Sima Chong (司馬冲) (311 - 28 August 341), courtesy name Daorang (道让), posthumously known as Prince Ai of Donghai[5], was a Eastern Jin imperial prince. He was a son of Emperor Yuan of Jin; Emperor Yuan allowed him to be posthumously adopted as the heir of Sima Yue, Prince Xiaoxian of Donghai, a regent for Emperor Hui and Emperor Huai.
| Sima Chong 司馬冲 | |
|---|---|
| Prince of Donghai (东海王) | |
| Tenure | c.322[1] – 28 August 341 |
| Successor | Sima Yi (司馬奕)[2] |
| Born | 311[3] |
| Died | 28 August 341[4] |
| Issue | None |
| House | Jin dynasty |
| Father | Emperor Yuan of Jin |
Life
editSima Chong was born in 311; his father Sima Rui was then the Prince of Langye, stationed at Jianye since Sima Yue issed an order on 25 August 307[6], at the suggestion of Sima Yue's wife Princess Pei[7], for Rui to do so. Sima Chong's mother was Lady Shi, a concubine with the rank of jieyu[8].
The year of Sima Chong's birth was a tumultuous year for the Western Jin court. In April, Sima Yue, then the regent for Emperor Huai, died of illness near Xuchang, and the imperial army under him was annihilated by Han forces the following month; Sima Yue's sons were all captured and presumably killed by Han general Shi Le. Only Princess Pei fled, and after much suffering, including a stint where she was enslaved, she arrived in Jianye during the Tai'xing era (318-321)[9]. In July 311, Emperor Huai was captured by Han after the fall of the capital Luoyang in the Disaster of Yongjia.
By the time Princess Pei reached Jianye, Sima Rui had already claimed the imperial throne[10]. As emperor, Sima Rui was grateful to Princess Pei for having persuaded Sima Yue to let him have the Jianye post, and he allowed her to adopt Sima Chong to serve as Sima Yue's heir.
As Prince of Donghai, Sima Chong held some positions in the Eastern Jin court, but was not recorded to have any significant achievements in these posts[11]. He died without issue in August 341, during the reign of his nephew Emperor Cheng of Jin.
References
edit- ^ The chronology of Sima Chong's biography in Book of Jin imply that Sima Chong was made Prince of Donghai around the Yong'chang era (322-323) of his father's reign (永昌初，迁中军将军，加散骑常侍。及东海太妃薨，因发毗丧。冲即王位，...) Jin Shu, vol.64. Vol.93 of Zizhi Tongjian recorded Wang Dun mentioning the Prince of Donghai and Princess Pei in 324. ([太宁二年]敦曰：“尚未南郊，何得称天子！便尽卿兵势，保护东海王及裴妃而已。”); this Prince of Donghai must have been Sima Chong.
- ^ The later Emperor Fei was a grandnephew of Sima Chong as his grandfather Emperor Ming was a half-brother of Sima Chong.
- ^ (咸康七年薨，年三十一，...) Jin Shu, vol.64
- ^ ([咸康七年]秋八月辛酉，骠骑将军、东海王冲薨。) Jin Shu, vol.07; vol.96 of Zizhi Tongjian also recorded the same death date.
- ^ (东海哀王冲，字道让。) Jin Shu, vol.64
- ^ ([永嘉元年]秋，七月，...己未，以琅邪王睿为安东将军，都督扬州江南诸军事，假节，镇建业。) Zizhi Tongjian, vol.86
- ^ (初，元帝镇建邺，裴妃之意也，...) Jin Shu, vol.59
- ^ (石婕妤生东海哀王冲。) Jin Shu, vol.64
- ^ (裴妃为人所略，卖于吴氏，太兴中，得渡江，....。) Jin Shu, vol.59. Emperor Yuan's biography in the same work recorded the era name as Da'xing (大兴).
- ^ Sima Rui claimed the imperial throne on 26 April 318 ([大兴元年三月]丙辰，王即皇帝位...) Zizhi Tongjian, vol.90.
- ^ (冲即王位，以荥阳益东海国，转车骑将军，徙骠骑将军。) Jin Shu, vol.64
- Fang, Xuanling: Book of Jin (Jin Shu).
- Sima, Guang: Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance (Zizhi Tongjian)