Emperor Cheng of Jin
Encyclopedia
| Jin Chengdi (晉成帝) | |
|---|---|
| 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"... : |
Yan (衍, yǎn) |
| Temple name Temple name Temple names are commonly used when naming most Chinese, Korean , and Vietnamese royalty. They should not be confused with era names. Compared to posthumous names, the use of temple names is more exclusive... : |
Xianzong (顯宗, xiǎng zōng) |
| 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... : |
Cheng (成, chéng), literary meaning: "successful" |
Emperor Cheng of Jin (晋成帝/晉成帝, 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 Chéngdì, 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 Ch'eng-ti) (321 – 26 July 342), personal name Sima Yan (司馬衍), courtesy name Shigen (世根), 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...
. He was the eldest son of Emperor Ming
Emperor Ming of Jin
Emperor Ming of Jin , personal name Sima Shao , courtesy name Daoji , was an emperor of the Eastern Jin Dynasty...
and became the crown prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
on April 1, 325. During his reign, the administration was largely dominated by a succession of regents—initially his uncle Yu Liang
Yu Liang
Yu Liang , courtesy name Yuangui , formally Marquess Wenkang of Duting , was a Jin Dynasty official and general who impressed many with his knowledge but whose inability to tolerate dissent and overly high evaluation of his own abilities led to the disastrous revolt of Su Jun, weakening Jin's...
, then Wang Dao
Wang Dao
Wang Dao , courtesy name Maohong , formally Duke Wenxian of Shixing , was a Jin Dynasty statesman who served important roles in the administrations of Emperor Yuan, Emperor Ming, and Emperor Cheng, including as Emperor Cheng's regent...
, then the joint administration of He Chong (何充) and another uncle Yu Bing (庾冰). He became emperor at age four, and soon after his accession to the throne, the disastrous rebellion of Su Jun
Su Jun
Su Jun was a Jin Dynasty general, whose rebellion against Emperor Cheng's regent Yu Liang was initially successful, allowing him to take over the imperial government, but he was eventually defeated by Tao Kan and Wen Jiao's forces and killed in battle...
weakened Jin forces for decades.
Family background
Sima Yan was born as the oldest son of Emperor Ming of JinEmperor Ming of Jin
Emperor Ming of Jin , personal name Sima Shao , courtesy name Daoji , was an emperor of the Eastern Jin Dynasty...
, who was crown prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
at that time, by his wife Crown Princess Yu Wenjun
Empress Yu Wenjun
Empress Yu Wenjun , formally Empress Mingmu was an empress of Jin Dynasty...
, in 321. After Emperor Ming took the throne in 323 following the death of his father Emperor Yuan
Emperor Yuan of Jin
Emperor Yuan of Jin , personal name Sima Rui , courtesy name Jingwen , was an emperor of the Jin Dynasty and the first of the Eastern Jin Dynasty...
, he created Crown Princess Yu empress, but did not immediately create Prince Yan crown prince, until 325.
In fall 325, Emperor Ming grew ill. He entrusted the four-year-old Crown Prince Yan to a group of high-level officials, including Sima Yang (司馬羕) the Prince of Xiyang, Wang Dao
Wang Dao
Wang Dao , courtesy name Maohong , formally Duke Wenxian of Shixing , was a Jin Dynasty statesman who served important roles in the administrations of Emperor Yuan, Emperor Ming, and Emperor Cheng, including as Emperor Cheng's regent...
, Bian Kun (卞壼), Chi Jian (郗鑒), Lu Ye (陸瞱), Wen Jiao
Wen Jiao
Wen Jiao , courtesy name Taizhen , formally Duke Zhongwu of Shi'an , was a renowned Jin Dynasty general and governor.-Family:...
, and Empress Yu's brother Yu Liang
Yu Liang
Yu Liang , courtesy name Yuangui , formally Marquess Wenkang of Duting , was a Jin Dynasty official and general who impressed many with his knowledge but whose inability to tolerate dissent and overly high evaluation of his own abilities led to the disastrous revolt of Su Jun, weakening Jin's...
, perhaps intending that they lead by group with a balance of power. He died soon thereafter. Crown Prince Yan took the throne as Emperor Cheng.
Yu Liang's regency
Initially, the officials were in charge together, but as Empress Dowager YuEmpress Yu Wenjun
Empress Yu Wenjun , formally Empress Mingmu was an empress of Jin Dynasty...
became regent, Yu Liang became effectively the most powerful official in the administration. He changed from the lenient policies of Wang (who was prime minister during Emperor Ming's reign) to stricter applications of laws and regulations, which offended the officials accustomed to Wang's lenience. Further, he became apprehensive of the generals Tao Kan
Tao Kan
Tao Kan , courtesy name Shixing , formally Duke Huan of Changsha , was a renowned Jin Dynasty general and governor. He was the great-grandfather of the Jin Dynasty poet Tao Yuanming.- Early career :...
and Zu Yue (祖約) -- neither of whom was mentioned in the list of honors and promotions announced by Emperor Ming's will and believed that Yu had erased their names from the will—and Su Jun
Su Jun
Su Jun was a Jin Dynasty general, whose rebellion against Emperor Cheng's regent Yu Liang was initially successful, allowing him to take over the imperial government, but he was eventually defeated by Tao Kan and Wen Jiao's forces and killed in battle...
, who had allowed many criminals to join his army. In 326, he alienated public opinion by falsely accusing Sima Yang's brother Sima Zong (司馬宗) the Prince of Nandun of treason and killing him and deposing Sima Yang.
The Su Jun Disturbance
In 327, apprensive of Su, Yu decided to try to strip his military command by promoting him to the minister of agriculture—a position that did not involve commanding troops. After initially hesitating, Su eventually refused and formed an alliance with Zu against Yu. Upon hearing this, Wen, whom Yu had made the governor of Jiang Province (江州, modern JiangxiJiangxi
' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to...
) to defend against Tao, the governor of Jing Province (荊州, modern Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
), wanted to quickly move to help defend the capital Jiankang
Jiankang
Jiankang was the capital city of the Eastern Jin Dynasty and Southern Dynasties. Its walls are extant ruins in the modern municipal region of Nanjing.-History:...
, as did the local forces to the east of the capital, but Yu declined all help, wanting Wen to remain in position against Tao and believing that he can defeat Su easily. Fearful that Yu would be defeated by Su, Wen headed toward the capital any way, but before that Su was able to capture the capital in early 328 and take Emperor Cheng and Empress Dowager Yu hostage. Bian died in the battle, and Yu Liang was forced to flee to Wen. Su allowed his soldiers to pillage the capital, and officials and commoners alike had their possessions—as well as clothes—stripped by Su's army, which even seized Empress Dowager Yu's servant girls. Empress Dowager Yu, humiliated by Su and fearful of what was to come, soon died in anxiety.
Su organized a new government, with Wang Dao, whom Su respected, as the titular regent, but with Su himself in actual power. Meanwhile, Yu and Wen organized efforts to recapture the capital. Wen's cousin Wen Chong (溫充) suggested inviting Tao, a capable general with a sizable army, to be the supreme commander of the army. However, Tao, still resentful of Yu, initially refused. Eventually he relented and joined Wen and Yu. They advanced east toward Jiankang. In response, Su forcibly took Emperor Cheng to the fortress of Shitou and put him and his attendants under virtual arrest. Meanwhile, Wang was secretly ordering the commanderies to the east to rise against Su, and he eventually persuaded Su's general Lu Yong (路永) to defect with him to Wen and Tao's army as well. Chi also arrived with his forces from Guangling (廣陵, in modern Huai'an
Huai'an
Huai'an , known as Huaiyin before 2001, is a prefecture-level city in northern Jiangsu province of Eastern China. It borders Suqian to the northwest, Lianyungang to the north, Yancheng to the east, Yangzhou to the southeast, and the province of Anhui to the southwest.The municipality has 4,799,889...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
).
The Su and anti-Su forces battled for months, indecisively, and despite the numeric advantage the anti-Su forces had, they were unable to prevail, leading Tao to at one point consider withdrawing. However, Wen was able to persuade him to stay and continuing the battles against Su. In the fall, during an assault on Shitou, the anti-Su forces initially suffered losses, but as Su was making a counterattack against them, he fell off his horse and was hit by spears. The anti-Su soldiers rushed him and decapitated him. Su's forces initially supported his brother Su Yi (蘇逸) as leader and continued to defend Shitou, but by early 329 were defeated.
In the aftermaths of Su Jun's defeat, with Jiankang having been heavily damaged by war, the top officials considered moving the capital to either Yuzhang (豫章, in modern Nanchang
Nanchang
Nanchang is the capital of Jiangxi Province in southeastern China. It is located in the north-central portion of the province. As it is bounded on the west by the Jiuling Mountains, and on the east by Poyang Lake, it is famous for its scenery, rich history and cultural sites...
, Jiangxi
Jiangxi
' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to...
) or Kuaiji (會稽, in modern Shaoxing
Shaoxing
Shaoxing is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. Located on the south bank of the Qiantang River estuary, it borders Ningbo to the east, Taizhou to the southeast, Jinhua to the southwest, and Hangzhou to the west. It was once known as "越"...
, Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
), but after Wang opposed, noting that Jiankang was in a better position to monitor the northern defenses against 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...
, the capital remained at Jiankang. Wen was requested to remain in Jiankang as regent, but he, believing that Emperor Ming intended Wang to serve that role, yielded the position to Wang. Meanwhile, Yu Liang, initially offering to resign all of his posts and go into exile, accepted a provincial governor post.
In light of his mother's death, the eight-year-old Emperor Cheng appeared to have been raised by his paternal grandmother, Lady Xun
Lady Xun
Lady Xun , formally Lady of Yuzhang , was a concubine of Emperor Yuan of Jin while he was the Prince of Langye. Initially, he favored her greatly, and she bore him two sons -- Sima Shao and Sima Pou . Because of the favor that she received, Sima Rui's wife Princess Yu Mengmu was very jealous...
, from this point on.
Wang Dao's regency
In late 329, Wen Jiao died, and the general Guo Mo (郭默) soon assassinated his successor Liu Yin (劉胤) and seized Jing Province for himself. Wang Dao initially wanted to avoid another war and placated Guo, but Tao Kan and Yu Liang opposed, and their forces quickly converged on Jiang Province's capital Xunyang (尋陽, in modern JiujiangJiujiang
Jiujiang , formerly transliterated Kiukiang, is a prefecture-level city located on the southern shores of the Yangtze River in northwest Jiangxi Province, China. It is the second-largest prefecture-level city in Jiangxi province, the largest one being Nanchang...
, Jiangxi
Jiangxi
' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to...
) in 330, killing Guo.
Meanwhile, during and after the Su Jun Disturbance, Jin forces in central China, without the central government's aid, were unable to hold their positions and eventually lost most of central China to Later Zhao. Key cities lost during this time included the old capital 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...
, Shouchun (壽春, in modern Lu'an
Lu'an
Lu'an , is a prefecture-level city in western Anhui Province, People's Republic of China, with a population of 5,612,590 inhabitants at 2010 census. Its built up area is home to 1,482,729 inhabitants spread out on 2 urban districts...
, Anhui
Anhui
Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
), and Xiangyang (襄陽, in modern Xiangfan
Xiangfan
Xiangyang is a prefecture-level city in Hubei Province of the People's Republic of China. It was formed from two famous ancient cities, Xiangyang and Fancheng...
, Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
), although Xiangyang was recaptured in 332. In 333, Jin also lost Ning Province (寧州, modern Yunnan
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
and Guizhou
Guizhou
' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the southwestern part of the country. Its provincial capital city is Guiyang.- History :...
) to Cheng Han
Cheng Han
The Cheng Han was a state of the Sixteen Kingdoms during the Jin Dynasty in China. It represented two states, the Cheng state proclaimed in 304 by Li Xiong and the Han state in 338 by Li Shou...
(but regained it in 339).
As regent, Wang largely restored his earlier policy of lenience and lax enforcement of the laws, greatly stabilizing the political scene but also leading to the spreading of corruption and incompetence. Eventually, in 338, Yu Liang tried to persuade Chi Jian to join him in moving to depose Wang, but after Chi refused, Yu did not carry out his plan.
In 336, Emperor Cheng married his wife Empress Du Lingyang
Empress Du Lingyang
Empress Du Lingyang , formally Empress Chengong was an empress of Jin Dynasty . Her husband was Emperor Cheng of Jin. Empress Du Lingyang (杜陵陽) (321–341), formally Empress Chengong (成恭皇后, literally "the successful and respectful empress") was an empress of Jin Dynasty (265-420). Her husband...
. Both of them were 15.
In 337, Murong Huang
Murong Huang
Murong Huang , courtesy name Yuanzhen , formally Prince Wenming of Yan was a ruler of the Chinese/Xianbei state Former Yan and the commonly recognized founder of the state...
, the Xianbei
Xianbei
The Xianbei were a significant Mongolic nomadic people residing in Manchuria, Inner Mongolia and eastern Mongolia. The title “Khan” was first used among the Xianbei.-Origins:...
chief who had been a Jin vassal with the Jin-bestowed title of Duke of Liaodong, claimed the title of Prince of Yan notwithstanding Jin's failure to grant him that title, effectively declaring independence and establishing 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...
, although Murong Huang continued to claim to be a Jin vassal.
In 339, Yu wanted to make a major attack against Later Zhao, hoping to recapture central China, and Wang initially agreed with him, but after opposition by Chi and Cai Mo (蔡謨), Emperor Cheng ordered Yu not to carry out the war plans. Wang died in the fall of that year, and was succeeded by his assistant He Chong (何充) and Yu Liang's younger brother Yu Bing (庾冰). Emperor Cheng let He and Yu Bing decide most important matters, but appeared to also began to make some decisions of his own. Yu Bing and He tried to reform some of the problems with Wang's regency, but did not appear very effective at doing so.
Late reign
After Wang Dao's death, Yu Liang resumed his plans for a campaign against Later Zhao, and this brought a major response by Later Zhao's emperor Shi HuShi Hu
Shi Hu , courtesy name Jilong , formally Emperor Wu of Zhao , was an emperor of the Chinese/Jie state Later Zhao...
in late 339. Later Zhao forces inflicted great damage on many Jin cities and bases north of the Yangtze and captured Zhucheng (邾城, in modern Huanggang
Huanggang, Hubei
Huanggang City is a major municipality in eastern Hubei Province, China. It is situated to the north of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and is bounded in the north by the Dabie Shan mountain range....
, Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
). Humiliated, Yu cancelled the plans for a northern campaign, and he died in early 340.
Also in 340, Murong Huang formally requested that he be granted the title Prince of Yan. After lengthy debates among key officials about whether Murong Huang was still a faithful vassal, Emperor Cheng himself ruled that the request be granted.
In spring 341, Empress Du died. Emperor Cheng would not create another empress.
Later that year, Emperor Cheng decreed that the refugees from northern and central China, who had fled south during the times of Emperor Huai
Emperor Huai of Jin
Emperor Huai of Jin, sim. ch. 晋怀帝, trad. ch. 晉懷帝, py. Jìn Huáidì, wg. Chin Huai-ti , personal name Sima Chi , courtesy name Fengdu , was an emperor of the Jin Dynasty ....
and Emperor Min
Emperor Min of Jin
Emperor Min of Jin, Simplified Chinese character 晋愍帝, Traditional Chinese character 晉愍帝, Pinyin. Jìn Mǐndì, Wade-Giles Chin Min-ti , personal name Sima Ye , courtesy name Yanqi , was an emperor of the Jin Dynasty and the last of the Western Jin Dynasty.Emperor Min surrendered in 316 to Liu Yao, a...
, who had retained household registrations according to their native commanderies, be henceforth registered with the commanderies that they were now living in. This pragmatic move allowed the local commanderies to have greater manpower and reduced redundancy in local administrations.
In summer 342, Emperor Cheng grew gravely ill. He had two young sons -- Sima Pi
Emperor Ai of Jin
Emperor Ai of Jin , personal name Sima Pi , courtesy name Qianling , was an emperor of the Eastern Jin Dynasty . During his brief reign, the actual powers were largely in the hands of his granduncle Sima Yu the Prince of Kuaiji, and the paramount general Huan Wen...
and 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...
, then still in cradles, by his concubine 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...
. Yu Bing, fearful that the Yus would lose power if a young emperor were named, persuaded Emperor Cheng that in the face of the powerful enemy Later Zhao that an older emperor should be named. Emperor Cheng agreed and designated 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 be his heir, despite He Chong's opposition. He issued an edict entrusting his sons to Yu Bing, He, Sima Xi (司馬晞) the Prince of Wuling, 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 (both paternal uncles), and Zhuge Hui (諸葛恢). He died soon thereafter and was succeeded by Prince Yue (as Emperor Kang).
Personal information
- Father
- Emperor Ming of JinEmperor Ming of JinEmperor Ming of Jin , personal name Sima Shao , courtesy name Daoji , was an emperor of the Eastern Jin Dynasty...
- Emperor Ming of Jin
- Mother
- Empress Yu WenjunEmpress Yu WenjunEmpress Yu Wenjun , formally Empress Mingmu was an empress of Jin Dynasty...
- Empress Yu Wenjun
- Wife
- Empress Du LingyangEmpress Du LingyangEmpress Du Lingyang , formally Empress Chengong was an empress of Jin Dynasty . Her husband was Emperor Cheng of Jin. Empress Du Lingyang (杜陵陽) (321–341), formally Empress Chengong (成恭皇后, literally "the successful and respectful empress") was an empress of Jin Dynasty (265-420). Her husband...
(created 336, d. 341)
- Empress Du Lingyang
- Major Concubines
- 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...
(d. 363), mother of Princes Pi and Yi
- Consort Zhou
- Children
- Sima Pi (司馬丕), initially the Prince of Langye (created 342), later Emperor Ai of JinEmperor Ai of JinEmperor Ai of Jin , personal name Sima Pi , courtesy name Qianling , was an emperor of the Eastern Jin Dynasty . During his brief reign, the actual powers were largely in the hands of his granduncle Sima Yu the Prince of Kuaiji, and the paramount general Huan Wen...
- Sima Yi (司馬奕), initially the Prince of Donghai (created 342), later the Prince of Langye (created 361), later Emperor Fei of JinEmperor Fei of JinEmperor 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...
- Princess Xunyang
- Princess Nanping
- Sima Pi (司馬丕), initially the Prince of Langye (created 342), later Emperor Ai of Jin