Ancient China · Qi lord renowned for maintaining retainers

Lord Mengchang 孟嘗

Mengchang

Attested BC 300 - BC 220

Passages: 4
Chapters: 4
Histories: 2

Overview

Lord Mengchang was a Qi lord renowned for maintaining retainers.

Life and dates

Attested activity

c. BC 290 戰國時期
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 48, passage 168
c. BC 280 是時齊有孟嘗
Derived from the source · Records of the Grand Historian 76, passage 17
BC 300 to BC 220 近世延陵、孟嘗、春申、平原、信陵
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 124, passage 22

Key source chapters

Career and standing

relied on kinship with royalty 因王者親屬
Royal kin
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 124, passage 22

Places and affiliations

Organization retainers 士 · Relation Patron of
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 76, passage 17

Events and relationships

Led the anti Qin alliances of the feudal states
Alliance · Lord
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 48, passages 168-169

Assessments and attributes

Assessment discerning, loyal, generous, caring toward followers, and respectful of worthy men · Mode quoted-source-judgment Source Person Id Jia Yi (賈誼)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 48, passage 168
Assessment worthy; attracted worthies and won renown · Mode historian-judgment Speaker Sima Qian (司馬遷)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 124, passage 22

References in the histories

Book of Han, Chapter 96Volume 85: Gu Yong and Du Ye · 1 passage

昔豫子吞炭壞形以奉見異，齊客隕首公門以報恩施，知氏、孟嘗猶有死士，何況將軍之門！」 Yurang disfigured himself with charcoal for his lord; a Qi retainer dashed out his brains at the gate to repay a kindness. Even the houses of Zhi Bo and Lord Mengchang kept men willing to die—how much more may your own gate command such loyalty!"

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 48House of Chen She · 1 passage

當此之時，齊有孟嘗，趙有平原，楚有春申，魏有信陵：此四君者，皆明知而忠信，寬厚而愛人，尊賢而重士。 At that time, Qi had Lord Mengchang, Zhao had Lord Pingyuan, Chu had Lord Chunshen, and Wei had Lord Xinling. These four lords were all men of keen discernment and steadfast loyalty, generous of spirit and devoted to their followers, who honored the worthy and valued men of talent.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 76Biographies of Lord Pingyuan and Yu Qing · 1 passage

是時齊有孟嘗，魏有信陵，楚有春申，故爭相傾以待士。 At that time, Qi had Lord Mengchang, Wei had Lord Xinling, and Chu had Lord Chunshen; all of them vied with one another to attract and maintain worthy men.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 124Biographies of Knight-errants · 1 passage

近世延陵、孟嘗、春申、平原、信陵之徒，皆因王者親屬，藉於有土卿相之富厚，招天下賢者，顯名諸侯，不可謂不賢者矣。 In more recent times, the Lord of Yanling, Lord Mengchang, Lord Chunshen, Lord Pingyuan, and Lord Xinling all drew on royal kinship and the vast wealth of their fiefs to attract the worthiest men under heaven and win renown among the feudal lords — they were, by any measure, men of worth.