Ancient China · King of Shang remembered for moving the capital

Pan Geng 盤庚

Attested BC 1400 - BC 1200

Passages: 12
Chapters: 6
Histories: 4

Overview

Pan Geng was a king of Shang remembered for moving the capital.

Life and dates

Attested activity

BC 1300 帝盤庚，陽甲弟。徙河南
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 13, passage 428
BC 1400 to BC 1200 殷商般庚
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 89, passage 10
BC 1300 盤庚之誥（商）
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 66, passage 151
BC 1300 盤庚渡河南
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 3, passage 128
BC 1300 般庚
Directly stated · Book of Han 98, passage 128

Family

Sibling of Yang Jia (陽甲)
younger brother 弟 · Full siblings
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 13, passage 428; Records of the Grand Historian 3, passage 127
Sibling of Xiaoxin (小辛)
younger brother 弟 · Full siblings
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 3, passage 134; Records of the Grand Historian 13, passage 429

Key source chapters

Places and affiliations

Polity Shang 商 · Relation Ruled
Strongly inferred · Book of Southern Qi 6, passage 212
Polity Shang · Relation Ruled
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 89, passage 10
At Bo 亳 · Relation Resided at
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 89, passage 10
At Henan 河南 · Relation Moved capital to
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 13, passage 428

Works and attributed material

Pan Geng's admonition 盤庚之誥
Quoted document · Author · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 66, passage 151

Events and relationships

Pan Geng's sacrifices continued Yang Jia 盤庚之祀，亦繼陽甲
Ritual · Officiant · Continued the sacrificial line after Yang Jia · With Yang Jia (陽甲)
Directly stated · Book of Southern Qi 6, passage 212
Relation Successor of · Person Yang Jia (陽甲) · 盤庚之祀，亦繼陽甲
Directly stated · Book of Southern Qi 6, passage 212

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Book of Southern Qi 6, passage 212

References in the histories

Search passages

History

12 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 98Volume 87a: Yang Xiong 1 · 1 passage

宮外近則洪崖、旁皇、儲胥、弩阹，遠則石關、封巒、枝鵲、露寒、棠梨、師得，遊觀屈奇瑰瑋，非木摩而不雕，牆塗而不畫，周宣所考，般庚所遷，夏卑宮室，唐、虞棌椽三等之制也。 Nearby stood Hongya, Panhuang, and the rest; farther off Stone Pass, Seal Peak, and other lodges— marvels of touring architecture, yet meant to recall King Xuan's scrutiny, Pan Geng's migration, Xia's humble halls, and the three grades of unadorned rafters of Tang and Yu.

Book of Later Han, Chapter 89Volume 80a: Biographies of Writers 1 · 1 passage

昔般庚去奢，行俭于亳； Long ago Pan Geng forsook luxury and embraced austerity when he ruled from Bo.

Book of Southern Qi, Chapter 6Volume 6 Annals 6: Emperor Ming of Southern Qi · 1 passage

若令壓紐之徵，必委天命，盤庚之祀，亦繼陽甲，杖運推公，夫何譏爾！ Had the cracked cord of succession truly been heaven's to mend, Pan Geng's rites would still have followed Yang Jia; when fate is the staff and the public good the path—what fault is there to name?

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 3Annals of Yin · 6 passages

帝陽甲崩，弟盤庚立，是為帝盤庚。 Yangjia died; his brother Pangeng became Emperor Pangeng.

帝盤庚之時，殷已都河北，盤庚渡河南，復居成湯之故居，乃五遷，無定處。 Yin had already sat north of the Yellow River; Pangeng crossed south to Cheng Tang's old capital. In all, there were five moves, and the court never stayed long in one place.

盤庚乃告諭諸侯大臣曰：「昔高后成湯與爾之先祖俱定天下，法則可修。 Pangeng addressed the lords and ministers: "Long ago High Tang and your forebears founded the realm together; its laws can still be honored.

帝盤庚崩，弟小辛立，是為帝小辛。 Pangeng died; his brother Xiaoxin became Emperor Xiaoxin.

百姓思盤庚，乃作盤庚三篇。 The people longed for Pangeng, and the three chapters of Pangeng were composed.

封紂子武庚、祿父，以續殷祀，令修行盤庚之政。 He enfeoffed Zhou's son Wugeng—Lufu—to keep Yin sacrifices and follow Pangeng's rule.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 13Genealogical Tables of the Three Dynasties · 2 passages

帝盤庚，陽甲弟。徙河南。 Emperor Pangeng, Yangjia's younger brother, moved the capital to Henan.

帝小辛，盤庚弟。 Emperor Xiaoxin, Pangeng's younger brother.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 66Biography of Wu Zixu · 1 passage

且盤庚之誥曰：『有顛越不恭，劓殄滅之，俾無遺育，無使易種于茲邑。』 Moreover, Pan Geng's admonition said: 'Those who have overturning disrespect, cut them off and extinguish them. Make no remaining descendants, do not allow changing the seed in this city.'