Shang Yang (商鞅) | 24 Histories

Overview

Shang Yang was a statesman and Reformer.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal name	Gongsun Yang	公孫鞅	Gongsun Yang

Life and dates

Death

BC 338 秦發兵攻商君，殺之
killed in battle then torn by chariots 殺之於鄭黽池，車裂 · At Meng Pool of Zheng 鄭黽池 · Authority King Hui of Qin (秦惠王)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passages 186-187
Executed
Directly stated · Book of Han 25, passage 102
Torn apart by chariots
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 83, passage 211

Attested activity

BC 359 to BC 338 BC 359-338
Strongly inferred · Book of Later Han 32, passage 122
BC 361 to BC 338 入秦事孝公
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passages 17, 42
BC 359 to BC 338 商鞅
Strongly inferred · Book of Jin 127, passage 226
BC 359 to BC 338 商鞅
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 83, passage 211
BC 390 to BC 338 商鞅
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Three Kingdoms 62, passage 172
BC 338 商鞅
Directly stated · Book of Southern Qi 47, passage 82

Show 15 more source-backed claims

BC 350 商鞅之法
Strongly inferred · History of Yuan 66, passage 234
BC 359 to BC 338 商鞅挟三术以钻孝公
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 117, passage 243
BC 359 to BC 338 商鞅行法
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 103, passage 52
BC 359 商鞅行法
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 129, passage 91
BC 353 成侯十一年
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 37, passage 217
BC 390 to BC 338 戰國
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 101, passage 150
BC 360 戰國
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 25, passage 58
BC 356 to BC 338 戰國時期
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 48, passage 161
BC 390 to BC 338 楊、墨、釋、老
Dated from the passage context · History of Ming 298, passage 95
BC 359 to BC 338 申商之法 (Shang Yang's own Qin reforms)
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 65, passage 174
BC 359 to BC 338 當是之時，秦用商君
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 74, passage 10
BC 359 to BC 338 秦
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 26, passage 229
BC 390 to BC 338 秦孝公之世
Dated from the passage context · Book of Later Han 31, passage 117
BC 338 秦孝公卒後五月
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passages 174, 186
BC 361 to BC 338 秦孝公用商君
Directly stated · Book of Han 26, passage 107

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Child of Father of Lord Shang
illegitimate son 庶孽公子
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passage 1

Kinship Role household · Count 0 · Negated true · family exterminated
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passage 188

Key source chapters

Origins and identity

Ji clan ancestry 姬姓
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passage 1

Career and standing

junior aide 中庶子
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passage 2
Left Chamberlain 左庶長
BC 361 to BC 350 以衛鞅為左庶長 · Appointed
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passage 69
Grand Commandant 大良造
Appointed
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passage 95
chancellor of Qin 相秦
BC 348 to BC 338 商君相秦十年 · Held
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passage 122
junior aide (zhongshuzi) 中庶子
Held
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passage 2
Lord Shang 商君
At Shang fifteen settlements 於、商十五邑 · Enfeoffed
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passage 121

Show 4 more source-backed claims

Lord Shang 商君
Held
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passage 121
Suffered
Ruined
Directly stated · Book of Han 117, passage 243
torn apart by chariots as a warning 車裂以徇
Execution · Suffered · Authority King Hui of Qin (秦惠王)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passage 187
family exterminated 滅商君之家
Extermination of family · Suffered
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passage 188

Places and affiliations

Polity Qin · Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Han 26, passage 229
Polity Qin 秦 · Relation Entered
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 37, passage 217
Polity Qin 秦 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Han 25, passages 58, 153; Book of Han 26, passage 107; Records of the Grand Historian 68, passages 17, 122; Records of the Grand Historian 74, passage 10
Polity Qin 秦 · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 65, passage 174; Book of Han 117, passage 243
Polity Wei 魏 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passage 2
At Wei 衛
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passage 1

Show 3 more source-backed claims

BC 353 成侯十一年
At Qin 秦 · Relation Traveled to
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 37, passage 217
At Shang 商邑 · Relation Enfeoffed at
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passages 121, 185
At Xianyang 咸陽 · Relation Built at
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passage 97

Learning and skills

study of law and governance 刑名之學
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passage 2
Skill legalist statecraft 刑名之學 · Level devoted
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passage 2

Works and attributed material

military writings 篇籍
Relation Associated author
Directly stated · Book of Han 25, passage 58
Book on Opening and Closing, Agriculture and Warfare 開塞耕戰書
Relation Author
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passage 192
the laws of Shang 商之法
Relation Author
Directly stated · Book of Han 65, passage 174
Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation · Extent s0043, s0044, s0045, s0046, s0047, s0048, s0049, s0050
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passages 43-50
Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation · Extent s0056, s0057, s0058, s0059, s0060, s0061
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passages 56-61
Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation · Extent s0065, s0066, s0067
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passages 65-67

Show 2 more source-backed claims

Letter · Author · With Gongzi Ang (公子卬) · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passage 115
Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passage 178

Events and relationships

Abolished well fields, opened boundaries, rewarded farming and war
Policy · Reformer
Directly stated · Book of Han 26, passage 107
Besieged and took
Military · Commander · At Anyi 安邑
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passage 96
Captured enemies and established victories
Military strategic · Strategist
Directly stated · Book of Han 25, passage 58
Defeated by deception
Military · Commander · With Gongzi Ang (公子卬) · At Wei 魏
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passages 115, 117
Enriched the state and strengthened the army
Reform · Reformer · At Qin 秦
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 74, passage 10
Entered Qin
BC 353 成侯十一年，公孫鞅入秦 · Travel · Migrant
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 37, passage 217

Show 14 more source-backed claims

Established laws, promoted farming and weaving, prepared defenses, and formed horizontal alliances
Reform · Minister
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 48, passages 161-162
Fled arrest
BC 338 商君亡至關下 · Flight · Fugitive
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passages 175-176
Moved capital
Administrative · Planner · At Xianyang 咸陽
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passage 97
Moved pole reward
Demonstration · Organizer · At capital market gates 國都市南門
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passages 80, 83
Qin legal reforms 變法之令
Legal · Reformer · Promulgated laws
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passages 69, 84
Punished tutors of heir
Legal · Enforcer · With King Hui of Qin (秦惠王)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passages 86, 89
Qin's laws took his methods as teacher
Intellectual · Source of law
Directly stated · Book of Han 65, passage 174
Raised troops at Shang
Military · Rebel commander · At Shang 商邑
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passage 185
Sought audience
Political · Advisee · With Duke Xiao of Qin (秦孝公) · At Qin 秦
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passages 17-18
Used three techniques to insinuate himself with Duke Xiao
Political · Actor · With Duke Xiao of Qin (秦孝公)
Directly stated · Book of Han 117, passage 243
Relation Client of · Person Duke Xiao of Qin (秦孝公)
Directly stated · Book of Han 117, passage 243
Relation Minister of · Person Duke Xiao of Qin (秦孝公)
Directly stated · Book of Han 26, passage 107
Relation Protege of · Person Jing Jian (景監)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passages 17, 155
Relation Client of · Person Gongshu Zuo (公叔座)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passage 2

Assessments and attributes

Assessment example of disregarding public opinion to force great works · Mode named-source-report Source Person Id Xu Youren (許有壬)
Directly stated · History of Yuan 66, passage 234
Assessment harsh and ungenerous by nature · Mode historian-judgment Speaker Sima Qian (司馬遷)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passage 189
Assessment lacking in kindness · Mode historian-judgment Speaker Sima Qian (司馬遷)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 68, passage 191
Assessment villain of declining Zhou / wicked man who came to regret the crooked path to wealth · Mode speaker-judgment Speaker Host (主人)
Directly stated · Book of Han 117, passages 243, 253