Qin and Han · Official and Courtier

Jin Midi 金日磾

Jīn Mìdī

First attested BC 141; died BC 86

Passages: 11
Chapters: 6
Histories: 3

Overview

Jin Midi was an official and Courtier.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal name	Rizhi	日磾

Life and dates

Death

BC 86 始元元年九月丙子
Directly stated · Book of Han 8, passage 30

Attested activity

BC 87 後元二年
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 8, passage 9
BC 134 to BC 86 日磾
Directly stated · Book of Song 55, passage 170
BC 141 to BC 87 漢興六十餘載
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 68, passages 254, 257-258; Records of the Grand Historian 112, passages 277, 280, 282
BC 140 to BC 86 車騎將軍日磾
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 105, passage 13
BC 86 金日磾漢朝
Dated from the passage context · Book of Song 65, passage 69

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Parent of Jin Shang (金賞)
father 父 · paternal line
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 13

Key source chapters

Origins and identity

Ethnicity Hu / non-Han 胡人
Directly stated · Book of Song 65, passage 76
non-Han captive origin 降虜
Uncertain true
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 68, passage 257

Career and standing

horse tender later inner attendant 牧圉、內侍
Directly stated · Book of Song 65, passage 76
receiving the imperial testamentary charge 受遺
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 112, passage 282
General of Chariots and Cavalry 車騎將軍
Held
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 13
marquisate later inherited by Jin Shang 爵為侯
Held
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 13
Emerged from
Captive · Mode quotation Speaker Ban Gu (班固)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 112, passage 280
came forth from surrendered captives 出於降虜
Former captive
Directly stated · Book of Han 68, passage 257

Places and affiliations

BC 140 to BC 86 車騎將軍日磾
Polity Han 漢 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 13
Western Han 漢
Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Han 68, passages 257-258
Polity Han 漢 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 112, passages 277, 282

Events and relationships

Came forth from
Career · Subject · From surrendered captives 降虜
Directly stated · Book of Han 68, passage 257
Emerged from among surrendered captives
Career · Subject · Mode quotation Speaker Ban Gu (班固)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 112, passage 280
Received the imperial testamentary charge
Political · Recipient · Mode quotation Speaker Ban Gu (班固)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 112, passage 282
Rose from groom to inner court
BC 86 漢朝 · Political · Courtier
Directly stated · Book of Song 65, passage 76

Assessments and attributes

Assessment favored beyond the ordinary but the affection was not deep · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 13
Assessment loyalty and filial devotion unmatched in Han · Mode quotation Speaker Emperor Wen (太祖)
Directly stated · Book of Song 65, passage 69
Assessment testamentary appointee (受遺) · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Han 68, passage 258

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 13
Value historical
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 112, passages 280, 282

References in the histories

Search passages

History

11 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 8Volume 7: Annals of Emperor Zhao · 2 passages

大將軍光秉政，領尚書事，車騎將軍金日磾、左將軍上官桀副焉。 Grand General Guang held the government, led the Secretariat affairs, with Chariot Cavalry General Jin Midi and Left General Shangguan Jie as his assistants.

九月丙子，車騎將軍日磾薨。 On the bingzi day of the ninth month, Chariot Cavalry General Jin Midi passed away.

Book of Han, Chapter 68Volume 58: Gongsun Hong, Bu Shi and Er Kuan · 2 passages

卜式拔於芻牧，弘羊擢於栗豎，衛青奮於奴僕，日磾出於降虜，斯亦曩時版築飯牛之朋已。 Bu Shi rose from the pasture, Sang Hongyang from the granary urchin, Wei Qing from slavery, Jin Midi from the ranks of captives—kin to the wall-builders and ox-herders of legend.

漢之得人，於茲為盛，儒雅則公孫弘、董仲舒、兒寬，篤行則石建、石慶，質直則汲黯、卜式，推賢則韓安國、鄭當時，定令則趙禹、張湯，文章則司馬遷、相如，滑稽則東方朔、枚皋，應對則嚴助、硃買臣，歷數則唐都、洛下閎，協律則李延年，運籌則桑弘羊，奉使則張騫、蘇武，將率則衛青、霍去病，受遺則霍光、金日磾，其餘不可勝紀。 Never did the dynasty gather talent so thickly: Hong, Dong, and Kuan for classical breadth; the Shi brothers for steadfast service; Ji An and Bu Shi for blunt loyalty; Han Anguo and Zheng Dangshi for lifting others; Zhao Yu and Zhang Tang for codifying law; Sima Qian and Xiangru for voice; jesters Dongfang Shuo and Mei Gao; debaters Yan Zhu and Zhu Maichen; calendar-makers Tang Du and Luoxia Hong; the harmonist Li Yan'nian; the reckoner Sang Hongyang; envoys Zhang Qian and Su Wu; blades Wei Qing and Huo Qubing; regents Huo Guang and Jin Midi—and a cloud of names besides.

Book of Han, Chapter 105Volume 93: Flatterers · 1 passage

昭帝時，駙馬都尉秺侯金賞嗣父車騎將軍日磾爵為侯，二人之寵取過庸，不篤。 Under Emperor Zhao, Jin Shang, marquis of Du and commandant of the imperial son-in-law, inherited his father Jin Midi's chariot-and-cavalry rank and marquisate; father and son were favored beyond the usual, though the affection was not deep.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 112Biographies of the Marquis of Pingjin and Zhufu · 2 passages

卜式試於芻牧，弘羊擢於賈豎，衛青奮於奴仆，日磾出於降虜，斯亦曩時版筑飯牛之朋矣。 Bu Shi proved himself among the shepherds, Sang Hongyang was raised from the ranks of merchants, Wei Qing rose from the condition of a slave, and Jin Midi emerged from among surrendered captives. They were the heirs of those ancient men of humble station who pounded earthen walls and fed cattle.

儒雅則公孫弘、董仲舒、兒寬，篤行則石建、石慶，質直則汲黯、卜式，推賢則韓安國、鄭當時，定令則趙禹、張湯，文章則司馬遷、相如，滑稽則東方朔、枚皋，應對則嚴助、朱買臣，歷數則唐都、落下閎，協律則李延年，運籌則桑弘羊，奉使則張騫、蘇武，將帥則衛青、霍去病，受遺則霍光、金日磾。 In Confucian scholarship, there were Gongsun Hong, Dong Zhongshu, and Er Kuan. In steadfast conduct, Shi Jian and Shi Qing. In forthright character, Ji An and Bu Shi. In advancing the worthy, Han Anguo and Zheng Dangshi. In codifying laws, Zhao Yu and Zhang Tang. In literary achievement, Sima Qian and Sima Xiangru. In wit and humor, Dongfang Shuo and Mei Gao. In eloquent debate, Yan Zhu and Zhu Maichen. In astronomy and calendrical science, Tang Du and Luoxia Hong. In harmonizing music, Li Yannian. In strategic finance, Sang Hongyang. In diplomatic missions, Zhang Qian and Su Wu. In military command, Wei Qing and Huo Qubing. In receiving the imperial testamentary charge, Huo Guang and Jin Midi.

Book of Song, Chapter 55Volume 55 Biographies 15: Zang Dao, Xu Guang, F Long · 1 passage

向使石厚之子、日磾之孫，砥鋒挺鍔，不與二祖同戴天日，則石碏、秺侯何得流名百代，以為美談者哉！ Suppose the sons of Shi Hou and the grandsons of Rizhi had drawn swords and refused to live under the same sky as their ancestors — how could Shi Que and the Marquis of Di have won praise for a hundred generations!

Book of Song, Chapter 65Volume 65 Biographies 25: Ji Han, Liu Daochan, Du Ji, Shen Tian · 3 passages

嘗與太祖言及史籍，上曰：「金日磾忠孝淳深，漢朝莫及，恨今世無復如此輩人。」 Once, discussing history with the Emperor, the Emperor said, "Jin Midi's loyalty and filial devotion were profound beyond anything in Han times—I regret that men like him no longer exist today."

坦曰：「日磾之美，誠如聖詔。 Tan replied, "Midi's excellence is indeed as Your Majesty says.

日磾胡人，身為牧圉，便超入內侍，齒列名賢。 Midi was a foreigner who tended horses, yet he rose straight into the inner court and stood among the great men of his age.