Ancient China · Official and Clan Ancestor

Qi 契

Legendary antiquity

Passages
31
Chapters
11
Histories
6

Overview

Qi was an official and Clan Ancestor.

IdentityLegendary · Male

Other names

TypeEnglishChinesePinyin
Personal name Xie of Yin 殷契

Life and dates

Death

Attested activity

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Key source chapters

  1. Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 3 Annals of Yin 9 passages
  2. Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 13 Genealogical Tables of the Three Dynasties 8 passages
  3. Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 1 Annals of the Five Emperors 5 passages
  4. Book of Zhou, Chapter 23 Volume 23 Biographies 15: Su Chuo 2 passages
  5. Book of Chen, Chapter 24 Volume 24: Zhou Hongzheng; Yuan Xian 1 passage

Origins and identity

Career and standing

Show 1 more source-backed claim

Places and affiliations

Events and relationships

Assessments and attributes

Source notes

References in the histories

31 passages

Book of Chen, Chapter 24Volume 24: Zhou Hongzheng; Yuan Xian · 1 passage
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夫以廟堂、汾水，殊途而同歸，稷、契、巢、許，異名而一貫，出者稱為元首，處者謂之外臣，莫不內外相資，表裏成治，斯蓋萬代同規，百王不易者也。 Temple and Fen River were different roads to the same end; Ji, Qi, Chao, and Xu were different names for the same principle. Those who served at court were called chiefs; those who withdrew were outer ministers. Inner and outer always supported each other until government was whole. That was the rule for all ages, unchanged by the hundred kings.
Book of Han, Chapter 20Table of Ancient and Modern Persons · 1 passage
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Book of Han, Chapter 76Volume 65: Dongfang Shuo · 1 passage
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譬若以周、邵為丞相，孔丘為御史大夫，太公為將軍，畢公高拾遺於後，弁嚴子為衛尉，皋陶為大理，後稷為司農，伊尹為少府，子贛使外國，顏、閔為博士，子夏為太常，益為右扶風，季路為執金吾，契為鴻臚，龍逢為宗正，伯夷為京兆，管仲為馮翊，魯般為將作，仲山甫為光祿，申伯為太僕，延陵季子為水衡，百里奚為典屬國，柳下惠為大長秋，史魚為司直，蘧伯玉為太傅，孔父為詹事，孫叔敖為諸侯相，子產為郡守，王慶忌為期門，夏育為鼎官，羿為旄頭，宋萬為式道候。」 Imagine the Duke of Zhou and the Duke of Shao as your chancellors; Confucius as chief censor; the Grand Duke as commander; Duke Bi Gao as court remonstrant; Bian Zhuangzi as captain of the guard; Gao Yao as chief judge; Hou Ji as minister of agriculture; Yi Yin as palace treasurer; Zigong as foreign envoy; Yan Hui and Min Ziqian as court scholars; Zixia as master of rites; Yi as western capital intendant; Zilu as capital commandant; Xie as master of guest ceremonies; Guan Longpeng as keeper of the imperial genealogy; the minister Boyi as metropolitan governor; Guan Zhong as northern capital intendant; Lu Ban as chief engineer; Zhong Shanfu as palace chamberlain; the Earl of Shen as master of the horse; Prince Jizi of Yanling as keeper of parks and waters; Baili Xi as commissioner for dependent peoples; Liuxia Hui as chamberlain to the empress; Shi Yu as censor of conduct; Qu Boyu as grand tutor; Kong Fu as supervisor of the heir apparent's household; Sunshu Ao as chancellor to the feudal lords; Zichan as commandery governor; Prince Qingji as a palace gate guard; Xia Yu as cauldron officer; Yi the Archer as vanguard officer; and Song Wan as road-clearing scout."
Book of Han, Chapter 99Volume 87b: Yang Xiong 2 · 1 passage
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天下之士，雷動雲合，魚鱗雜襲，鹹營於八區，家家自以為稷、契，人人自以為咎繇，戴縰垂纓而談者皆擬於阿衡，五尺童子羞比晏嬰與夷吾，當塗者入青雲，失路者委溝渠，旦握權則為卿相，夕失勢則為匹夫； Scholars swarm like thunderheads—layer on layer they crowd the eight circuits, every house fancying itself the line of Ji and Xie, every man a second Gao Yao; anyone in cap and ribbons plays at being Yi Yin, and boys barely five feet tall scorn to mention Yan Ying or Guan Zhong. Catch favor and you ride the clouds; miss your footing and you lie in the gutter—minister at dawn, nobody at dusk.
Book of Later Han, Chapter 32Volume 28b: Biography of Feng Yan · 1 passage
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History of Jin, Chapter 127Volume 127 Biographies 65: Xiao You, Wendihanwolubu, Chen Yan, Liu Yu, Meng Xing, Wang Zhen, Liu Zheng, Yin Yi, Chu Chengliang, Wang Qufei, Zhao Zhi, Du Shisheng, Hao Tianting, Xue Jiyuan, Gao Zhongzhen, Zhang Qian, Wang Rumei, Song Ke, Xin Yuan, Wang Yuke · 1 passage
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然以唐、虞之世，「黎民阻饑」不免以命稷，「百姓不親、五品不遜」不免以命契，以是知順成之不可必，猶孝友之不易得也。 Even in the age of Tang and Yu, when "the people were beset by hunger," Ji had to be put in charge of agriculture; when "the common folk were estranged and the five bonds of kinship were in disorder," Qi had to be entrusted with education — which shows that a bountiful harvest cannot be taken for granted any more than filial piety and brotherly devotion can be secured at will.
Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 1Annals of the Five Emperors · 5 passages
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Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 2Annals of Xia · 1 passage
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Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 3Annals of Yin · 9 passages
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Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 13Genealogical Tables of the Three Dynasties · 8 passages
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Book of Zhou, Chapter 23Volume 23 Biographies 15: Su Chuo · 2 passages
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誠能監前事之得喪，勞虛己於吐握，其知賢也必用，其授爵也勿疑，則舜禹湯武之德可連衡矣，稷契伊呂之流可比肩矣。 If rulers could truly weigh past success and failure, humble themselves as Duke of Zhou did when he "spit out his food and released his hair grip" to receive men, employ the worthy without fail, and grant office without hesitation, then the virtue of Shun, Yu, Tang, and Wu would stand in one line and men like Hou Ji, Xie, Yi Yin, and Lü Shang could walk shoulder to shoulder.