Emperor Jing of Han
| NAME | |
|---|---|
| Chinese Name | 汉景帝刘启 |
| Courtesy name | Liu Qi (刘启) |
| FAMILY | |
| Children | |
Biography & Historical Record
Emperor Jing of Han, personal name Liu Qi, was the sixth emperor of the Western Han dynasty (reigned 157–141 BC); son of Emperor Wen (Liu Heng) and Empress Dou. Together with his father, Emperor Jing’s benevolent and frugal rule inaugurated the celebrated ‘Rule of Wen and Jing’ (文景之治), a golden age of agricultural prosperity, lowered taxation, and cultural flowering in Chinese history.
In 154 BC, Emperor Jing decisively suppressed the Rebellion of the Seven States (led by the Prince of Wu and Prince of Chu), curbing the dangerous autonomy of regional princes and consolidating central imperial authority. He was the biological father of Emperor Wu of Han (Liu Che) as well as Liu Sheng, Prince Jing of Zhongshan (中山靖王). Through Liu Sheng, Emperor Jing stood as the supreme imperial ancestor from whom Liu Bei derived his royal lineage and moral mandate to restore the fallen House of Han.
Role in Romance of the Three Kingdoms
In Luo Guanzhong’s Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Emperor Jing is revered from Chapter 1 through Chapter 120 as the illustrious dynastic fountainhead whose sacred bloodline flowed in Liu Bei’s veins.
“Descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan, great-great-grandson of Emperor Jing—this sacred lineage was proclaimed before the dragon throne in Xuchang, moving Emperor Xian to embrace Liu Bei as his true Imperial Uncle.”
Emperor Jing of Han — Historical Timeline
Key Relationships
Family
- Father Emperor Wen of Han (汉文帝, Hán Văn Đế): Father; legendary sage sovereign of the Western Han dynasty.
- Mother Empress Dou (窦太后, Đậu Thái hậu): Mother; formidable imperial matriarch and patron of Daoist philosophy.
- Son Liu Sheng (刘胜, Lưu Thắng): Son; Prince Jing of Zhongshan, progenitor of the Shu Han imperial branch.
- Son Emperor Wu of Han (汉武帝, Hán Vũ Đế): Son; Emperor Wu (Liu Che), one of China’s greatest expanding monarchs.
- Descendant Liu Bei (刘备, Lưu Bị): Distant descendant; founding Emperor Zhaolie of Shu Han.
Friends
- Zhou Yafu (周亚夫, Chu Á Phu): Renowned grand commander who successfully crushed the Rebellion of the Seven States.
- Chao Cuo (晁错, Triều Thác): Senior imperial advisor whose proposals to reduce princely fiefdoms consolidated the empire.
Enemies
- Liu Pi, Prince of Wu (刘濞, Lưu Tị): Leader of the rebellious Seven States who attempted to overthrow imperial authority in 154 BC.
Other
- Emperor Xian (刘协, Hán Hiến Đế): Distant descendant and last Eastern Han sovereign who acknowledged the lineage of Emperor Jing in Liu Bei.
In Novel
Chapter 1 (Feast in the Peach Garden & The Mandate of Heaven)
- Emperor Jing of Han (汉景帝, Hán Cảnh Đế): Introduced as the glorious imperial ancestor of Liu Bei (刘备, Lưu Bị), establishing the moral and dynastic legitimacy of the protagonist from the opening page.
Chapter 20 (Imperial Genealogies Examined in Xuchang)
- Emperor Jing of Han (汉景帝, Hán Cảnh Đế): When Emperor Xian reads the imperial register, the descent from Emperor Jing through Prince Jing of Zhongshan validates Liu Bei's title as Imperial Uncle.
In History
Summary
- Emperor Jing of Han (汉景帝, Hán Cảnh Đế) (188–141 BC), personal name Liu Qi (刘启), was the sixth emperor of the Western Han dynasty; co-creator of the 'Rule of Wen and Jing'. Father of Liu Sheng (刘胜, Lưu Thắng) and Emperor Wu of Han.
Year: 154 BC
- Suppressed the Rebellion of the Seven States, centralizing taxation and military command under the central imperial court.
Year: 141 BC
- Bequeathed a peaceful, wealthy, and stable empire to his son Emperor Wu, establishing the apex of Han civilization.
Historical Record
- Records of the Grand Historian (史记), Volume 11 (Basic Annals of Emperor Jing): Comprehensive chronicle of his reign, administrative reforms, and legal moderation.
- Book of Han (汉书), Volume 5: Commends his preservation of peace and agricultural abundance.
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