Sima Guang (司馬光) | 24 Histories

Overview

Sima Guang was a Remonstrance official opposing Brave Righteous levy.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal name	Guang

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 1052 to AD 1063 仁宗即位三十餘年
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 339, passages 4, 23
AD 1086 to AD 1094 元祐
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 339, passages 355-356
AD 1086 元祐大臣……司馬光
Directly stated · History of Song 359, passage 123
AD 1060 to AD 1086 北宋司馬光活動
Strongly inferred · History of Song 392, passage 175
AD 1019 to AD 1086 司馬光 lifetime; ritual writings cited
Strongly inferred · History of Song 430, passage 286
AD 1056 to AD 1063 嘉祐年
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 106, passage 116

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AD 1067 to AD 1086 宋大賢溫國公光
Strongly inferred · History of Ming 284, passage 93
AD 1086 宣仁后臨朝，用司馬光、呂公著
Directly stated · History of Song 339, passages 62, 69, 76, 363
AD 1064 治平元年
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 13, passage 96
AD 1067 治平四年
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 14, passage 50
AD 1072 熙寧五年
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 107, passage 170
AD 1068 熙寧元年
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 14, passage 128
AD 1068 熙寧元年
Directly stated · History of Song 110, passage 36
AD 1085 to AD 1086 頃者，司馬光秉政
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 339, passage 112

Family

Ancestor of Sima Xun (司馬恂)
descendant 後 · paternal line
Directly stated · History of Ming 284, passage 93

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Hanlin academician 翰林學士
Appointed
Directly stated · History of Song 14, passage 279
examining official 考官
AD 1052 to AD 1063 仁宗即位三十餘年 · Held
Directly stated · History of Song 339, passage 23
Hanlin Academician 翰林學士
Held
Directly stated · History of Song 110, passage 36
remonstrance official 諫官
Held
Directly stated · History of Song 13, passage 96
held power 秉政
AD 1085 to AD 1086 頃者，司馬光秉政 · In power · Held · Mode quoted-speech Speaker Zhe (轍)
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 339, passage 112

Places and affiliations

Polity Northern Song 北宋 · Relation Lived under
Strongly inferred · History of Song 430, passage 286
Polity Song 宋 · Relation Served
Directly stated · History of Ming 284, passage 93; History of Song 106, passage 116; History of Song 339, passages 23, 112, 356, 363
Polity Song 宋 · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · History of Song 392, passage 175

Works and attributed material

Comprehensive Mirror to Aid in Government 資治通鑒
Relation Author
Directly stated · History of Song 14, passage 84
ritual writings cited with Zhenghe rites 司馬光等書
Relation Author
Directly stated · History of Song 430, passage 286
Memorial · Author · Addressed to Emperor Shenzong of Song (神宗)
Directly stated · History of Song 110, passages 36-41
Deliberation · Author · Direct quotation
Directly stated · History of Song 106, passages 116, 127
Historian's commentary · Commentator · With Emperor Wu of Liang (梁武帝) · Paraphrased · Mode commentator-judgment Source Person Id Sima Guang (司馬光)
Directly stated · Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance 159, passage 161; zizhitongjian:159:s0161a; zizhitongjian:159:s0161b; zizhitongjian:159:s0161c; zizhitongjian:159:s0161d; zizhitongjian:159:s0161e; zizhitongjian:159:s0161f; zizhitongjian:159:s0161g; zizhitongjian:159:s0161h; zizhitongjian:159:s0161i
Memorial · Author · Quote false
Directly stated · History of Song 13, passage 96

Events and relationships

Argued to move xizu when late emperor enshrined
AD 1056 to AD 1063 嘉祐年 · Political · Deliberator
Directly stated · History of Song 106, passages 116, 127
Opposed brave righteous levy
Political · Remonstrator
Directly stated · History of Song 13, passage 96
Ordered the Revenue Ministry to reclaim fiscal authority from other offices
AD 1085 to AD 1086 頃者，司馬光秉政 · Administrative · Chief minister · Mode quoted-speech Speaker Zhe (轍)
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 339, passage 112
Ordered to fix state expenditure with Teng Fu
Administrative · Commissioner · With Teng Fu (滕甫)
Directly stated · History of Song 14, passage 128
Ranked third class
AD 1052 to AD 1063 仁宗即位三十餘年 · Examination · Examiner · With Su Zhe (蘇轍)
Directly stated · History of Song 339, passage 23
Refused advice
Political · Rejector · With Su Zhe (蘇轍)
Directly stated · History of Song 339, passage 76

Show 2 more source-backed claims

Sought to change examinations
Educational · Reformer
Directly stated · History of Song 339, passage 69
Sought to restore corvee
Administrative · Reformer
Directly stated · History of Song 339, passage 62

Assessments and attributes

Assessment knew the split of fiscal desks was harmful · Mode quoted-speech Speaker Zhe (轍)
Directly stated · History of Song 339, passage 112
Assessment loyalty · Mode named-speaker Speaker Emperor Shenzong of Song (神宗)
Directly stated · History of Song 110, passage 42

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · History of Song 106, passage 116; History of Song 339, passage 363; History of Song 392, passage 175; History of Song 430, passage 286

References in the histories

Search passages

History

23 passages

History of Ming, Chapter 284Volume 284 Biographies 172: Confucian Scholars 3 · 1 passage

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大學士李賢言：「公恂，至聖後，贊善司馬恂，宋大賢溫國公光後，宜輔導太子。」 Grand Secretary Li Xian said: "Gongxun descends from the Supreme Sage; Instructor Sima Xun descends from the great Song worthy Sima Guang, Duke of Wen—they are fit to tutor the crown prince."

History of Song, Chapter 13Volume 13 Annals 13: Yingzong · 1 passage

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諫官司馬光累上疏諫之，不允。 Sima Guang protested again and again; the throne would not yield.

History of Song, Chapter 14Volume 14 Annals 14: Shenzong 1 · 4 passages

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辛酉，詔內外所上封事，令張方平、司馬光詳定以聞。 On xinyou, Zhang Fangping and Sima Guang were to review sealed memorials.

癸卯，以權御史中丞司馬光爲翰林學士。 On guimao, acting censorate director Sima Guang joined the Hanlin Academy.

甲寅，制《資治通鑒序》賜司馬光。 On jiayin, he wrote the Mirror's preface for Sima Guang.

丙寅，命司馬光、滕甫裁定國用。 On bingyin, Sima Guang and Teng Fu were told to balance the treasury.

History of Song, Chapter 106Volume 106 Treatises 59: Rites 9 · 1 passage

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盧士宗、司馬光以為：「太祖已上之主，雖屬尊於太祖，親盡則遷。 Lu Shizong and Sima Guang argued: "Lords above Taizu, though senior in rank, are moved when affection is exhausted.

History of Song, Chapter 107Volume 107 Treatises 60: Rites 10 · 2 passages

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韓維、司馬光等力爭，而安石主其說愈堅。 Han Wei, Sima Guang, and others strove against this while Anshi held ever more firmly to his view.

特以司馬光、韓維之徒皆是大賢，人所敬信，其議偶不出此，而安石乃以變亂穿鑿得罪於公議，故欲堅守二賢之說，並安石所當取者而盡廢之。 Because Guang, Wei, and others were trusted worthies whose view happened not to take this course, while Anshi was condemned for forced interpretation, one wishes to adhere to the worthies and abolish even what Anshi rightly held.

History of Song, Chapter 110Volume 110 Treatises 63: Rites 13 · 2 passages

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先是，翰林學士司馬光言：“尊號起唐武後、中宗之世，遂為故事。 Earlier, Hanlin Academician Sima Guang had written: "Honorific titles began in the reigns of Empress Wu and Emperor Zhongzong of Tang and thereafter became precedent.

詔賜光曰：“覽卿來奏，深諒忠誠。 An edict to Guang read: "Having read your memorial, I deeply appreciate your loyalty.

History of Song, Chapter 339Volume 339 Biographies 98: Su Zhezu and Grandson: Yuanlao · 7 passages

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考官司馬光第以三等，范鎮難之。 Examiner Sima Guang placed it in the third rank, but Fan Zhen objected.

宣仁后臨朝，用司馬光、呂公著，欲革弊事，而舊相蔡確、韓縝、樞密使章惇皆在位，窺伺得失，轍皆論去之。 When Empress Dowager Xuanren held court, she employed Sima Guang and Lü Gongzhu to reform abuses, but former chief counselors Cai Que and Han Zhen and Military Affairs Commissioner Zhang Dun remained in office, watching for openings—Zhe memorialized to remove them all.

司馬光以王安石雇役之害，欲復差役，不知其害相半於雇役。 Sima Guang, seeing the harm of Wang Anshi's hired-labor tax, wished to restore corvée labor but did not see that corvée brought harms half as grave again.

光又以安石私設《詩》、《書新義》考試天下士，欲改科舉，別為新格。 Guang also wished to change the examinations because Anshi had imposed his private new interpretations of the Odes and Documents on candidates nationwide.

光皆不能從。 Guang could not accept any of this.

頃者，司馬光秉政，知其為害，嘗使本部收攬諸司利權。 When Sima Guang was in power he saw the harm and once ordered this ministry to reclaim fiscal authority from the other agencies.

及議回河、雇役，與文彥博、司馬光異同； on the Yellow River return and hired service he differed from Wen Yanbo and Sima Guang;

History of Song, Chapter 359Volume 359 Biographies 118: Li Gang 2 · 1 passage

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元祐大臣，持正論如司馬光之流，皆社稷之臣也，而群枉嫉之，指為奸黨，顛倒是非，政事大壞，馴致靖康之變，非偶然也。 The Yuanyou ministers — upright men like Sima Guang who defended sound principle — were all pillars of the state, yet the corrupt envied them, denounced them as a wicked faction, inverted right and wrong, and ruined governance until the Jingkang catastrophe came — hardly by accident.

History of Song, Chapter 392Volume 392 Biographies 151: Zhao Ruyu and Son: Chongxian · 2 passages

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汝愚學務有用，常以司馬光、富弼、韓琦、范仲淹自期。 Ruyu pursued learning for practical use and measured himself against Sima Guang, Fu Bi, Han Qi, and Fan Zhongyan.

俄改監行在都進奏院，復引陳瓘論司馬光、呂公著復官事申言之，乞以所陳下三省集議：「若先臣心跡有一如言者所論，即近日恩典皆爲冒濫，先臣復官賜諡，與臣新命，俱合追寢。 Soon he was made supervisor of the capital memorial transmission office. He cited Chen Guan's memorial on restoring Sima Guang and Lü Gongzhu and asked the three departments to deliberate: "If my father's conduct was truly as his accusers claimed, then recent favors were undeserved, my father's restoration and posthumous title should be revoked, and my new appointment withdrawn.

History of Song, Chapter 430Volume 430 Biographies 189: Taoist Scholars 4: Zhu Shimenren, Huang Gan, Li Fan, Zhang Qia, Chen Chun, Li Fangzi, Huang Hao · 1 passage

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光宗即位，遷太常寺簿，論今禮教廢闕，請敕有司取政和冠昏喪葬儀，及司馬光、高閌等書參訂行之。 Guangzong made him Imperial Sacrifices recorder; he said ritual teaching was abandoned and asked offices to revise Zhenghe rites and books by Sima Guang and Gao Kang and enact them.

Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance, Chapter 159Volume 159 Liang Records 15 · 1 passage

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臣光曰：梁高祖之不終也，宜哉！ Sima Guang comments: That Liang Gaozu did not finish his course was fitting!