ye ...
, 223.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Miao, Jinqing
685 births
765 deaths
Chancellors under Emperor Daizong of Tang
Chancellors under Emperor Suzong of Tang
Regents of China