Emperor Xiaowu of Jin (; 362– 6 November 396
[According to Sima Yao's biography in ''Book of Jin'', he died aged 35 (by East Asian reckoning) on the ''gengshen'' day of the 9th month of the 21st year of the ''Taiyuan'' era of his reign. This corresponds to 6 Nov 396 in the Julian calendar. 太元二十一年)九月庚申,帝崩于清暑殿,时年三十五''Jin Shu'' vol. 09. Thus by calculation, his birth year should be 362.]), personal name Sima Yao (),
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 Theob ...
Changming (), was an emperor of the Eastern
Jin Dynasty (266–420)
The Jin dynasty (; ) or the Jin Empire, sometimes distinguished as the (司馬晉) or the (兩晉), was an imperial dynasty of China that existed from 266 to 420. It was founded by Sima Yan (Emperor Wu), eldest son of Sima Zhao, who had pr ...
in
China. During his reign, Jin saw his dynasty survive a major attempt by
Former Qin to destroy it, but he would nevertheless be the last Jin emperor to actually exercise imperial power, as his sons
Emperor An and
Emperor Gong would be controlled by
regent
A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...
s and warlords. Emperor Xiaowu died an unusual death—he was killed by his
concubine
Concubinage is an interpersonal and sexual relationship between a man and a woman in which the couple does not want, or cannot enter into a full marriage. Concubinage and marriage are often regarded as similar but mutually exclusive.
Concubi ...
Honoured Lady Zhang
Honoured Lady Zhang (367? - after 396) was a concubine of the Jin dynasty emperor, Xiaowu, whom she murdered in 396.Fang (648), volume 9
Biography
Honoured Lady Zhang was Emperor Xiaowu of Jin's favourite concubine. She had no children and the ...
after he insulted her.
Early life
Sima Yao was born in 362, when his father
Sima Yu
Sima or SIMA may refer to:
People
* Sima (Chinese surname)
* Sima (given name), a Persian feminine name in use in Iran and Turkey
* Sima (surname)
Places
* Sima, Comoros, on the island of Anjouan, near Madagascar
* Sima de los Huesos, a caver ...
was Prince of Kuaiji and prime minister for his grandnephew,
Emperor Ai. Sima Yao's mother,
Li Lingrong
Li Lingrong (李陵容) (351 - 9 August 400), formally Empress Dowager Xiaowuwen (孝武文太后, literally "the filial, martial, and civil empress dowager") was an empress dowager during Jin Dynasty (266–420). She was a concubine of Empero ...
, was originally a servant involved in textile production but, based on a magician's words that she would bear his heir (his sons all having died early by that point), Sima Yu took her as his
concubine
Concubinage is an interpersonal and sexual relationship between a man and a woman in which the couple does not want, or cannot enter into a full marriage. Concubinage and marriage are often regarded as similar but mutually exclusive.
Concubi ...
and she gave birth to Sima Yao. As he was born at dawn, she named him Yao, with the courtesy name Changming, both meaning "dawn". A year later she gave birth to his brother,
Sima Daozi
Sima Daozi (司馬道子) (363 – 3 February 403), courtesy name Daozi (道子), formally Prince Wenxiao of Kuaiji (會稽文孝王), was a regent during the reign of his nephew Emperor An of Jin, being the younger brother of Emperor Xiaowu.
E ...
. As the oldest surviving son of Sima Yu, Sima Yao was designated as the
heir apparent
An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...
early in his life, and in 365, when he was just three years old,
Emperor Fei offered the greater title of Prince of Langya to his father and the title of Prince of Kuaiji to him. Sima Yu declined, both personally and on his son's behalf, and Emperor Fei did not insist on them taking on the greater titles.
In 371, having lost a devastating battle to the
Former Yan general
Murong Chui
Murong Chui (; 326–396), courtesy name Daoming (道明), Xianbei name Altun (阿六敦), formally Emperor Chengwu of (Later) Yan ((後)燕成武帝) was a great general of the Xianbei-led Chinese Former Yan dynasty who later became the foundi ...
in 369, the paramount general
Huan Wen
Huan Wen (桓溫) (312 – 18 August 373), courtesy name Yuanzi (元子), formally Duke Xuanwu of Nan Commandery (南郡宣武公), was a general and regent of the Jin Dynasty (266–420), as well as the leader of Huan clan of Qiaoguo (谯国桓 ...
accused Emperor Fei of
impotence
Erectile dysfunction (ED), also called impotence, is the type of sexual dysfunction in which the penis fails to become or stay erect during sexual activity. It is the most common sexual problem in men.Cunningham GR, Rosen RC. Overview of mal ...
and of not being the biological father of his sons. He then deposed him and made Sima Yu the new emperor (as Emperor Jianwen), although actual power was in Huan's hands. In 372, Emperor Jianwen grew ill and he named Sima Yao
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 wi ...
but in his will, he offered the throne to Huan, if he wanted it. When his official Wang Tanzhi () objected, Emperor Jianwen gave approval for an amendment, written by Wang, wherein Huan was only compared to the statesmen
Zhuge Liang
Zhuge Liang ( zh, t=諸葛亮 / 诸葛亮) (181 – September 234), courtesy name Kongming, was a Chinese statesman and military strategist. He was chancellor and later regent of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period. He is ...
and
Wang Dao
Wang Dao (; 276 – 7 September 339), courtesy name Maohong (茂弘), formally Duke Wenxian of Shixing (始興文獻公), was a Chinese politician during the Jin dynasty who played an important role in the administrations of Emperor Yuan, Empe ...
. Nevertheless, when Emperor Jianwen died, many officials were apprehensive of Huan, and not immediately willing to declare Crown Prince Yao as the new emperor. Finally, at the instigation of Wang Biaozhi (), Crown Prince Yao took the throne as Emperor Xiaowu.
Early reign
The new emperor was only 10 years old, therefore his cousin;
Empress Dowager Chu (
Emperor Kang's wife), served as
regent
A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...
, but the decisions were actually being made by
Xie An
Xie An (謝安) (320 – 12 October 385), courtesy name Anshi (安石), formally Duke Wenjing of Luling (廬陵文靖公), also known as "Xie Dongshan" (谢东山, "dongshan" literally 'East mount'), was a Chinese politician of the Eastern Jin d ...
and Wang Tanzhi; Huan Wen, apparently fearful of being entrapped, declined an offer to be regent. In 373, Huan Wen died and the fears of a Huan usurpation dissipated as his brother and successor,
Huan Chong
Huan Chong (桓沖; courtesy name: 幼子, ''Youzi''; 328–384), formally Duke Xuanmu of Fengcheng (), was a Jin Dynasty (266–420) governor and general and the youngest brother of Huan Wen. Contrary to the ambitious Huan Wen, who at times cons ...
, was committed to the survival of the imperial government.
A major issue for the Jin government was the continued military pressure exerted by the powerful northern rival,
Former Qin. In 373, Former Qin attacked and seized Jin's Liang (梁州, modern southern
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 ...
) and Yi (益州, modern
Sichuan
Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ...
and
Chongqing) provinces. Internally, however, Jin was apparently well-governed by Xie and Huan Chong.
In 375, Emperor Xiaowu married
Wang Fahui
Empress Wang Fahui (王法慧) (360 – 24 October 380), formally Empress Xiaowuding (孝武定皇后, literally "the filial, martial, and quieting empress") was an empress during Jin Dynasty (266–420). Her husband was Emperor Xiaowu.
When Emp ...
(the daughter of the official, Wang Yun () as his empress. He was 13 and she was 16. He also started studying the
Chinese classic texts
Chinese classic texts or canonical texts () or simply dianji (典籍) refers to the Chinese texts which originated before the imperial unification by the Qin dynasty in 221 BC, particularly the "Four Books and Five Classics" of the Neo-Confucia ...
and writing poetry. In 376, Empress Dowager Chu officially removed herself from the regent position and returned her powers to Emperor Xiaowu, although the decisions were still largely being made by Xie.
In 376, the Jin vassal,
Former Liang
The Former Liang (; 320–376) was a dynastic state, one of the Sixteen Kingdoms, in Chinese history. It was founded by the Zhang family of the Han ethnicity. Its territories included present-day Gansu and parts of Ningxia, Shaanxi, Qinghai and ...
, was attacked by Former Qin. Jin forces, under Huan Chong's command, attempted to relieve the pressure on Former Liang by attacking Former Qin, but Former Liang fell quickly and Huan Chong withdrew his forces. In apprehension of a Former Qin attack, Jin evacuated much of its population north of the
Huai River
The Huai River (), formerly romanized as the Hwai, is a major river in China. It is located about midway between the Yellow River and Yangtze, the two longest rivers and largest drainage basins in China, and like them runs from west to ea ...
to regions south of the river.
In 378, Former Qin made major attacks against the important Jin cities of
Xiangyang
Xiangyang is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Hubei province, China and the second largest city in Hubei by population. It was known as Xiangfan from 1950 to 2010. The Han River runs through Xiangyang's centre and divides the city no ...
, Weixing (魏興, in 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 sett ...
,
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 ...
), and
Pengcheng
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 ...
. While general
Xie Xuan
Xie Xuan (謝玄) (343–388), courtesy name Youdu (幼度), formally Duke Xianwu of Kangle (康樂獻武公), was a Jin Dynasty (266–420) general who is best known for repelling the Former Qin army at the Battle of Fei River, preventing the ...
was able to immediately recapture Pengcheng after it fell, Xiangyang and Weixing were taken by Former Qin forces in 379.
In 380, Empress Wang died. Emperor Xiaowu did not have another empress for the rest of his life.
In 381, Emperor Xiaowu began to study
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
sutras and he established a Buddhist study hall inside his palace, inviting monks to live within.
In 383, Huan Chong made a counterattack against Former Qin, hoping to recapture Xiangyang and the southwest. However, after initial losses, Huan abandoned the campaign.
The Battle of Fei River
Later in 383, Former Qin's emperor,
Fu Jiān, launched a major attack against Jin, intending to destroy it and unite China. At the Battle of Fei River, however, his forces panicked after trying to retreat to draw Jin forces across the river, and his army was routed with great losses, including his brother and prime minister,
Fu Rong
Fu Rong (苻融) (died 383), courtesy name Boxiu (伯休), formally Duke Ai of Yangping (陽平哀公), was an official and general of the Di-led Former Qin dynasty of China. He was a younger brother of Fu Jiān, the third emperor of the dyna ...
. Former Qin began to collapse after this defeat and never again posed a threat to Jin.
Middle reign
After defeating Former Qin forces, Xie Xuan spearheaded a campaign to regain lost territory, and Jin captured most of the Former Qin provinces south of the
Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He (Chinese: , Mandarin: ''Huáng hé'' ) is the second-longest river in China, after the Yangtze River, and the sixth-longest river system in the world at the estimated length of . Originating in the Bayan Ha ...
, as well as regaining Liang and Yi provinces. However, Prime Minister Xie An, who was most credited with the victory, began to lose favor in Emperor Xiaowu's eyes; Xie's son-in-law,
Wang Guobao
Wang may refer to:
Names
* Wang (surname) (王), a common Chinese surname
* Wāng (汪), a less common Chinese surname
* Titles in Chinese nobility
* A title in Korean nobility
* A title in Mongolian nobility
Places
* Wang River in Thailand ...
(), unhappy that Xie did not give him important posts, began to flatter both Emperor Xiaowu and his brother, Sima Daozi, the Prince of Kuaiji, as a means of undercutting Xie. Xie remained prime minister, however, until his death in 385; he was replaced by Sima Daozi. Both Emperor Xiaowu and Sima became obsessed with feasting and drinking, and neither spent much time on affairs of state.
In 387, Emperor Xiaowu named his oldest son, five-year-old
Sima Dezong, crown prince, notwithstanding the fact that Sima was
developmentally disabled
Developmental disability is a diverse group of chronic conditions, comprising mental or physical impairments that arise before adulthood. Developmental disabilities cause individuals living with them many difficulties in certain areas of life, espe ...
—so severely that even after he grew older, he was described as not being able to talk, dress himself, or to tell whether he was full or hungry while eating.
In 390, Emperor Xiaowu began to tire of how his brother, Sima Daozi, was taking his favors for granted, and he decided to look for counterbalancing forces. He made the officials
Wang Gong (王恭, Empress Wang's brother) and
Yin Zhongkan () key regional governors, despite warnings that both Wang and Yin were talented but narrow-minded, and might create issues later.
Late reign
By 395, the conflict between Emperor Xiaowu and Sima had flared into the open, but because of the intercession of Empress Dowager Li, Emperor Xiaowu did not remove his brother. After further mediation by Xu Miao (), the relationship between the brothers seemed to be restored.
By 396, Emperor Xiaowu was spending so much of his time on drinking and women that he was not tending to important matters of state. His favorite consort was the beautiful
Honoured Lady Zhang
Honoured Lady Zhang (367? - after 396) was a concubine of the Jin dynasty emperor, Xiaowu, whom she murdered in 396.Fang (648), volume 9
Biography
Honoured Lady Zhang was Emperor Xiaowu of Jin's favourite concubine. She had no children and the ...
. In late fall 396, when she was almost 30 years old, Emperor joked at a feast saying, "Based on your age, you should yield your position. I want someone younger." That night, after Emperor Xiaowu fell drunk, she ordered all the
eunuch
A eunuch ( ) is a male who has been castrated. Throughout history, castration often served a specific social function.
The earliest records for intentional castration to produce eunuchs are from the Sumerian city of Lagash in the 2nd millenni ...
s away, bribing them with wine, and then ordered her servant girls to suffocate Emperor Xiaowu by putting a blanket over his face. She further bribed the attendants and claimed that the emperor died suddenly in his sleep. The death was not investigated and the next day, Sima Dezong assumed the throne as Emperor An, with Sima Daozi as
regent
A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...
.
Era names
* ''Ningkang'' (寧康 níng kāng) February 19, 373 – February 8, 376
* ''Taiyuan'' (太元 tài yuán) February 9, 376 – February 12, 397
Family
Consorts and Issue:
*
Empress Xiaowuding, of the Wang clan of Taiyuan (; 360–380), personal name Fahui ()
*
Empress Dowager Ande, of the Chen clan (; 362–390), personal name Guinü ()
**
Sima Dezong, Emperor An (; 382–419), first son
**
Sima Dewen, Emperor Gong (; 386–421), second son
*
''Guiren'', of the Zhang clan ()
* Unknown
** Princess Jinling (; d. 432)
*** Married Xie Hun of Chen, Duke Wangcai (; d. 412)
*** Married Wang Lian of Langya ()
Ancestry
References
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Xiaowu of Jin, Emperor
362 births
396 deaths
Jin dynasty (266–420) emperors
Jin dynasty (266–420) Buddhists
Chinese Buddhist monarchs
4th-century Chinese monarchs