Qin and Han · Chamberlain for the Palace Garrison accused by Zhuge Feng

Zhou Kan 周堪

Attested BC 49 - BC 44

Passages: 15
Chapters: 3
Histories: 1

Overview

Zhou Kan was a Chamberlain for the Palace Garrison accused by Zhuge Feng.

Life and dates

Attested activity

BC 48 to BC 44 初元中
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 105, passage 81
BC 49 to BC 47 宣帝寢疾，選大臣可屬者
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 89, passage 214

Key source chapters

Book of Han, Chapter 89 Volume 78: Xiao Wangzhi 10 passages
Book of Han, Chapter 88 Volume 77: Gai, Zhuge, Liu, Zheng, Sun, Wujiang and He 3 passages
Book of Han, Chapter 105 Volume 93: Flatterers 2 passages

Career and standing

Grandee of Splendid Light 光祿大夫
Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Han 89, passage 214
palace attendant 給事中
Held concurrently
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 81
grand counsellor of the household 光祿大夫
Held
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 81
Appointed
Deathbed regent · Responsibility directed the Secretariat
Directly stated · Book of Han 89, passage 214
Entered
Barred from office
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 86
Imprisoned and later dismissed to commoner status
Directly stated · Book of Han 89, passages 232, 234, 236, 241

Show 1 more source-backed claim

dismissal and barred from office 廢錮
Sentenced
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 86

Places and affiliations

Polity Western Han 西漢 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 81

Events and relationships

Joined Wangzhi, Liu Gengsheng, and Jin Chang in promoting ancient institutions
Political · Reformer
Directly stated · Book of Han 89, passage 218
Relation Imperial tutor of · Person Emperor Yuan of Han (漢元帝)
Directly stated · Book of Han 89, passage 216
Relation Recommended · Person Li Gong (李宮)
Directly stated · Book of Han 89, passage 222
Relation Recommended for imperial summons · Person Zheng Peng (鄭朋)
Directly stated · Book of Han 89, passage 138

References in the histories

Search passages

History

15 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 88Volume 77: Gai, Zhuge, Liu, Zheng, Sun, Wujiang and He · 3 passages

上徙豐為城門校尉，豐上書告光祿勳周堪、光祿大夫張猛。 Demoted to gate colonel, he struck back with charges against Zhou Kan and Zhang Meng.

上不直豐，乃制詔御史：「城門校尉豐，前與光祿勳堪、光祿大夫猛在朝之時，數稱言堪、猛之美。 The emperor did not consider Feng right, and therefore issued a formal edict to the imperial secretary: "Feng, Colonel of the City Gates, formerly, when Chamberlain for the Palace Garrison Kan and Grandee of the Palace Meng were at court, repeatedly praised the excellence of Kan and Meng.

而反怨堪、猛，以求報舉，告案無證之辭，暴揚難驗之罪，毀譽恣意，不顧前言，不信之大者也。 Now he smeared the same men he had praised—evidence of bad faith.

Book of Han, Chapter 89Volume 78: Xiao Wangzhi · 10 passages

及宣帝寢疾，選大臣可屬者，引外屬侍中樂陵侯史高、太子太傅望之、少傅周堪至禁中，拜高為大司馬車騎將軍，望之為前將軍光祿勳，堪為光祿大夫，皆受遺詔輔政，領尚書事。 When Emperor Xuan fell gravely ill, he chose ministers to whom he could entrust the realm. He summoned his maternal kinsman Shi Gao, Palace Attendant and Marquis of Leling, together with Crown Prince Tutor Wangzhi and Junior Tutor Zhou Kan. Shi Gao was made Grand Marshal and Chariot-and-Cavalry General, Wangzhi Forward General and Minister of the Household, and Zhou Kan Grandee of Splendid Light. All three received the deathbed edict to assist the government and direct the Secretariat.

望之、堪本以師傅見尊重，上即位，數宴見，言治亂，陳王事。 Wangzhi and Zhou Kan had long been honored as tutors; once Yuan took the throne he often received them at banquets to discuss order and disorder and royal policy.

望之、堪數薦名儒茂才以備諫官。 Wangzhi and Zhou Kan kept nominating distinguished scholars for remonstrance duties.

章視周堪，堪白令朋待詔金馬門。 The memorial was shown to Zhou Kan, who reported it to the emperor and had Peng appointed to await imperial summons at the Golden Horse Gate.

朋與大司農史李宮俱待詔，堪獨白宮為黃門郎。 Peng and Li Gong, a clerk in the Ministry of Agriculture, were both awaiting summons; Zhou Kan alone recommended Gong for the Yellow Gate.

朋，楚士，怨恨，更求入許、史，推所言許、史事曰：「皆周堪、劉更生教我，我關東人，何以知此？」 Peng, a man of Chu, nursed a grudge, sought favor with the Xu and Shi clans, and shifted blame for his charges, saying, "Zhou Kan and Liu Gengsheng taught me all of this. I am a Guandong man—how would I know such things?"

龍者，宣帝時與張子蟜等待詔，以行汙濊不進，欲入堪等，堪等不納，故與朋相結。 Hua Long had once awaited summons with Zhang Zijiao and others under Emperor Xuan; his foul conduct blocked advancement, and when Zhou Kan's circle refused him he allied with Peng.

恭、顯奏「望之、堪、更生朋黨相稱舉，數譖訴大臣，毀離親戚，欲以專擅權勢，為臣不忠，誣上不道，請謁者召致廷尉。」 Hong Gong and Shi Xian memorialized that "Wangzhi, Zhou Kan, and Liu Gengsheng had formed a faction, repeatedly slandered great ministers, divided kinsmen, and sought to monopolize power; as disloyal ministers guilty of impiety toward the throne, they asked that an usher deliver them to the commandant of justice."

後上召堪、更生，曰繫獄。 When the emperor later summoned Zhou Kan and Liu Gengsheng, he was told they were already in prison.

其赦望之罪，收前將軍光祿勳印綬，及堪、更生皆免為庶人。」 Pardon Wangzhi, take back his seals as former general and superintendent of the household, and dismiss Zhou Kan and Liu Gengsheng to commoner status."

Book of Han, Chapter 105Volume 93: Flatterers · 2 passages

初元中，前將軍蕭望之及光祿大夫周堪、宗正劉更生皆給事中。 During Chuyuan, Xiao Wangzhi, Zhou Kan, and Liu Gengsheng held joint appointments as palace attendants.

後皆害焉，望之自殺，堪、更生廢錮，不得復進用，語在《望之傳》。 All were ruined: Xiao Wangzhi committed suicide; Zhou Kan and Liu Gengsheng were cashiered and blocked from office—the full story is in Wangzhi's biography.