Wang Mang

Era dates
	Shijianguo 始建國 (9–13); Tianfeng 天鳳 (14–19); Dihuang 地皇 (20–23);

Wang Mang
王莽
Wang Mang; 王莽
Emperor of the Xin dynasty
Reign	9–23 CE
Born	45 BCE; Yuancheng, Wei Commandery
Died	6 October 23 CE (aged 67); Chang'an
Spouse	Empress Wang; Empress Shi;
Issue	Wang Yu (王宇); Wang Huo (王獲); Wang An, Prince of Xinqian (王安); Wang Lin, Prince of Tongyiyang (王臨); Wang Xing, Duke of Gongxiu (王興); Wang Kuang, Duke of Gongjian (王匡); Lady Wang, Empress Xiaoping of Han (孝平皇后); Wang Jie, Lady of Mudai (王捷); Lady Wang, Lady of Muxiu;
Era dates
Era dates
	Shijianguo 始建國 (9–13); Tianfeng 天鳳 (14–19); Dihuang 地皇 (20–23);
House	Wang
Dynasty	Xin
Father	Wang Man (王曼)
Mother	Qu (渠)
Chinese name
Chinese	王莽
Hanyu Pinyin
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin	Wáng Mǎng
Wade–Giles	Wang2 Mang3
IPA	[wǎŋ màŋ]
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanization	Wòhng Móhng
Jyutping	Wong4 Mong5
IPA	[wɔːŋ˩ mɔːŋ˩˧]
Southern Min
Tâi-lô	Ông Báng
Old Chinese
Zhengzhang	ɢʷaŋ maːŋʔ
Courtesy name
Chinese	巨君
Hanyu Pinyin
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin	Jùjūn

Wang Mang (45 BCE^[1] – 6 October 23 CE), courtesy name Jujun, officially known as the Shijianguo Emperor (始建國天帝), was the founder and the only emperor of the short-lived Chinese Xin dynasty.^{[note 1]} He was originally an official and consort kin of the Han dynasty and later seized the throne in 9 CE. The Han dynasty was restored after his overthrow, and his rule marked the separation between the Western Han dynasty (before Xin) and Eastern Han dynasty (after Xin). Traditional Chinese historiography viewed Wang as a tyrant and usurper, while more recently, some historians have portrayed him as a visionary and selfless social reformer. During his reign, he abolished slavery and initiated a land redistribution program. Though a learned Confucian scholar who sought to implement the harmonious society he saw in the Chinese classics,^[2] his efforts ended in chaos.

Wang Mang's late reign saw large-scale peasant rebellions,^[3] most notably the revolt of the Red Eyebrows. In October 23 CE, the capital Chang'an was attacked and the imperial palace ransacked. Wang Mang died in the battle. The Han dynasty was re-established in either 23 CE when the Gengshi Emperor took the throne, or in 25 when Emperor Guangwu of Han took the throne after defeating the Red Eyebrows who deposed the Gengshi Emperor.

^ Wang Mang's biography in Book of Han indicated that he was 38 (by East Asian reckoning) in the 1st year of the Suihe era (8 BCE).
^ Wills, John E. Jr (1994), "Wang Mang", Mountain of Fame: Portraits in Chinese History, Princeton University Press, pp. 72–89, doi:10.2307/j.ctt7sd8m.12
^ Chou, Chih-P’ing (2012), "Wang Mang, the Socialist Emperor of Nineteen Centuries Ago", English Writings of Hu Shih, China Academic Library, Springer, pp. 39–47, doi:10.1007/978-3-642-31181-9_5, ISBN 978-3-642-31180-2, retrieved 12 March 2023

Cite error: There are <ref group=note> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=note}} template (see the help page).

[1] Wang Mang's biography in Book of Han indicated that he was 38 (by East Asian reckoning) in the 1st year of the Suihe era (8 BCE).

[3] Wills, John E. Jr (1994), "Wang Mang", Mountain of Fame: Portraits in Chinese History, Princeton University Press, pp. 72–89, doi:10.2307/j.ctt7sd8m.12

[4] Chou, Chih-P’ing (2012), "Wang Mang, the Socialist Emperor of Nineteen Centuries Ago", English Writings of Hu Shih, China Academic Library, Springer, pp. 39–47, doi:10.1007/978-3-642-31181-9_5, ISBN 978-3-642-31180-2, retrieved 12 March 2023

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[note 1]

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