Emperor Ai of Jin
Encyclopedia
| Jin Aidi | |
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| Family name Chinese name Personal names in Chinese culture follow a number of conventions different from those of personal names in Western cultures. Most noticeably, a Chinese name is written with the family name first and the given name next, therefore "John-Paul Smith" as a Chinese name would be "Smith John-Paul"... : |
Sima (司馬; sī mǎ) |
| Given name Chinese name Personal names in Chinese culture follow a number of conventions different from those of personal names in Western cultures. Most noticeably, a Chinese name is written with the family name first and the given name next, therefore "John-Paul Smith" as a Chinese name would be "Smith John-Paul"... : |
Pi (丕, pī) |
| Posthumous name Posthumous name A posthumous name is an honorary name given to royalty, nobles, and sometimes others, in East Asia after the person's death, and is used almost exclusively instead of one's personal name or other official titles during his life... : |
Ai (哀, āi), literary meaning: "lamentable" |
Emperor Ai of Jin (晋哀帝/晉哀帝, pinyin
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
Jìn Aīdì, Wade-Giles
Wade-Giles
Wade–Giles , sometimes abbreviated Wade, is a romanization system for the Mandarin Chinese language. It developed from a system produced by Thomas Wade during the mid-19th century , and was given completed form with Herbert Giles' Chinese–English dictionary of 1892.Wade–Giles was the most...
Chin Ai-ti) (341
341
Year 341 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Marcellinus and Probinus...
– March 30, 365), personal name Sima Pi (司馬丕), courtesy name Qianling (千齡), was an emperor of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (265-420)
Jìn Dynasty (265-420)
The Jìn Dynasty , was a dynasty in Chinese history, lasting between the years 265 and 420 AD. There are two main divisions in the history of the Dynasty, the first being Western Jin and the second Eastern Jin...
. During his brief reign, the actual powers were largely in the hands of his granduncle Sima Yu
Emperor Jianwen of Jin
Emperor Jianwen of Jin , personal name Sima Yu , courtesy name Daowan , was an emperor of the Eastern Jin Dynasty in China. He was the younger brother of Emperor Ming and installed by military leader Huan Wen...
the Prince of Kuaiji, and the paramount general Huan Wen
Huan Wen
Huan Wen , courtesy name Yuanzi , formally Duke Xuanwu of Nan Commandery , was a general of the Jin Dynasty...
. According to historical accounts, he had an obsession with immortality
Immortality
Immortality is the ability to live forever. It is unknown whether human physical immortality is an achievable condition. Biological forms have inherent limitations which may or may not be able to be overcome through medical interventions or engineering...
, which ironically resulted in his death, as he became poisoned by pills that were given him by magicians in 364 and eventually died in 365.
Early life
Sima Pi was born in 341, during the reign of his father Emperor Cheng of JinEmperor Cheng of Jin
Emperor Cheng of Jin , personal name Sima Yan , courtesy name Shigen , was an emperor of the Eastern Jin Dynasty . He was the eldest son of Emperor Ming and became the crown prince on April 1, 325...
, as Emperor Cheng's oldest son. His mother was Consort Zhou
Consort Zhou (Cheng)
Consort Zhou was an imperial consort during Jin Dynasty . She was a concubine of Emperor Cheng. She was favored by him, and she bore him his only two sons -- Sima Pi and Sima Yi...
, who in 342 gave birth to his younger brother Sima Yi
Emperor Fei of Jin
Emperor Fei of Jin , personal name Sima Yi , courtesy name Yanling , was an emperor of the Eastern Jin Dynasty in China. He was the younger brother of Emperor Ai and later deposed by military leader Huan Wen...
. In summer 342, Emperor Cheng grew ill. The common succession protocol, as He Chong
He Chong
He Chong is a Chinese diver. He is the 2008 Olympic Champion in the 3m springboard.He split with partner Wang Feng after they won a gold medal in the 3m synchronised springboard event at the 2005 World Championships...
(何充) pointed out, would mean that his oldest son would succeed to the throne, but Emperor Cheng's uncle Yu Bing (庾冰), wanting a new emperor who would also be connected to his clan as well, persuaded Emperor Cheng to pass the throne to his younger brother Sima Yue
Emperor Kang of Jin
Emperor Kang of Jin , personal name Sima Yue , courtesy name Shitong , was an emperor of the Eastern Jin Dynasty . He was a son of Emperor Ming and younger brother of Emperor Cheng...
the Prince of Langye, also a son of his sister Empress Yu Wenjun
Empress Yu Wenjun
Empress Yu Wenjun , formally Empress Mingmu was an empress of Jin Dynasty...
, under the reasoning that with the powerful rival Later Zhao
Later Zhao
The Later Zhao was a state of the Sixteen Kingdoms during the Jin Dynasty in China. It was founded by the Shi family of the Jie ethnicity...
to the north, the empire needed an adult emperor. Emperor Cheng agreed, and named Sima Yue as the heir, and Sima Yue succeeded to the throne as Emperor Kang when he died soon after. The one-year-old Sima Pi was instead created the Prince of Langye. He continued in that title after Emperor Kang's death in 344, as Emperor Kang chose to pass the throne to his infant son Sima Dan
Emperor Mu of Jin
Emperor Mu of Jin , personal name Sima Dan , courtesy name Pengzi , was an emperor of the Eastern Jin Dynasty...
(as Emperor Mu). It is not known when he married his wife Wang Muzhi
Empress Wang Muzhi
Empress Wang Muzhi , formally Empress Aijing was an empress of Jin Dynasty . Her husband was Emperor Ai....
, only that she carried the title Princess of Langye.
Reign
In 361, Emperor Mu died without a son. Emperor Mu's mother Empress Dowager ChuEmpress Chu Suanzi
Empress Chu Suanzi , formally Empress Kangxian , at times as Empress Dowager Chongde , was an empress of Jin Dynasty...
thus ordered that Sima Pi be made emperor, and he took the throne as Emperor Ai, at age 20. He created his wife Princess Wang as empress, and his brother Sima Yi, who previously carried the title the Prince of Donghai, as the Prince of Langye. Since he was an adult, Empress Dowager Chu did not serve as regent for him, and he honored his mother Consort Zhou as Consort Dowager (皇太妃) in 362, but with supplies and ceremonies similar to the empress dowager. However, the decision-making process was largely in the hands of the general Huan Wen
Huan Wen
Huan Wen , courtesy name Yuanzi , formally Duke Xuanwu of Nan Commandery , was a general of the Jin Dynasty...
and Emperor Ai's granduncle Sima Yu
Emperor Jianwen of Jin
Emperor Jianwen of Jin , personal name Sima Yu , courtesy name Daowan , was an emperor of the Eastern Jin Dynasty in China. He was the younger brother of Emperor Ming and installed by military leader Huan Wen...
the Prince of Kuaiji.
In 362, Huan, after securing the Luoyang
Luoyang
Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...
region, requested that the capital be moved back to Luoyang, where it had been until it was captured by Han Zhao
Han Zhao
The Han Zhao , or Former Zhao, or Northern Han , was a Southern Xiongnu state during Sixteen Kingdoms period coeval with the Chinese Jin Dynasty...
in 311. The imperial government, under an edict issued by Emperor Ai, declined.
In 363, Consort Dowgaer Zhou died. In accordance with proper protocol that he could no longer honor her as mother, out of respect for Empress Dowgaer Chu, Emperor Ai did not observe the normal mourning period due a mother.
Emperor Ai was obsessed with seeking immortality, despite his young age. In 364, he became poisoned by pills given him by magicians, and he grew so ill that he was unable to handle important matters. Empress Dowager Chu had to resume regency
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
on his behalf.
Later in 364, Former Yan
Former Yan
The Former Yan was a state of Xianbei ethnicity during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms in China.Initially, Murong Huang and his son Murong Jun claimed the Jin Dynasty -created title "Prince of Yan," but subsequently, in 352, after seizing most of the former Later Zhao territory, Murong Juan would...
launched a major attack against Luoyang, and Huan and Sima Yu considered a counterattack to relieve Luoyang. However, as Emperor Ai died in early 365, that plan was cancelled, and Luoyang soon fell. As he did not have a son, Emperor Ai was succeeded by his brother Sima Yi, as Emperor Fei. (Emperor Ai was preceded in death by his wife Empress Wang, as she died about a month before he died; they were buried together with imperial honors.)
Era names
- Longhe (隆和 py. Lónghé) March 2, 362 – February 5, 363
- Xingning (Simplified Chinese characterSimplified Chinese characterSimplified Chinese characters are standardized Chinese characters prescribed in the Xiandai Hanyu Tongyong Zibiao for use in Mainland China. Along with traditional Chinese characters, it is one of many standard character sets of the contemporary Chinese written language...
兴宁, Traditional Chinese characterTraditional Chinese characterTraditional Chinese characters refers to Chinese characters in any character set which does not contain newly created characters or character substitutions performed after 1946. It most commonly refers to characters in the standardized character sets of Taiwan, of Hong Kong, or in the Kangxi...
興寧, py. Xīngníng) February 6, 363-365
Personal information
- Father
- Emperor Cheng of JinEmperor Cheng of JinEmperor Cheng of Jin , personal name Sima Yan , courtesy name Shigen , was an emperor of the Eastern Jin Dynasty . He was the eldest son of Emperor Ming and became the crown prince on April 1, 325...
- Emperor Cheng of Jin
- Mother
- Consort ZhouConsort Zhou (Cheng)Consort Zhou was an imperial consort during Jin Dynasty . She was a concubine of Emperor Cheng. She was favored by him, and she bore him his only two sons -- Sima Pi and Sima Yi...
- Consort Zhou
- Wife
- Empress Wang MuzhiEmpress Wang MuzhiEmpress Wang Muzhi , formally Empress Aijing was an empress of Jin Dynasty . Her husband was Emperor Ai....
(created 361, d. 365)
- Empress Wang Muzhi