Wang Mang

Wang Mang
王莽
Emperor of the Xin dynasty
Reign9–23 CE
Predecessornone, Ruzi Ying as Emperor of Western Han dynasty
SuccessorDynasty abolished, Gengshi Emperor as Emperor of Eastern Han dynasty
Born45 BCE
Yuancheng, Wei Commandery, Han Empire
Died6 October 23 CE (aged 67)
Chang'an, Han Empire
SpouseEmpress Wang
Empress Shi
Zhenzhi, concubine
Huaineng, concubine
Kaiming, concubine
IssueWang 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
Shijianguo 始建國 (9–13)
Tianfeng 天鳳 (14–19)
Dihuang 地皇 (20–23)
Posthumous name
None
Temple name
None
HouseWang
DynastyXin
FatherWang Man (王曼)
MotherQu (渠)
Wang Mang
Wang's name in Chinese characters
Chinese王莽

Wang Mang (Chinese: 王莽) (45 BCE[1] – 6 October 23 CE[2]), courtesy name Jujun (Chinese: 巨君; pinyin: Jùjūn), 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 classics,[3] his efforts ended in chaos.

Wang Mang's late reign saw large-scale peasant rebellions,[4] 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 CE when Emperor Guangwu of Han took the throne after defeating the Red Eyebrows who deposed the Gengshi Emperor.

  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).
  2. ^ gengxu day of the 10th month of the 4th year of the Dihuang era, per Wang Mang's biography in Book of Han
  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 (28 August 2012), "Wang Mang, the Socialist Emperor of Nineteen Centuries Ago", English Writings of Hu Shih, China Academic Library, Berlin, Heidelberg: 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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