Qin and Han · King of Chu

Liu Jiao 劉交

First attested BC 201; died BC 179

Passages: 18
Chapters: 9
Histories: 2

Overview

Liu Jiao was a king of Chu.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Courtesy name	You	游	You
Posthumous name	King Yuan of Chu	楚元王

Life and dates

Death

BC 179 即位二十三年卒
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 50, passage 11
楚元王交薨
Directly stated · Book of Han 5, passage 297

Attested activity

BC 201 to BC 179 即位二十三年
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 50, passages 10-11
BC 201 漢六年春
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 51, passage 13
BC 201 to BC 179 漢初
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 101, passage 130
BC 201 高祖六年
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 50, passage 10
BC 201 to BC 179 高祖初定天下至元王薨
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 44, passages 126, 260

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Sibling of Bo (伯)
brothers 兄弟
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 50, passages 1-2
Sibling of Liu Xi (劉喜)
brothers 兄弟
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 50, passages 1, 9
Kin of Liu Li (劉禮)
descendant/successor of line 後
Directly stated · Book of Han 6, passage 68
Parent of Yi (蓺)
father 父
Directly stated · Book of Han 6, passage 67
Parent of Liu Li (劉禮)
King Yuan's son 元王子
son 子
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 50, passage 18; Records of the Grand Historian 101, passage 130
Child of Taishang Huang (太上皇)
Retired Emperor 太上皇
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 50, passage 7
Child of Mother of Emperor Gaozu and Liu Jiao
same mother 同母 · maternal line
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 50, passage 1
Parent of Ying (郢)
son 子
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 50, passage 11
Parent of Li (禮)
son 子
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 11, passage 30
Parent of Yi (藝)
son 子
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 11, passage 28
Sibling of Liu Bang (劉邦)
younger brother 弟 · Uncertain siblings · paternal line
younger half-brother 庶弟 · Half unspecified siblings
youngest brother by the same mother 同母少弟 · Maternal half siblings
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 51, passage 13; Book of Han 44, passage 260; Records of the Grand Historian 50, passage 1

Key source chapters

Career and standing

King of Chu 楚王
Appointed · From Source Date: Text: 漢六年春 · Western Year: BC 201
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 51, passage 13
King of Chu over thirty-six cities west of the Huai 王淮西三十六城
Appointed
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 51, passage 13
King of Chu 楚王
BC 201 高祖六年 · Enfeoffed · At Pengcheng 彭城
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 50, passage 10
立弟文信君交為楚王
Directly stated · Book of Han 2, passage 126

Places and affiliations

Chu 楚
Relation Ruled
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 50, passage 10
Polity Chu 楚 · Relation Ruled
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 51, passage 13
At Pengcheng 彭城 · Relation Capital
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 50, passage 10

Events and relationships

Type father-of · Person Marquis Pinglu Li (平陸侯禮)
Directly stated · Book of Han 58, passage 106
Type brother-of · Person Local Id Liu Bang (劉邦)
Directly stated · Book of Han 2, passage 126
Type paternal-uncle · Target Emperor Wen of Han (漢文帝)
Directly stated · Book of Han 5, passage 46

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 50, passage 1

References in the histories

Search passages

History

18 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 2Volume 1: Annals of Emperor Gaozu 2 · 2 passages

春正月丙午，韓王信等奏請以故東陽郡、鄣郡、吳郡五十三縣立劉賈為荊王，以碭郡、薛郡、郯郡三十六縣立弟文信君交為楚王。 In the first month, spring, on the bingwu day, King Xin of Han and others petitioned to establish Liu Jia as King of Jing with the former Dongyang, Zhang, and Wu commanderies, fifty-three counties in all, and to establish the emperor's younger brother Jiao, Lord Wenxin, as King of Chu with Dang, Xue, and Tan commanderies, thirty-six counties in all.

布果如薛公言，東擊殺荊王劉賈，劫其兵，度淮擊楚，楚王交走入薛。 Ying Bu indeed did as Xue Gong had said: he attacked eastward and killed Liu Jia, King of Jing, seized his troops, and crossed the Huai to attack Chu. Jiao, King of Chu, fled into Xue.

Book of Han, Chapter 5Volume 4: Annals of Emperor Wen · 3 passages

願請楚王計宜者，寡人弗敢當。」 I wish to request that the King of Chu be consulted on what is appropriate. I do not dare accept."

上曰：「楚王，季父也，春秋高，閱天下之義理多矣，明於國家之體。 The emperor replied: 'The King of Chu is my uncle. Advanced in years and experienced in the world's moral principles, he understands the proper order of the state.

楚元王交薨。 King Yuan of Chu, Liu Jiao, died.

Book of Han, Chapter 6Volume 5: Annals of Emperor Jing · 2 passages

楚元王子蓺等與濞等為逆，朕不忍加法，除其籍，毋令汙宗室。」 King Yuan of Chu's son Yi and others participated in Pi's rebellion. I cannot bear to apply the full force of the law to them, so I remove their names from the imperial registers to prevent them from tarnishing the imperial clan.'

立平陸侯劉禮為楚王，續元王後。 He enfeoffed Pinglu Marquis Liu Li as King of Chu to continue the line of King Yuan.

Book of Han, Chapter 44Volume 35: Princes of Jing, Yan and Wu · 2 passages

及景帝即位，錯為御史大夫，說上曰：「昔高帝初定天下，昆弟少，諸子弱，大封同姓，故孽子悼惠王王齊七十二城，庶弟元王王楚四十城，兄子王吳五十餘城。 When Emperor Jing came to the throne, Chao Cuo became Imperial Counselor. He urged the emperor, "When Gaozu first settled the realm, he had few brothers and his sons were young, so he gave large fiefs to men of his own surname. Thus King Daohui, his son by a concubine, ruled Qi with seventy-two cities; King Yuan, his younger half-brother, ruled Chu with forty cities; and his nephew ruled Wu with more than fifty cities.

楚元王子、淮南三王或不沐洗十餘年，怨入骨髓，欲壹有所出久矣，寡人未得諸王之意，未敢聽。 Among the sons of King Yuan of Chu and the three kings of Huainan, some have gone more than ten years without washing or bathing. Resentment runs to their marrow, and they have long wanted one chance to vent it; I have not yet learned the princes’ intentions and have not dared heed them.

Book of Han, Chapter 58Volume 49: Yuan Ang and Chao Cuo · 1 passage

吳、楚已破，上更以元王子平陸侯禮為楚王，以盎為楚相。 After Wu and Chu were defeated, the emperor made Prince Yuan’s son, Marquis Pinglu Li, King of Chu and appointed Yuan Ang chancellor of Chu.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 11Annals of the Xiaojing Emperor · 2 passages

赦亡軍及楚元王子藝等與謀反者。 He pardoned deserters, along with Yi, son of King Yuan of Chu, and others who had taken part in the conspiracy.

立楚元王子平陸侯禮為楚王。 He installed Li, son of King Yuan of Chu and Marquis of Pinglu, as King of Chu.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 50House of Prince Yuan of Chu · 4 passages

楚元王劉交者，高祖之同母少弟也，字游。 Liu Jiao, King Yuan of Chu, was the youngest brother of Emperor Gaozu by the same mother, and bore the courtesy name You.

高祖六年，已禽楚王韓信於陳，乃以弟交為楚王，都彭城。 In the sixth year of Gaozu's reign, having captured Han Xin, the King of Chu, at Chen, the emperor appointed his brother Jiao as King of Chu, with his capital at Pengcheng.

漢已平吳楚，孝景帝欲以德侯子續吳，以元王子禮續楚。 After Han had pacified Wu and Chu, Emperor Jing wished to restore the line of Wu through the son of the Marquis of De, and the line of Chu through King Yuan's son Liu Li.

乃拜禮為楚王，奉元王宗廟，是為楚文王。 Li was then appointed King of Chu to carry on the ancestral sacrifices of King Yuan, and he became known as King Wen of Chu.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 51Houses of Jing and Yan · 1 passage

高祖弟交為楚王，王淮西三十六城。」 and let Jiao, the emperor's younger brother, be made King of Chu, ruling over thirty-six cities west of the Huai.'

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 101Biographies of Yuan Ang and Chao Cuo · 1 passage

吳楚已破，上更以元王子平陸侯禮為楚王，袁盎為楚相。 After Wu and Chu were defeated, the Emperor installed the Marquis of Pinglu, Li, a son of the former King Yuan, as the new King of Chu, and Yuan Ang was appointed Chancellor of Chu.