Qin and Han · Governor of Shu and Educator

Wen Weng 文翁

Attested BC 141 - BC 87

Passages: 10
Chapters: 3
Histories: 3

Overview

Wen Weng was a Governor of Shu and Educator.

Life and dates

Death

At Shu 蜀
Directly stated · Book of Han 101, passage 35

Attested activity

BC 141 to BC 130 文翁 (Western Han governor of Shu; academy eponym)
Strongly inferred · Book of Zhou 39, passage 166
BC 141 文翁之世
Strongly inferred · Draft History of Qing 366, passage 112
BC 141 景帝末
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 101, passage 25
BC 141 to BC 87 武帝時
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 101, passage 34

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Governor of Shu Commandery 蜀郡守
Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Han 101, passage 25

Places and affiliations

Western Han 漢
Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Han 101, passage 23
Polity Western Han 西漢 · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · Book of Zhou 39, passage 166
At Shu in Lujiang 廬江舒
Directly stated · Book of Han 101, passage 23
At Shu Commandery 蜀郡 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · Book of Han 101, passage 25

Works and attributed material

Stone Chamber of Lord Wen 文翁石室
Relation Associated with
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 366, passage 112

Events and relationships

Established schools
Educational · Founder · At Chengdu 成都
Directly stated · Book of Han 101, passage 29
Sent students to capital
Educational · Patron · With Zhang Shu (張叔)
Directly stated · Book of Han 101, passage 26

Assessments and attributes

Assessment civilizing influence on Ba and Shu · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Han 101, passage 36

References in the histories

Search passages

History

10 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 101Volume 89: Upright Officials · 8 passages

是時，循吏如河南守吳公、蜀守文翁之屬，皆謹身帥先，居以廉平，不至於嚴，而民從化。 Among them were model officials like the governor of Henan, Lord Wu, and the governor of Shu, Wen Weng: each kept his own conduct strict, led by example, governed with integrity and even-handed justice without leaning on harshness, and the people willingly came round.

文翁，廬江舒人也。 Wen Weng came from Shu District in Lujiang Commandery.

見蜀地辟陋有蠻夷風，文翁欲誘進之，乃選郡縣小吏開敏有材者張叔等十餘人親自飭厲，遣詣京師，受業博士，或學律令。 Shu struck him as backward, almost frontier in manners. To lift it up he picked a dozen sharp young clerks like Zhang Shu, drilled them himself, and sent them to the capital to study under the court academicians or to train in the law codes.

數歲，蜀生皆成就還歸，文翁以為右職，用次察舉，官有至郡守刺史者。 Within a few years his protégés finished their studies and came home. He placed them in senior posts, recommended them in turn for higher office, and some rose to governorships or regional inspectorates.

至武帝時，乃令天下郡國皆立學校官，自文翁為之始雲。 By Emperor Wu's reign every commandery and kingdom was ordered to maintain official schools; the precedent is traced to Wen Weng.

文翁終於蜀，吏民為立祠堂，歲時祭祀不絕。 Wen Weng died in office in Shu. Officials and commoners built him a shrine and kept seasonal offerings without interruption.

至今巴蜀好文雅，文翁之化也。 Even today Ba and Shu cherish letters and refinement—that is Wen Weng's lasting influence.

元始四年，詔書祀百辟卿士有益於民者，蜀郡以文翁，九江以召父應詔書。 An edict in Yuanshi 4 ordered sacrifices to former ministers who had served the people; Shu Commandery nominated Wen Weng and Jiujiang nominated Father Shao.

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 366Volume 366 Biographies 153: Sun Yuting, Jiang Youxian, Li Hongbin · 1 passage

重修文翁石室，興學造士。 He rebuilt the Stone Chamber of Lord Wen and promoted learning to nurture scholars.

Book of Zhou, Chapter 39Volume 39 Biographies 31: Wei Zhen; Liang Xin; Huang Fufan; Xin Qingzhi; Wang Zizhi; Du Gao · 1 passage

昂到縣，卽與諸生祭文翁學堂，因共歡宴。 On reaching the county seat Ang immediately joined the student scholars in sacrifice at the Wen Weng academy and then feasted with them.