Sun Jian (孫堅) | 24 Histories

Overview

Sun Jian was a Late Han Warlord.

PeriodQin and Han

IdentityHistorical · Male

Roles

Found in

Life and dates

Death

AD 192 初平三年
Killed in battle · At Xiangyang 襄陽
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 11, passages 53-54
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 50, passage 49

Attested activity

AD 184 to AD 191 从孙坚征伐有功
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Three Kingdoms 61, passage 28
AD 192 初平三年春正月
Dated from the passage context · Book of Later Han 11, passages 53-54
AD 191 初平二年
Dated from the passage context · Book of Later Han 11, passages 40, 42
AD 190 初平元年
Dated from the passage context · Book of Later Han 11, passages 19, 39
AD 187 to AD 191 孫堅作長沙時
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 39, passage 61
AD 189 孫堅得於井中
Dated from the passage context · History of Liao 57, passage 6

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AD 190 孫堅舉兵討董卓
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 39, passage 28
AD 189 to AD 192 孫氏之初
Dated from the passage context · Book of Jin 108, passage 124
AD 189 靈帝崩
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Three Kingdoms 31, passage 135

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Parent of Sun Quan (孫權)
father 父
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 50, passages 2, 47
Parent of Sun Ce (孫策)
father 父
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 50, passages 10, 12
Spouse of Lady Wu (吳夫人)
wife 夫人
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 50, passages 2, 9
Sibling of Younger sister of Sun Jian (孫堅妹)
younger sister 妹
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 50, passage 47

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Executed
AD 190 孫堅舉兵討董卓 · With Zhang Zi (張諮) · Reason withholding-army-grain
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 39, passage 28

Places and affiliations

Polity Eastern Han 東漢 · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · Book of Later Han 11, passages 39, 46
AD 187 to AD 191 孫堅作長沙時
At Changsha 長沙 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 39, passage 61
At Gaoling 高陵 · Relation Buried at
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 50, passage 166

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · With Lady Wu (吳夫人)
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 50, passage 12

Events and relationships

Attacked
AD 192 初平三年 · Military · Commander · With Liu Biao (劉表) · At Xiangyang 襄陽
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 11, passages 53-54
Defeated
AD 191 初平二年 · Military · Commander · With Hu Zhen (胡軫) · At Yangren 陽人
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 11, passages 40, 42
Killed
AD 190 初平元年 · Military · Commander · With Wang Rui (王叡)
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 11, passages 19, 39
Killed
AD 190 初平元年 · Military · Commander · With Zhang Zi (張咨)
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 11, passages 19, 39
Raised troops against Dong Zhuo
AD 190 孫堅舉兵討董卓 · Military · Commander · With Dong Zhuo (董卓)
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 39, passage 28
Recommended as grand administrator
AD 184 to AD 191 从孙坚征伐有功 · Political · Recommender · With Rui Zhi (芮祉)
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Three Kingdoms 61, passage 28

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Recovered seal from well
Recovery · Finder
Directly stated · History of Liao 57, passage 6
Relation Subordinate of · Person Yuan Shu (袁術)
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 11, passage 42
Relation Subordinate of · Person Yuan Shu (袁術)
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 11, passage 54

Assessments and attributes

Item imperial transmission seal 傳國寶 · Relation Obtained
Directly stated · History of Liao 57, passage 6

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 39, passage 28

References in the histories

Search passages

History

20 passages

Book of Later Han, Chapter 11Volume 9: Annals of Emperor Xiaoxian · 3 passages

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孫堅殺荊州刺史王叡，又殺南陽太守張咨。 Sun Jian then killed Wang Rui, the inspector of Jing, and Zhang Zi, the governor of Nanyang.

袁術遣將孫堅與董卓將胡軫戰於陽人，軫軍大敗。 The general Sun Jian, sent by Yuan Shu, clashed with Hu Zhen at Yangren and shattered Dong Zhuo’s army.

袁術遣將孫堅攻劉表於襄陽，堅戰歿。 Yuan Shu ordered Sun Jian against Liu Biao at Xiangyang; Sun Jian fell in the fighting.

Book of Jin, Chapter 108Volume 108 Records 8: Murong Hui · 1 passage

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且孫氏之初，以長沙之眾摧破董卓，志匡漢室。 Sun Jian's loyalty anchored Wu rise.

History of Liao, Chapter 57Volume 57 Treatises 27: Ceremonial Guards 3 · 1 passage

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獻帝失之，孫堅得於井中，傳至孫權，以歸於魏。 Emperor Xian lost possession of it; Sun Jian recovered it from a well. It passed down to Sun Quan, who in turn surrendered it to Wei.

Records of the Three Kingdoms, Chapter 31Volume 31: Book of Shu 1: Biographies of the Two Governor Lius · 1 passage

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臣松之按：靈帝崩後，義軍起，孫堅殺荊州刺史王叡，然後劉表為荊州，不與焉同時也。 Pei Songzhi remarks: After Emperor Ling died and the loyalist armies rose, Sun Jian killed Jing inspector Wang Rui; Liu Biao’s appointment to Jing came only afterward and was not contemporaneous with Liu Yan’s.

Records of the Three Kingdoms, Chapter 39Volume 39: Book of Shu 9: Biographies of Dong, Liu, Ma, Chen, Dong, and Lü · 3 passages

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時孫堅舉兵討董卓，以南陽太守張諮不給軍糧，殺之。 When Sun Jian marched against Dong Zhuo, he executed Nanyang Administrator Zhang Zi for withholding supplies.

祥與同心，南陽士民由此怨祥，舉兵攻之，與戰，敗亡。 Liu Xiang had sided with Sun Jian, so the people of Nanyang turned on him, took up arms, and drove him out in defeat.

臣松之案：劉焉在漢靈帝時已經宗正太常，出為益州牧，祥始以孫堅作長沙時為江夏太守，不得舉焉為孝廉，明也。〉 Pei Songzhi notes: Liu Yan had already served as director of the imperial clan and grand master of ceremonies under Emperor Ling before he became Yi governor, whereas Liu Xiang became Jiangxia administrator only during Sun Jian’s tenure at Changsha—so he could not have nominated Liu Yan as filial and incorrupt; the anecdote cannot stand.〉

Records of the Three Kingdoms, Chapter 50Volume 50: Book of Wu 5: Biographies of Concubines and Ladies · 10 passages

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孫破虜吳夫人，吳主權母也。 Lady Wu of General Sun Jian—she was the mother of Sun Quan, the Wu sovereign.

孫堅聞其才貌，欲娶之。 Sun Jian heard tales of her gifts and loveliness and asked for her hand.

吳氏親戚嫌堅輕狡，將拒焉，堅甚以慚恨。 Her kinsmen thought Sun Jian too slick and unreliable and meant to turn him down—an insult that rankled him.

及權在孕，又夢日入其懷，以告堅曰：「昔妊策，夢月入我懷，今也又夢日入我懷，何也？」 With Sun Quan in her womb she dreamed the sun had entered her breast and said to Sun Jian, "For Ce it was the moon; now it is the sun—what portent is this?"

堅曰：「日月者陰陽之精，極貴之象，吾子孫其興乎！」〉 Sun Jian answered, "Sun and moon are the twin essences of yin and yang—the badge of supreme eminence. Our line is meant to flourish!"〉

景常隨堅征伐有功，拜騎都尉。 Wu Jing rode on every campaign beside Sun Jian, earned his share of glory, and was named Colonel of Agile Cavalry.

建安七年，臨薨，引見張昭等，屬以後事，合葬高陵。 In Jian'an 7, on her deathbed she summoned Zhang Zhao and others to entrust them with affairs after her death; she was buried with Sun Jian at Gaoling.

祖父真，與權父堅相親，堅以妹妻真，生琨。 Her grandfather Xu Zhen was close to Sun Jian, who married him a sister; they had Xu Kun.

琨少仕州郡，漢末擾亂，去吏，隨堅征伐有功，拜偏將軍。 Xu Kun began in local office, quit at the Han collapse, followed Sun Jian with distinction, and won the rank of Lieutenant General.

堅薨，隨孫策討樊能、於糜等於橫江，擊張英於當利口。 After Sun Jian's death he joined Sun Ce against Fan Neng and Yu Mi at Hengjiang and Zhang Ying at Danglikou.

Records of the Three Kingdoms, Chapter 61Volume 61: Book of Wu 16: Biographies of Pan Jun and Lu Kai · 1 passage

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父祉，字宣嗣，从孙坚征伐有功，坚荐祉为九江太守，后转吴郡，所在有声。 His father Rui Zhi, courtesy name Xuansi, campaigned with Sun Jian and won distinction; Sun Jian had him recommended as grand administrator of Jiujiang, and after a transfer to Wu he left a strong administrative record wherever he went.