Overview
Meng Tian was a general and Interior Minister.
PeriodQin and Han
IdentityHistorical · Male
Life and dates
Death
- BC 210 二世suicide by poison 吞藥自殺 · At Yangzhou 陽周Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 88, passage 98
Attested activity
- BC 215 to BC 210 乃使蒙恬將兵以北攻胡Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 112, passage 177
- BC 215 to BC 210 使蒙恬將兵以北攻彊胡Strongly inferred · Book of Han 75, passage 29
- c. BC 221 及至始皇Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 48, passage 179
- BC 210 始皇三十七年Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 88, passage 37
- BC 221 始皇二十六年Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 88, passage 13
- BC 227 to BC 221 始皇二十年至二十六年間Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 73, passage 132
Show 3 more source-backed claims
- BC 221 to BC 210 蒙公Directly stated · Book of Han 98, passage 198
- BC 215 to BC 210 蒙恬城之以逐匈奴Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 112, passage 223
- BC 215 to BC 210 遂使蒙恬將兵攻胡Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 112, passage 107
Family
Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.
- Descendant of Meng Ao (蒙驁)grandfather 大父 · paternal line · 2 generationsDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 88, passage 2
- Child of Meng Wu (蒙武)son 子Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 88, passage 8
- Sibling of Meng Yi (蒙毅)younger brother 弟 · Full siblingsDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 88, passage 12
Key source chapters
- Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 88 Biography of Meng Tian 23 passages
- Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 73 Biographies of Bai Qi and Wang Jian 3 passages
- Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 112 Biographies of the Marquis of Pingjin and Zhufu 3 passages
- Book of Han, Chapter 74 Volume 64a: Yan, Zhu, Wuqiu, Zhufu, Xu, Yan, Zhong, Wang, and Jia 1 2 passages
- Book of Han, Chapter 75 Volume 64b: Yan, Zhu, Wuqiu, Zhufu, Xu, Yan, Zhong, Wang, and Jia 2 1 passage
Origins and identity
- Meng clan 蒙氏Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 88, passages 19, 42
Career and standing
- general 將Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 112, passage 107
- studied penal codes and classics 書獄典文學Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 88, passage 9
- Interior Minister 內史AppointedDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 88, passage 13
- Qin general 秦將AppointedDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 88, passage 13
- general leading troops 將兵HeldDirectly stated · Book of Han 75, passage 29
- general 將兵Directly stated · Book of Han 74, passage 258
Show 2 more source-backed claims
- EnteredImprisoned · At Yangzhou 陽周Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 88, passage 47
- ordered to suicide 賜死OrderedDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 88, passage 37
Places and affiliations
- Qin 秦Relation ServedDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 73, passage 132
- Polity Qin 秦 · Relation Served
- At Qi 齊 · Relation AncestralDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 88, passage 1
- BC 215 to BC 210 遂使蒙恬將兵攻胡At Yellow River frontier 河 · Relation Campaigned atDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 112, passage 107
- At Northern River 北河 · Relation Garrisoned atDirectly stated · Book of Han 75, passage 29
- At Shang Commandery 上郡 · Relation Posted toDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 88, passage 17
Show 1 more source-backed claim
- At the northern river 北河 · Relation Posted toDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 112, passage 177
Works and attributed material
- Speech · SpeakerDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 88, passages 76-92, 94-97
Events and relationships
- Attacked hu northwardMilitary · CommanderDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 112, passage 177
- Attacked the Hu and opened a thousand li to the Yellow RiverDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 112, passage 107
- Attacked xiongnu northMilitary · Commander · At Northern River 北河Directly stated · Book of Han 75, passage 29
- AttackedBC 221 始皇二十六年 · Military · Commander · Target Qi 齊 · Outcome Defeated QiDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 88, passage 13
- Built the Great Wall and drove the Xiongnu back more than seven hundred liFortification · CommanderDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 48, passage 179
- Built roadConstruction · Builder · At Jiuyuan to Ganquan 九原至甘泉Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 88, passage 29
Show 6 more source-backed claims
- BuiltConstruction · Builder · Object Great Wall 長城 · At Lintao to Liaodong 臨洮至遼東Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 88, passage 15
- DeterredMilitary · Commander · Target Xiongnu 匈奴Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 88, passage 18
- Drove outBC 221 秦已并天下 · Military · Commander · Target Rong and Di 戎狄 · At Henan 河南Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 88, passage 14
- Fortified shuofang against xiongnuMilitary · CommanderDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 112, passage 223
- Invaded Chu with Li Xin and won initial victoriesDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 73, passages 132, 134-135
- Type appointed-by · Person First Emperor of Qin (秦始皇)Directly stated · Book of Han 74, passage 258
Assessments and attributes
- Assessment brothers' execution was fitting because they catered to imperial ambitions rather than remonstrating for the people · Mode historian-judgment Speaker Sima Qian (司馬遷)Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 88, passage 100
- Assessment renowned for loyalty and trustworthiness · Mode narrativeDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 88, passage 21
- Assessment undervalued the people's toil in building the wall and straight road · Mode historian-judgment Speaker Sima Qian (司馬遷)Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 88, passage 99
Source notes
- Historicity historicalDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 112, passage 177
- Value historicalDirectly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 112, passage 107
References in the histories
34 passages
No matching passages.