Qin and Han · Official and Administrator

Tian Ren 田仁

Attested BC 140 - BC 91

Passages: 25
Chapters: 2
Histories: 2

Overview

Tian Ren was an official and Administrator.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Courtesy name	Tian Shaoqing	田少卿	Tian Shaoqing

Life and dates

Death

Execution · Cause Letting Crown Prince Li escape
Directly stated · Book of Han 46, passage 140
executed 誅死
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 104, passages 68, 126

Attested activity

BC 140 to BC 120 仁以壯健為衛將軍舍人
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 104, passage 61
BC 91 坐太子事
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 104, passages 67-68
BC 91 戾太子舉兵
Directly stated · Book of Han 46, passage 140
BC 129 to BC 91 數從擊匈奴
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 46, passage 136

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Child of Tian Shu (田叔)
father 父
youngest son 少子
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 104, passage 59; Book of Han 46, passage 135

Key source chapters

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 104 Biography of Tian Shu 21 passages
Book of Han, Chapter 46 Volume 37: Ji Bu, Luan Bu and Tian Shu 4 passages

Career and standing

retainer of the General of the Guard 衛將軍舍人
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 104, passage 61
chief clerk to the chancellor 丞相長史
Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Han 46, passage 137
Commandant of the Capital Suburbs 京輔都尉
Appointed
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 104, passage 65
Director of Justice 司直
Appointed
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 104, passages 66, 121
gentleman of the palace 郎中
Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Han 46, passage 137
Gentleman of the Palace 郎中
Appointed
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 104, passage 62

Show 6 more source-backed claims

metropolitan commandant 京輔都尉
Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Han 46, passage 138
Senior Secretary to the Chancellor 丞相長史
Appointed
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 104, passages 63, 113
superintendent of trials 司直
Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Han 46, passage 139
Entered
Lost office
Directly stated · Book of Han 46, passage 137
clan exterminated for abetting rebel 坐縱反者族
Executed
Directly stated · Book of Han 46, passage 140
clan exterminated 族死
Executed
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 104, passage 69

Works and attributed material

Memorial · Author · With Emperor Wu of Han (漢武帝)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 104, passages 114-115
Speech · Speaker · With Emperor Wu of Han (漢武帝)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 104, passages 107-108

Events and relationships

Failed to stop Crown Prince; later executed
Military · Gate commander · With Crown Prince (太子)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 104, passages 68, 122-123, 126
Fought Xiongnu
Military · Campaigner
Directly stated · Book of Han 46, passage 136
Impeached Three Rivers governors who were executed
Legal · Investigator
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 104, passage 120
Relation Friend of · Person Sima Qian (司馬遷)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 104, passage 73
Relation Retainer of · Person Wei Qing (韋)
Directly stated · Book of Han 46, passage 136
Relation Friend of · Person Ren An (任安)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 104, passages 74, 86

Assessments and attributes

Assessment capable and unafraid of the powerful · Mode named-person Speaker Emperor Wu of Han (漢武帝)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 104, passage 121

References in the histories

Search passages

History

25 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 46Volume 37: Ji Bu, Luan Bu and Tian Shu · 4 passages

數年以官卒，魯以百金祠，少子仁不受，曰：「義不傷先人名。」 He died in office some years later. Lu offered his youngest son, Ren, a hundred catties of gold for the funeral, but Ren refused, saying, "Duty forbids my tarnishing my father's reputation."

仁以壯勇為衛將軍舍人，數從擊匈奴。 Ren, known for his courage, became a retainer of the General of the Guards and repeatedly campaigned against the Xiongnu.

衛將軍進言仁為郎中，至二千石、丞相長史，失官。 The general recommended him for a gentleman of the palace; he rose to two-thousand-bushel rank as chief clerk to the chancellor, then lost his post.

數歲，戾太子舉兵，仁部閉城門，令太子得亡，坐縱反者族。 Some years later, when Crown Prince Li mutinied, Tian Ren, who commanded the gate guard, failed to seal the capital in time and allowed the prince to break out; he was convicted of abetting a traitor, and his entire clan perished with him.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 104Biography of Tian Shu · 21 passages

數年，叔以官卒，魯以百金祠，少子仁不受也，曰：「不以百金傷先人名。」 After several years, Tian Shu died while still in office. The state of Lu offered a hundred pieces of gold for a memorial shrine in his honor, but his youngest son Tian Ren refused the gift, saying: "I will not let a hundred pieces of gold tarnish my father's good name."

仁以壯健為衛將軍舍人，數從擊匈奴。 Tian Ren, strong and robust in build, served as a retainer in the household of the General of the Guard, and accompanied him on repeated campaigns against the Xiongnu.

衛將軍進言仁，仁為郎中。 The General of the Guard put forward a recommendation for Tian Ren, who was then appointed as a Gentleman of the Palace.

上東巡，仁奏事有辭，上說，拜為京輔都尉。 When the emperor went on his eastern inspection tour, Tian Ren presented his reports with such eloquence that the emperor was delighted and appointed him as the Commandant of the Capital Suburbs.

時左相自將兵，令司直田仁主閉守城門，坐縱太子，下吏誅死。 At the time, the Left Chancellor personally took command of the troops and ordered the Director of Justice, Tian Ren, to close and guard the city gates. Tian Ren was convicted of allowing the Crown Prince to escape, handed over to the judicial officials, and put to death.

仁發兵，長陵令車千秋上變仁，仁族死。 Tian Ren had also taken up arms in the affair; the Magistrate of Changling, Che Qianqiu, submitted a memorial denouncing him for treason, and Tian Ren's entire clan was put to death.

仁與余善，余故并論之。 Tian Ren and I were on friendly terms, and so I have included his account here alongside his father's.

褚先生曰：臣為郎時，聞之曰田仁故與任安相善。 Master Chu says: When I served as a Gentleman of the Palace, I heard that Tian Ren had once been close friends with Ren An.

乃為衛將軍舍人，與田仁會，俱為舍人，居門下，同心相愛。 He then entered service as a retainer in the household of the General of the Guard, where he met Tian Ren. Both served as retainers under the same roof, and they became fast friends, united in heart.

兩人同床臥，仁竊言曰：「不知人哉家監也！」 The two men shared a bed at night. Tian Ren whispered bitterly: "What a poor judge of men the household steward is!"

於是趙禹悉召衛將軍舍人百餘人，以次問之，得田仁、任安，曰：「獨此兩人可耳，餘無可用者。」 Zhao Yu then summoned all the general's retainers—over a hundred—and questioned them one after another. He singled out Tian Ren and Ren An, declaring: "Only these two are fit for service. The rest are of no use whatsoever."

田仁對曰； Tian Ren answered:

「提桴鼓立軍門，使士大夫樂死戰鬬，仁不及任安。」 "When it comes to taking up the drumstick at the camp gate and inspiring officers and soldiers to fight gladly to the death—in this, I am no match for Ren An."

任安對曰：「夫決嫌疑，定是非，辯治官，使百姓無怨心，安不及仁也。」 Ren An replied: "When it comes to resolving doubts, determining right from wrong, evaluating the competence of officials, and ensuring that the common people harbor no resentment—in these things, I am no match for Tian Ren."

使任安護北軍，使田仁護邊田穀於河上。 He assigned Ren An to oversee the Northern Army, and dispatched Tian Ren to supervise the frontier agricultural colonies along the Yellow River.

其後用任安為益州刺史，以田仁為丞相長史。 Subsequently, Ren An was appointed as the Regional Inspector of Yizhou, and Tian Ren was made the Senior Secretary to the Chancellor.

田仁上書言：「天下郡太守多為姦利，三河尤甚，臣請先刺舉三河。 Tian Ren submitted a memorial to the throne: "Many commandery governors throughout the empire engage in corruption for personal gain, and the Three Rivers region is the worst offender. I request permission to begin by investigating and impeaching the officials of the Three Rivers.

田仁數上書言之。 Tian Ren submitted memorial after memorial pressing the case.

杜大夫及石氏使人謝，謂田少卿曰：「吾非敢有語言也，願少卿無相誣汙也。」 Grand Censor Du and the Shi clan sent intermediaries to plead with him, telling Tian Ren: "We would not dare utter a word against you. We only hope that you will not level false accusations against us."

仁已刺三河，三河太守皆下吏誅死。 Tian Ren carried out his investigation of the Three Rivers, and all three governors were handed over to the judicial officials and put to death.

仁還奏事，武帝說，以仁為能不畏彊御，拜仁為丞相司直，威振天下。 Tian Ren returned and delivered his report. Emperor Wu was delighted, judging Tian Ren to be a man who feared no authority however powerful. He appointed him as the Chancellor's Director of Justice, and his renown shook the entire empire.