Qin and Han · Named Individual

Sang Qian 桑遷

Died BC 80

Passages: 5
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Sang Qian was a Named Individual.

Life and dates

Death

BC 80 historical identification
Cause Executed
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 70, passage 36

Attested activity

BC 80 燕王獄
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 70, passage 35

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Child of Sang Hongyang (桑弘羊)
son 子
Directly stated · Book of Han 70, passage 35

References in the histories

Book of Han, Chapter 70Volume 60: Du Zhou · 5 passages

治燕王獄時，御史大夫桑弘羊子遷亡，過父故吏侯史吳。 During the trial of the King of Yan's revolt, Sang Hongyang's son Sang Qian fled the capital and took refuge with his father's former subordinate Houshi Wu.

後遷捕得，伏法。 Qian was eventually arrested and executed.

會赦，侯史吳自出系獄，廷尉王平與少府徐仁雜治反事，皆以為桑遷坐父謀反而侯史吳臧之，非匿反者，乃匿為隨者也。 A general amnesty followed. Houshi Wu surrendered himself. Commandant of Justice Wang Ping and Chamberlain Xu Ren jointly reviewed the treason charges. Both held that while Sang Qian was liable as his father's accomplice, Wu had merely sheltered a follower, not a principal rebel.

後侍御史治實，以桑遷通經術，知父謀反而不諫爭，與反者身無異； Later, investigating censors reopened the file. They argued that Sang Qian, being classically trained, must have known of his father's plot yet never spoke up—making him morally the same as a traitor;

侯史吳故三百石吏，首匿遷，不與庶人匿隨從者等，吳不得赦。 while Houshi Wu, as a former official of three hundred piculs who had knowingly concealed Qian, could not be classed with a commoner sheltering a mere retainer and therefore did not merit the amnesty.