Sima Tan (Jin dynasty)
| Sima Tan 司馬覃 | |
|---|---|
| Crown Prince of the Jin dynasty | |
| Tenure | 6 July 302 – 304 |
| Predecessor | Sima Shang |
| Successor | Sima Ying |
| Prince of Qinghe (清河王) | |
| Tenure | 300 – 6 July 302 304 – 24 March 308 |
| Predecessor | Sima Xia |
| Born | 295 |
| Died | 24 March 308 |
| House | Jin dynasty |
| Father | Sima Xia |
| Mother | Lady Zhou |
Sima Tan (295–24 March 308) was a crown prince of the Jin dynasty (266–420). He was installed to the position in 302 to serve as heir apparent for his uncle, Emperor Hui of Jin, but was removed in 304. After his removal, there were several plots to restore him to the position before he was finally put to death by the Prince of Donghai, Sima Yue in 308.
Life
[edit]Background
[edit]Sima Tan was born the eldest son to the Prince of Qinghe, Sima Xia (司馬遐), a half-brother of Emperor Wu of Jin and Lady Zhou (周氏). According to a story in his biography, while Tan was still his father's heir, he wore a golden bell that one day shrivelled up like millet. A fortune teller believe that the gold represented the prosperity of the Jin dynasty, and was a good omen for Tan who would one day ascend the imperial throne. However, his grandmother, Consort Dowager Chen (陳太妃), thought that bell was a bad sign, so she broke it and had it sold instead. After his father's death in 300, Sima Tan inherited his title.[1]
As Crown Prince and removals
[edit]In 302, the last of Emperor Hui's male descendants had died, leaving him with no heir to succeed him. In usual circumstances, the heir apparent would go to the eldest among the emperor's younger brothers, in this case being the Prince of Chengdu, Sima Ying. However, the emperor's regent, the Prince of Qi, Sima Jiong intervened and petitioned that Hui's nephew, the 7-year-old Sima Tan, should succeed him instead. Emperor Hui agreed, and on 6 July 302, Sima Tan was appointed Crown Prince.[2]
However, in 304, Sima Ying took control of the central government and took the position of Crown Prince for himself, demoting Sima Tan back to the Prince of Qinghe. Later that year, while Sima Ying was in Ye, the Prince of Donghai, Sima Yue, rebelled in Luoyang and restored Sima Tan to his previous position. Yue then led a campaign against Ying, but after he was defeated at the Battle of Dangyin, he fled back to his fief in Donghai. His generals, Shangguan Si (上官巳), Chen Zhen (陳眕) and others, retreated back to Luoyang with Sima Tan under their wing.
Infighting broke out among the generals in Luoyang as real power was held by Shangguan Si, who was cruel and unbridled. The Prince of Hejian, Sima Yong, sent his general, Zhang Fang to occupy Luoyang. Shangguan Si and Miao Yuan (苗願) went out to fight Zhang Fang but were defeated and forced back into the city. One night, Sima Tan launched a surprise attack on Shangguan Si and Miao Yun, causing the two men to flee the city. Tan welcomed Zhang Fang through the Guangyang Gate (廣陽門) and saluted him, so much so that Zhang Fang had to get down his carriage to stop him. Despite the warm welcome, Zhang Fang soon deposed him as Crown Prince and replaced him with Emperor Hui's brother, Sima Chi in 305.[3]
In 307, after Sima Yue emerged victorious in the War of the Eight Princes, Emperor Hui died of poison and Sima Chi was to succeed him. However, Hui's wife, Yang Xianrong wanted to become Empress Dowager, so she attempted to install Sima Tan to the throne instead. She summoned Sima Tan ostensibly to have him serve as a Master of Writing, but at the same time, the minister Hua Hun (華混) rebuked her and also called Sima Yue and Sima Chi to the palace. Sima Tan sensed that something was amissed, so he pleaded illness and left. As a result, Sima Chi ascended the throne and was posthumously known as Emperor Huai of Jin.
Sima Tan also received support from certain ministers within the imperial court who want him to take the throne. Not long after Emperor Huai's ascension, his uncle, Zhou Mu (周穆) and Zhuge Mei (諸葛玫) both advised Sima Yue to replace him with Sima Tan, citing that Huai had been illegitimately installed by Zhang Fang. However, Yue angrily refused and immediately ordered the two men to be executed. On 8 May 307, Sima Tan's brother, Sima Quan (司馬詮) was made Crown Prince.[4]
Death
[edit]At the end of 307, there was a plot to establish Sima Tan as Crown Prince by Lü Yong (呂雍), Chen Yan (陳顏) and others. However, Sima Yue discovered the plot, and now convinced that Tan would only cause further trouble, he forged an edict imprisoning him at Jinyong Fortress (金墉城) near Luoyang. Finally, on 24 March 308, Sima Yue killed the 14-year-old Sima Tan and had him buried with commoner rites.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ (初，覃為清河世子，所佩金鈴欻生隱起如麻粟，祖母陳太妃以為不祥，毀而賣之。) Jin Shu, vol.64
- ^ (大司馬冏欲久專大政，以帝子孫俱盡，大將軍穎有次立之勢；清河王覃，遐之子也，方八歲，乃上表請立之。癸卯，立覃爲皇太子，以冏爲太子太師，東海王越爲司空，領中書監。) Zizhi Tongjian, vol.84
- ^ (上官巳在洛陽，殘暴縱橫。守河南尹周馥，浚之從父弟也，與司隸滿奮等謀誅之，事洩，奮等死，馥走，得免。司空越之討太弟穎也，太宰顒遣右將軍、馮翊太守張方將兵二萬救之，聞帝已入鄴，因命方鎭洛陽。巳與別將苗願拒之，大敗而還。太子覃夜襲巳、願，巳、願出走；方入洛陽。覃於廣陽門迎方而拜，方下車扶止之，復廢覃及羊后。) Zizhi Tongjian, vol.85
- ^ (吏部郎周穆，清河王覃舅，越之姑子也，與其妹夫諸葛玫共說越曰：「主上之為太弟，張方意也。清河王本太子，為群凶所廢。先帝暴崩，多疑東宮。公盍思伊、霍之舉，以寧社稷乎？」言未卒，越曰：「此豈宜言邪！」遂叱左右斬之。) Jin Shu, vol.59
- ^ (永嘉初，前北軍中候任城呂雍、度支校尉陳顏等謀立覃為太子，事覺，幽于金墉城。未幾，被害，時年十四，葬以庶人禮。) Jin Shu, vol.64
- Fang, Xuanling. Book of Jin (Jin Shu).
- Sima, Guang. Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance (Zizhi Tongjian)