Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · General and Official

Wang De 王德

First attested AD 529; died AD 548

Passages: 15
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Wang De was a general and Official.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Courtesy name	Tian'en	天恩	Tian'en
Posthumous name	Xian	獻	Xian

Life and dates

Death

AD 548 十四年
At Jing Province 涇州
Dated from the passage context · Book of Zhou 17, passages 185-186

Attested activity

AD 534 侯莫陳悅害岳
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 17, passage 141
AD 548 十四年
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 17, passages 185-186
AD 535 大統元年
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 17, passage 179
AD 529 魏永安二年
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 17, passage 137

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Parent of Daughter of Wang De
daughter 女
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 17, passage 149
Child of Father of Wang De
father 父
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 17, passage 149
Child of Mother of Wang De
mother 母
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 17, passage 146
Parent of Wang Qing (王慶)
son 子
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 17, passage 147

Origins and identity

granted surname Wuhuan
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 17, passage 178

Career and standing

posthumous name Xian 諡獻
Granted
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 17, passage 187
Sold children
Enslavement sale · With Wang Qing (王慶)
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 17, passage 149

Places and affiliations

Polity Name Western Wei 西魏 · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · Book of Zhou 17, passages 137, 179
At Wuchuan 武川 · Relation Native of
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 17, passage 135

Learning and skills

Skill mounted archery 騎射 · Level skilled
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 17, passage 136

Events and relationships

First to ascend at Henei
AD 529 魏永安二年 · Military · Volunteer · With Yuan Hao (元顥)
Dated from the passage context · Book of Zhou 17, passage 137
Sold son Gongnu and a daughter to bury father
Personal · Actor
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 17, passage 149

Assessments and attributes

Assessment famed for bold resolve yet followed filial duty · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 17, passage 155
Assessment grave, honest, cautious; praised for filial piety · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 17, passages 136, 145
could not read / did not know books
Literacy · Negated false
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 17, passage 143

References in the histories

Search passages

History

15 passages

Book of Zhou, Chapter 17Volume 17 Biographies 9: Liang Yu; Guo Ganhui; Yi Feng; Liu Liang; Wang De · 15 passages

梁禦若干惠怡峯劉亮王德 Liang Yu — Ruogan Hui — Yi Feng — Liu Liang — Wang De

王德字天恩，代郡武川人也。 Wang De, styled Tian'en, came from Wuchuan in Dai commandery.

及侯莫陳悅害岳，德與寇洛等定議翊戴太祖。 When Houmochen Yue murdered Heba Yue, Wang De and Kou Luo and others resolved to raise up Grand Progenitor Yuwen Tai.

德雖不知書，至於斷決處分，良吏無以過也。 Wang De could not read, yet in judgment and administration no capable official could match him.

涇州所部五郡，而德常為最。 Among the five commanderies under Jing Province, Wang De's district was always ranked first.

及魏孝武西遷，以奉迎功，進封下博縣伯，邑五百戶，行東雍州事。 When Emperor Xiaowu fled west, Wang De was raised to Earl of Xiabo with five hundred households for welcoming the emperor and was put in charge of East Yong Province.

先是河、渭間種羌屢叛，以德有威名，為夷民所附，除河州刺史。 Earlier the tribal Qiang between the He and Wei had rebelled repeatedly; because Wang De had a fierce reputation and the frontier peoples followed him, he was made governor of He Province.

德綏撫有方，羣羌率服。 Wang De pacified them skillfully and the Qiang largely submitted.

十三年，授大都督、原靈顯三州五原蒲川二鎮諸軍事。 In the thirteenth year he was made grand commander with overall military authority over the three provinces of Yuan, Ling, and Xian and the two garrisons of Wuyuan and Puchuan.

諡曰獻。 His posthumous name was Xian, "Offering."

德性厚重廉慎，言行無擇。 Wang De was grave, honest, and cautious, consistent in word and deed.

母年幾百歲，後德終。 His mother lived to nearly a hundred and outlived him.

初德喪父，家貧無以葬，乃賣公奴幷一女以營葬事。 When Wang De mourned his father the family was too poor to bury him, so he sold Gongnu and a daughter to pay for the funeral.

及德在平涼始得之，遂名曰慶。 When Wang De was at Pingliang he found the boy at last and named him Qing, "Celebration."

惠、德本以果毅知名，而能率由孝道，難矣。 Ruogan Hui and Wang De were famed for bold resolve, yet also lived by filial duty—no small thing.