Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · Official and General

Gao Gan 高乾

Gāo Qián

First attested AD 528; died AD 532 to AD 533

Passages: 13
Chapters: 6
Histories: 2

Overview

Gao Gan was an official and General.

Life and dates

Death

AD 532 魏帝殺之
Execution · Authority Emperor Xiaowu (孝武)
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 1, passage 257
AD 533 高乾之死
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 23, passage 53

Attested activity

AD 531 六月
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 1, passage 184
AD 532 司空高乾…魏帝殺之
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 1, passages 256-257
AD 528 to AD 530 爾朱之亂
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 46, passage 30
AD 530 to AD 532 蘭根走依至廢立之際
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 23, passages 41, 47
AD 533 高乾之死
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 23, passage 53
AD 531 魏普泰元年二月
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 1, passage 157

Family

Sibling of Gao Shen (高慎)
next-youngest brother 次弟 · Full siblings
younger brother 弟 · Full siblings
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 1, passage 261; Book of Northern Qi 30, passage 4
Sibling of Gao Ang (高昂)
younger brother 弟 · Full siblings
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 1, passage 257

Kinship Role brothers · Quantity unspecified
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 23, passages 42, 47

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Minister of Works 司空
Held
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 1, passage 256
associated sacrifice in ancestral temple 配饗
AD 560 皇建元年 · Granted
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 6, passage 91
Noted
Deceased
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 6, passage 91

Places and affiliations

Polity Northern Wei 北魏 · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · Book of Northern Qi 1, passage 184
Polity Northern Wei 北魏 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 1, passage 256; Book of Northern Qi 23, passage 41
At Bohai 渤海
Strongly inferred · Book of Northern Qi 1, passage 264
At Bohai 渤海 · Relation Associated with
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 23, passage 41

Works and attributed material

Secret memorial · Author · Addressed to Gao Huan (高歡)
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 1, passage 256

Events and relationships

Joined plea against restoring deposed emperor with brothers
Political · Advocate · With Gao Huan (高歡)
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 23, passage 47
Opened gates at Xindu
Military · Opener of gates · With Gao Huan (高歡) · At Xindu 信都
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 1, passage 157
Raised righteous banner with brothers
Military · Leader
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 23, passage 42
Took province
AD 531 六月 · Military · Commander · At Yin Province 殷州 · With Li Yuanzhong (李元忠)
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 1, passage 184

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 1, passages 184, 256; Book of Northern Qi 23, passage 41

References in the histories

Search passages

History

13 passages

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 1Volume 1 Annals 1: Emperor Shenwu 1 · 5 passages

魏普泰元年二月，神武自軍次信都，高乾、封隆之開門以待，遂據冀州。 In the second month of Wei Putai 1 (531), Gao Huan halted at Xindu; Gao Gan and Feng Longzhi opened the gates, and he seized Ji Province.

及李元忠與高乾平殷州，斬尒朱羽生首來謁，神武撫膺曰：「今日反決矣。」 When Li Yuanzhong and Gao Gan took Yin Province and brought Erzhu Yusheng's head, Gao Huan struck his breast and said, "Today the break is made."

時司空高乾密啟神武，言魏帝之貳，神武封呈。 Minister of Works Gao Qian secretly warned Gao Huan that the emperor's heart was divided; Gao Huan sealed the letter and forwarded it.

神武抱其首，哭曰：「天子枉害司空！」 Gao Huan clasped his head and wept, saying, "The Son of Heaven wrongly killed the Minister of Works!"

時乾次弟慎在光州，為政嚴猛，又從部下取納，魏帝使代之。 Gao Qian's next-youngest brother Shen was in Guang Province, governing with harsh severity and taking bribes from his subordinates; the Wei emperor sent someone to replace him.

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 6Volume 6 Annals 6: Emperor Xiaozhao · 1 passage

庚申，詔以故太師尉景、故太師竇泰、故太師太原王婁昭、故太宰章武王厙狄幹、故太尉段榮、故太師万俟普、故司徒蔡儁、故太師高乾、故司徒莫多婁貸文、故太保劉貴、故太保封祖裔、故廣州刺史王懷十二人配饗太祖廟庭，故太師清河王岳、故太宰安德王韓軌、故太宰扶風王可朱渾道元、故太師高昂、故大司馬劉豐、故太師万俟受洛干、故太尉慕容紹宗七人配饗世宗廟庭，故太尉河東王潘相樂、故司空薛脩義、故太傅破六韓常三人配饗顯祖廟庭。 On the gengshen day, an edict ordered twelve deceased ministers to receive associated sacrifice in the Founding Emperor's temple, including Wei Jing, Dou Tai, Lou Zhao, She Digan, Duan Rong, Wan Sipo, Cai Jun, Gao Gan, Moduo Lou Daiwen, Liu Gui, Feng Zuyi, and Wang Huai; seven others in Emperor Wenxiang's temple, including Princes Yue, Han Gui, and Kezhuhun Daoyuan, Liu Feng, Wan Sipo Shouluogan, and Murong Shaozong; and three more in Emperor Wenxuan's temple—Pan Xiangle, Xue Xiuyi, and Poliuhan Chang.

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 23Volume 23 Biographies 15: Wei Langen; Cui Ling · 4 passages

時尒朱榮將侯深自范陽趣中山，蘭根與戰，大敗，走依渤海高乾。 At the time Erzhu Rong's general Hou Shen advanced from Fanyang toward Zhongshan. Langen fought him, was routed, and fled to join Gao Gan of Bohai.

屬乾兄弟舉義，因在其中。 When the Gan brothers raised the righteous banner, he was among them.

帝神采高明，蘭根恐於後難測，遂與高幹兄弟及黃門崔㥄同心固請於高祖，言廢帝本是胡賊所推，今若仍立，於理不允。 The emperor's bearing was lofty and bright; Langen feared he would prove hard to control later. He joined the Gan brothers and Cui Ling of the yellow gate in pressing Gao Huan: the deposed emperor had been set up by barbarian rebels — to restore him would not be just.

高乾之死，蘭根懼，去宅，避於寺。 When Gao Gan died, Langen took fright, left his house, and took refuge in a monastery.

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 30Volume 30 Biographies 22: Cui Xian; Gao Dezheng; Cui Ang · 1 passage

暹少為書生，避地渤海，依高乾，以妹妻乾弟慎。 In youth Xian was a student; he fled to Bohai and attached himself to Gao Gan, giving his sister in marriage to Gan's brother Shen.

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 35Volume 35 Biographies 27: Pei Rangzhi; Li Guo; Zhang Yanzhi; Lu Ang; Wang Songnian; Liu Yi · 1 passage

司空高乾致書曰：「相屈為戶曹參軍。」 Minister of works Gao Gan wrote inviting him to serve as household census aide.

Book of Zhou, Chapter 46Volume 46 Biographies 38: Filial Piety · 1 passage

年十七，屬爾朱之亂，與司空高乾兄弟，舉兵信都。 At seventeen, amid the turmoil of the Erzhu clan, he joined the Minister of Works Gao Gan and his brothers in raising troops at Xindu.