Emperor Jianwen of Jin
Emperor Jianwen of Jin (晋简文帝/晉簡文帝,
pinyin Jìn Jiǎnwéndì,
Wade-Giles Chin Chien-wen-ti) (
320-
September 12,
372), personal name
Sima Yu (司馬昱),
courtesy name Daowan ("萬), was an emperor of the Eastern
Jin Dynasty (265-420) in
China. He was the younger brother of
Emperor Ming and installed by military leader
Huan Wen. Prior to taking the throne, he had served in important roles in the administrations of his grandnephews
Emperor Mu,
Emperor Ai, and
Emperor Fei. Both in his service to his grandnephews and in his own reign as emperor, he is generally viewed as a weak-willed figure who showed enough wisdom to continue to survive and extend Jin rule, but whose effectiveness was also compromised by his over-dedication to philosophical discussions of
Taoism and other related philosophies.
Sima Yu was born in
320, as the youngest son of
Emperor Yuan, by his favorite concubine Consort Zheng Achun (鄭阿春). As Emperor Yuan's wife Yu Mengmu (虞孟母) had died years earlier (in
312), and the mother of his oldest son
Sima Shao the Crown Prince (later Emperor Ming),
Lady Xun, had been forced to leave the palace due to Princess Yu's jealousy while she was still alive, Consort Zheng was effectively the mistress of the palace, although she never carried the title of empress. In
322, Emperor Yuan created him the Prince of Langye -- the same title that Emperor Yuan had earlier, which was therefore considered a special honor.
In
323, Emperor Yuan died. In
326, Consort Zheng also died, and because, as Prince of Langye, Sima Yu was not permitted by law to mourn his mother, he, at age six, requested another title by which he could. His nephew
Emperor Cheng (Emperor Ming's son), himself then a young child, permitted it, and created him the Prince of Kuaiji. As he grew in age, he was given a progression of higher and higher posts, although without actual power.
In
344, another nephew of Sima Yu,
Emperor Kang (Emperor Cheng's younger brother), died, and was succeeded by his infant son
Emperor Mu. Emperor Mu's mother
Empress Dowager Chu became
regent, but she largely followed the advice of prime minister
He Chong (何充). As it was customary, at this point of Jin history, for there to be two prime ministers, He Chong recommended Empress Dowager Chu's father
Chu Pou (褚'), who declined and recommended Sima Yu instead. He Chong and Sima Yu thus shared the prime minister responsibilities until He Chong's death in
346. He Chong was replaced by Cai Mo ("謨).
In
347, after the ambitious general
Huan Wen, without the imperial government's approval, carried out a campaign against and destroyed
Cheng Han, annexing Cheng Han territory to Jin, the imperial government became apprehensive that Huan would use this opportunity to take over. Sima Yu thus invited the official
Yin Hao, who was considered able, to join him and Cai in making important decisions, to counter Huan's influence. In
350, after Cai had repeatedly declined greater honor conferred him by the emperor, Yin accused Cai of disrespecting imperial authority and had him removed, seizing more power than he had before.
In
348, Sima Yu's
heir apparent Sima Daosheng (司馬""), who was described as careless and frivolous, was accused of unspecified crimes, and he was deposed and imprisoned, and died in imprisonment. Sima Yu's wife and Sima Daosheng's mother, Princess Wang Jianji (王簡姬), also died in distress. (She might have also been imprisoned prior to her death.) His other sons, one by Princess Wang and three by various concubines, died early, and he was left without an heir, and his concubines were not conceiving any more. He retained a magician to look at his concubines to see which one could conceive an heir, and the magician looked at all of them and opined that none was destined to give him an heir
Sima Yao in
352 and
Sima Daozi (司馬"子) in
353. Sima Yao was subsequently named heir apparent.
Around the new year 352, Huan, impatient after his requests to advance north in light of
Later Zhao's collapse were being rebuffed by Sima Yu and Yin, who were concerned about his expanding power, and mobilized his troops and gestured as if he were about to attack the capital. Yin was shocked, and initially considered either resigning or send the imperial banner of peace (Zouyu Fan, 騶虞幡) to order Huan to stop. After advice from Wang Biaozhi (王彪之), however, he instead asked Sima Yu to write a carefully worded letter to Huan, persuading Huan to stop.
After Yin himself launched unsuccessful northern campaigns in 352 and 353 Huan submitted a petition accusing Yin of crimes. The imperial government, led by Sima Yu, felt compelled to depose Yin in
354. From that point on, Sima Yu became the sole prime minister, although he was often forced to submit to Huan's wishes on important matters. Later in 354, Huan himself launched a campaign north against
Former Qin, one of the successor states to Later Zhao, but after initial successes, he was forced to withdraw as he hesitated at attacking Former Qin's capital
Chang'an and ran out of food supplies.
In
358, Sima Yu offered to resign and return all authority to Emperor Mu. Emperor Mu declined.
In
361, Emperor Mu died without a son, and by order of Empress Dowager Chu, his cousin
Sima Pi the Prince of Langye ascended the throne as Emperor Ai. Sima Yu continued in his post as prime minister.
In
363, when Emperor Ai's mother
Princess Dowager Zhou died, Sima Yu served as regent for the three-month mourning period.
In
364, Emperor Ai, who was obsessed with
immortality, was poisoned by pills given him by magicians, and he could not handle important affairs of state. Empress Dowager Chu again served as regent, but important decisions were made by Sima Yu and Huan Wen. In
365, with the
Former Yan regent
Murong Ke sieging the important city
Luoyang, Sima Yu and Huan discussed launching a counterattack to relieve Luoyang, but when Emperor Ai died in spring 365, the plans were cancelled. Emperor Ai was succeeded by his brother
Sima Yi the Prince of Langye, who took the throne as Emperor Fei. Sima Yu continued in his role as prime minister.
In late
365, Emperor Fei offered the title Prince of Langye to Sima Yu and further created his heir apparent Sima Yao the Prince of Kuaiji. Sima Yu declined on his son's behalf and further himself declined the title of Prince of Langye, continuing to refer to himself as the Prince of Kuaiji, and Emperor Fei did not insist on his taking the greater title.
In
369, after Huan Wen launched a major attack against Former Yan but suffered a devastating defeat at the hands of
Murong Chui, he considered another way to showcase his power. He decided to depose Emperor Fei, and he spread false rumors that Emperor Fei was
impotent and that his sons were actually sons of men that he favored (implying a homosexual relationship between him and those men). In winter
371, Huan forced Empress Dowager Chu to issue an edict deposing Emperor Fei and replacing him with Sima Yu, who took the throne with trepidation but felt he had no choice.
An immediate issue that Emperor Jianwen had to deal with upon taking the throne was Huan's suspicions toward his older brother Sima Xi (司馬晞) the Prince of Wuling, whose interest in military matters made Huan concerned that he would oppose Huan. Huan therefore falsely accused him of plotting treason, and Emperor Jianwen agreed to remove Sima Xi from his posts. Subsequently, however, Huan manufactured evidence against Sima Xi and petitioned that he be put to death. Emperor Jianwen wrote to Huan, stating that he did not want to kill his brother -- and that if he was forced to, he would instead yield the throne. Huan, not willing to risk a confrontation, settled for having Sima Xi and his sons demoted to commoner status and exiled.
In summer
372, Emperor Jianwen grew ill, and repeatedly tried to summon Huan to the capital but Huan, concerned that it was a trap, continuously declined. Emperor Jianwen soon died, and was succeeded by his 10-year-old son Sima Yao, whom he created
crown prince right before his death. As Huan himself died in early
373, the threats of a Huan usurpation dissipated, and Jin continued for several decades longer.
*
Xian'an ('安 xián ān)
371-
372*
Father**
Emperor Yuan of Jin*
Mother** Consort Zheng Achun (鄭阿春) (d.
326), posthumoustly honored as Empress Dowager Xuan
*
Wife** Princess Wang Jianji (王簡姬) (d.
348), daughter of Wang Xia (王遐), posthumously honored as Empress Jianwenxun, mother of Heir Apparent Daosheng and Sima Yusheng
* Major
Concubines
** Consort Hu, mother of Sima Yu and Sima Zhusheng
** Consort Wang, mother of Sima Tianliu
**
Consort Li Lingrong, mother of Crown Prince Yao, Prince Daozi, and Princess Poyang
** Consort Xu, mother of Princess Xin'an
*
Children
** Sima Daosheng (司馬""),
Heir Apparent Si (deposed and d.
348?)
** Sima Yusheng (司馬俞"), died early
** Sima Yu (司馬郁, note different character), died early, posthumously created Prince Xian of Linchuan
** Sima Zhusheng (司馬朱"), died early
** Sima Tianliu (司馬天流), died early
** Sima Yao (司馬曜), the Crown Prince (created
372), later
Emperor Xiaowu of Jin**
Sima Daozi (司馬"子) (b.
363), initially the Prince of Langye (created
372), later the Prince Wenxiao of Kuaiji (created
392, poisoned by
Huan Xuan 403)
** Sima Daofu (司馬"福), the Princess Xin'an
** Princess Wuchang
** Princess Xunyang
