Ancient China · Statesman

Zichan 子產

Attested BC 554 - BC 522

Passages: 10
Chapters: 5
Histories: 4

Overview

Zichan was a statesman.

Life and dates

Death

Illness · At Zheng 鄭
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 119, passages 34, 78

Attested activity

BC 554 to BC 522 BC 554-522
Strongly inferred · Book of Later Han 32, passage 130
BC 536 子產鑄刑書
Dated from the passage context · History of Jin 45, passage 147
BC 543 to BC 522 春秋之時
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 25, passage 128
BC 543 to BC 522 治鄭二十六年
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 119, passages 26, 34
BC 522 治鄭二十六年而死
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 119, passages 34, 78

Key source chapters

Career and standing

senior grandee 列大夫
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 119, passage 26
chief minister 相
Appointed
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 119, passage 28
chief minister of Zheng 相鄭
Held
Directly stated · Book of Han 25, passage 128

Places and affiliations

Polity Zheng 鄭 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Han 25, passage 128
At Zheng 鄭 · Relation Served in
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 119, passage 26

Works and attributed material

Reply · Speaker · Direct quotation · Addressed to Shuxiang (叔嚮)
Directly stated · Book of Han 25, passage 145

Events and relationships

After five years, no conscription rolls needed and mourning rites orderly without commands
Administration · Chief minister
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 119, passage 33
After four years, farming tools left in fields
Administration · Chief minister
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 119, passage 32
After one year, youths ceased mischief, elderly ceased carrying burdens, children ceased plowing
Administration · Chief minister
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 119, passage 29
After three years, gates unbolted at night and lost articles untouched
Administration · Chief minister
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 119, passage 31
After two years, market prices were no longer falsely set
Administration · Chief minister
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 119, passage 30
Cast penal statutes in bronze
Legislation
Directly stated · Book of Han 25, passage 128

Show 2 more source-backed claims

Governed Zheng for twenty six years
Administration · Chief minister
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 119, passage 34
Relation Respondent to · Person Shuxiang (叔嚮)
Directly stated · Book of Han 25, passage 145

Assessments and attributes

Assessment people wailed at his death, asking where they would turn · Mode named-source-report
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 119, passages 34-35

References in the histories

Search passages

History

10 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 25Volume 23: Treatise on Punishment and Law · 3 passages

春秋之時，王道寖壞，教化不行，子產相鄭而鑄刑書。 As royal norms collapsed, Zheng's Zichan famously codified criminal law in public bronze text.

今吾子相鄭國，制參辟，鑄刑書，將以靖民，不亦難乎！ Shuxiang warned Zichan that legal codification would not easily produce social pacification.

子產報曰：「若吾子之言，僑不材，不能及子孫，吾以救世也。」 Zichan replied: 'If it is as you say, then I, Qiao, am unworthy and cannot reach my descendants; I am doing this to save the present age.'

Book of Han, Chapter 76Volume 65: Dongfang Shuo · 1 passage

譬若以周、邵為丞相，孔丘為御史大夫，太公為將軍，畢公高拾遺於後，弁嚴子為衛尉，皋陶為大理，後稷為司農，伊尹為少府，子贛使外國，顏、閔為博士，子夏為太常，益為右扶風，季路為執金吾，契為鴻臚，龍逢為宗正，伯夷為京兆，管仲為馮翊，魯般為將作，仲山甫為光祿，申伯為太僕，延陵季子為水衡，百里奚為典屬國，柳下惠為大長秋，史魚為司直，蘧伯玉為太傅，孔父為詹事，孫叔敖為諸侯相，子產為郡守，王慶忌為期門，夏育為鼎官，羿為旄頭，宋萬為式道候。」 Imagine the Duke of Zhou and the Duke of Shao as your chancellors; Confucius as chief censor; the Grand Duke as commander; Duke Bi Gao as court remonstrant; Bian Zhuangzi as captain of the guard; Gao Yao as chief judge; Hou Ji as minister of agriculture; Yi Yin as palace treasurer; Zigong as foreign envoy; Yan Hui and Min Ziqian as court scholars; Zixia as master of rites; Yi as western capital intendant; Zilu as capital commandant; Xie as master of guest ceremonies; Guan Longpeng as keeper of the imperial genealogy; the minister Boyi as metropolitan governor; Guan Zhong as northern capital intendant; Lu Ban as chief engineer; Zhong Shanfu as palace chamberlain; the Earl of Shen as master of the horse; Prince Jizi of Yanling as keeper of parks and waters; Baili Xi as commissioner for dependent peoples; Liuxia Hui as chamberlain to the empress; Shi Yu as censor of conduct; Qu Boyu as grand tutor; Kong Fu as supervisor of the heir apparent's household; Sunshu Ao as chancellor to the feudal lords; Zichan as commandery governor; Prince Qingji as a palace gate guard; Xia Yu as cauldron officer; Yi the Archer as vanguard officer; and Song Wan as road-clearing scout."

Book of Later Han, Chapter 32Volume 28b: Biography of Feng Yan · 1 passage

觀鄭僑於溱洧兮，訪晏嬰於營丘。 I watch Zichan by the Zhen and Wei and seek Yan Ying at Yingqiu.

History of Jin, Chapter 45Volume 45 Treatises 26: Punishment · 1 passage

平章張汝霖曰：「昔子產鑄刑書，叔向譏之者，蓋不欲預使民測其輕重也。 Grand Counselor Zhang Rulin argued: 'When Zichan cast the penal statutes on bronze, Shu Xiang criticized him because he did not wish to let the people anticipate the severity of punishments in advance.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 119Biographies of Upright Officials · 4 passages

子產者，鄭之列大夫也。 Zi Chan was a senior grandee of the state of Zheng.

大宮子期言之君，以子產為相。 Dagong Ziqi spoke to the duke and had Zi Chan appointed as chief minister.

治鄭二十六年而死，丁壯號哭，老人兒啼，曰：「子產去我死乎！ He governed Zheng for twenty-six years and then died. The young and strong wailed aloud, and the old wept like children, crying: "Now that Zi Chan has left us, must we perish?

子產病死，鄭民號哭。 When Zi Chan fell ill and died, the people of Zheng wailed in grief.