Qin and Han · Official

Geng Shouchang 耿壽昌

Attested BC 57 - BC 54

Passages: 8
Chapters: 3
Histories: 1

Overview

Geng Shouchang was an official.

Life and dates

Attested activity

BC 57 to BC 54 五鳳中
Directly stated · Book of Han 26, passage 269
BC 57 to BC 54 耿壽昌奏設常平倉
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 89, passage 94

Key source chapters

Book of Han, Chapter 26 Volume 24a: Treatise on Trade 1 5 passages
Book of Han, Chapter 102 Volume 90: Cruel Officials 2 passages
Book of Han, Chapter 89 Volume 78: Xiao Wangzhi 1 passage

Career and standing

Grand Minister of Agriculture Palace Assistant 大司農中丞
BC 57 to BC 54 五鳳中 · Held
Directly stated · Book of Han 26, passage 269
司農中丞
Text En Assistant Clerk of the Excellency of Agriculture
Directly stated · Book of Han 102, passage 332
granted marquis rank 賜爵關內侯
Received
Directly stated · Book of Han 26, passage 281
Guannei Marquis 關內侯
Received
Directly stated · Book of Han 26, passage 281

Places and affiliations

Polity Western Han · Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Han 26, passage 269

Learning and skills

Skill calculation 算 · Level skilled
Directly stated · Book of Han 26, passage 269

Works and attributed material

Ever-normal granary system 常平倉
Relation Proposed
Directly stated · Book of Han 89, passage 94
Memorial · Author · With Emperor Xuan (宣帝)
Directly stated · Book of Han 26, passages 269-271
Memorial · Author · Mode direct-attribution Speaker Geng Shouchang (耿壽昌)
Directly stated · Book of Han 89, passage 94

Events and relationships

Proposed ever normal granaries
Fiscal · Proposer
Directly stated · Book of Han 26, passage 279
Proposed local grain purchase
Fiscal · Proposer
Directly stated · Book of Han 26, passages 270-272

References in the histories

Search passages

History

8 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 26Volume 24a: Treatise on Trade 1 · 5 passages

時大司農中丞耿壽昌以善為算能商功利得幸於上，五鳳中奏言：「 Then Grand Agriculture vice-director Geng Shouchang, skilled in calculation and discussing utility, favored by the emperor, memorialized in the Wufeng period: “

今壽昌欲近糴漕關內之穀，築倉治船，費直二萬萬餘，有動眾之功，恐生旱氣，民被其災。 He warned that Shouchang's plan to buy grain nearby and ship it into the passes would require granaries, boats, more than two hundred million cash, and mass labor, potentially provoking drought and disaster for the people.

壽昌習於商功分銖之事，其深計遠慮，誠未足任，宜且如故。」 He characterized Shouchang as narrowly calculative and urged policy conservatism."

漕事果便，壽昌遂白令邊郡皆築倉，以穀賤時增其賈而糴，以利農，穀貴時減賈而糶，名曰常平倉。 The policy worked, and Shouchang formalized the Ever-Normal system: buy high enough to support farmers in glut years, sell low enough to stabilize scarcity years.

上乃下詔，賜壽昌爵關內侯。 Shouchang was rewarded with marquis rank for the reform.

Book of Han, Chapter 89Volume 78: Xiao Wangzhi · 1 passage

是時，大司農中丞耿壽昌奏設常平倉，上善之，望之非壽昌。 When Geng Shouchang, Deputy Director under the Grand Minister of Agriculture, proposed ever-normal granaries, the emperor approved the plan, but Wangzhi opposed it.

Book of Han, Chapter 102Volume 90: Cruel Officials · 2 passages

義又道司農中丞耿壽昌為常平倉，利百姓，延年曰：「丞相御史不知為也，當避位去。 Yi also mentioned that Geng Shouchang, the Assistant Clerk of the Excellency of Agriculture, had established the Ever-Normal Granary to benefit the people. Yannian said, "If the chancellor and imperial counselors did not know enough to do this, they should yield their seats and leave.

壽昌安得權此？」 How dare Geng Shouchang seize such power?"