32 replies to this topic

[Tyler]

Here is a family tree of the Family who founded the Jin Empire.

[General_Zhaoyun]

Wow.. this is cool chart..where you get it from? :D

[Tyler]

You really think that's the best chart of the three *wounders if you really like it*? Well it's my art I did it on "Paint" as it's the only software I have. I submitted it to James (Webmaster of SOSZ) but he never replied to my PM. I wonder why he didn't; if the font was bad or if it needed polishing.




But to answer your question this is my chart and all content and artwork is mine.

[Bryan]

When you sent it to James, did you include sources and evidence?

[Yun]

Liu Ce, the chart needs something extra: the names in Chinese characters, because some of the names look the same in Hanyu Pinyin and that makes it confusing. Also, it would be helpful to include the birth and death dates of each person.

I've also drawn a Sima clan family tree before (in pencil!), but it was much more complicated because I included many more members. For example, Sima Yi actually had at least eight sons, and Sima Yan had 17 sons.

[Tyler]

But since this is for a three kingdoms website I made it with the people who only played a major role during that time. And about the names that look the same: they are the same, they named thier kids after their fathers. Would you mind posting a picture of you family tree?

[Yun]

Liu Ce, the ancient Chinese never named their kids after their fathers - even mentioning your father's given name, or hearing it mentioned, is a major, major taboo because it shows disrespect to your father. There's a whole culture in ancient China regarding taboo names.

I'll convert my Sima family tree into a readable format someday - right now it's just too complex and sketchy.

[Tyler]

Hey Yun did you convert that chart yet?

[Yun]

Not yet - too busy now, I'm afraid. But I intend to use it in my PhD thesis, and in my first book about the Age of Fragmentation.

[Yun]

You're correct there - Sima Fu, Sima Lang and Sima Yi were all sons of Sima Fang (in fact, there were eight sons but only three are shown in this chart). The lines on the chart are not drawn very clearly, so it looks as if Sima Fu and Sima Lang are actually brothers of Sima Fang.

Someday, there'll be a complete family tree of the Sima imperial house available. Perhaps it will be one of the projects for China History Info.

[Karakhan]

How common is the Sima surname? I do not see too many surnames with two characters.

[Tyler]

Some say it's now an extinct surname. I'm sure it exists some where but it's very rare now a days.

[Yun]

A more accurate version of the family tree (only direct ancestors and descendants of Sima Yan are shown, otherwise it would be much too complicated):

司马防 Sima Fang, Mayor (尹 Yin) of the Capital, had eight sons.

1st son: Sima Lang 朗
2nd son: Sima Yi 懿
3rd son: Sima Fu 孚
4th son: Sima Kui 馗
5th son: Sima Xun 恂
6th son: Sima Jin 进
7th son: Sima Tong 通
8th son: Sima Min 敏

Sima Yi had nine sons by a wife and three concubines:

Lady Zhang 张 had Sima Shi 师, Sima Zhao 昭 and Sima Gan 幹
Concubine Fu 伏 had Sima Liang 亮, Sima Zhou 胄, Sima Jing 京, and Sima Jun 骏
Concubine Zhang 张 had Sima Rong 肜
Concubine Bai 柏 had Sima Lun 伦

Sima Zhao had nine sons:

Lady Wang 王 had Sima Yan 炎, Sima You 攸, Sima Zhao 兆, Sima Dingguo 定国, and Sima Guangde 广德
The names of the concubines who bore Sima Jian 鉴, Sima Ji 机, Sima Yongzuo 永祚, and Sima Yanzuo 延祚 are not known.
Sima Yongzuo died in infancy. Sima Dingguo and Sima Guangde died at the ages of 1 and 2 respectively.
Sima You was made Sima Shi's adopted son when the latter died without an heir.
Sima Ji was made the adopted son of his uncle Sima Jing, who had died without a son at the age of 24.

Sima Yan had 26 sons.

The first Empress Yang 杨 bore Sima Gui 轨, Sima Zhong 衷 (later Emperor Hui), and Sima Jian 柬.

Concubine Shen 审 bore Sima Jing 景, Sima Wei 玮, and Sima Yi 乂.

Concubine Xu 徐 bore Sima Xian 宪.

Concubine Kui 匮 bore Sima Zhi 祗.

Concubine Zhao 赵才人 bore Sima Yu 裕.

Concubine Zhao 赵美人 (same name, different rank) bore Sima Yan3 演.

Concubine Li 李 bore Sima Yun 允 and Sima Yan4 晏.

Concubine Yan 严 bore Sima Gai 该.

Concubine Chen 陈 bore Sima Xia 遐.

Concubine Zhu 诸 bore Sima Mo 谟.

Concubine Cheng 程 bore Sima Ying 颖.

Concubine Wang 王 bore Sima Chi 炽 (later Emperor Huai).

The second Empress Yang 杨 (the first empress' cousin, who became empress after the death of the former) bore Sima Hui 恢.

Another eight sons died in infancy, and their mothers are not known.

[to be updated in future to include Sima Yan's grandsons]

[Yun]

Most of Sima Yan's grandsons either were killed as innocent victims in the political infighting and civil wars of the early 300s, or were captured by the rebelling Xiongnu and never heard of again. Here are the ones of which we know (members are welcome to add on if necessary):

Son of Sima Zhong:
Sima Yu 遹, who became Crown Prince after his father became Emperor (Sima Zhong's only elder brother, Sima Gui 轨, had died at the age of 1). He was borne by Concubine Xie 谢 shortly after Sima Zhong became Crown Prince. Framed for treason in 299 by Sima Zhong's empress Jia Nanfeng, deposed and imprisoned, and then poisoned. Sima Yu had three sons:

Sima Ban 虨, who died of illness in prison shortly after Sima Yu's deposition.

Sima Zang 臧, who was made Crown Prince after Empress Jia was overthrown in 300 by the Prince of Zhao Sima Lun 伦, and returned to his mother Wang Huifeng (who had been forced to divorce Sima Yu earlier). He was deposed in 301 by Sima Lun, who had deposed Sima Zhong and made himself emperor. Sima Zang was then murdered in prison.

Sima Shang 尚, who was made Crown Prince after Sima Lun's overthrow by the other princes (just 4 months after his usurpation). He died of illness in 302.

Sons of Sima Xia 遐 (who died in 300 at the age of 27):
Sima Zhao 罩, who was made Crown Prince after Sima Shang died. The person behind this was his father's cousin, the Prince of Qi Sima Jiong 冏. It was not very legitimate, because Sima Xia had been adopted over to be the heir of his uncle Sima Zhao 兆, and was technically no longer Sima Yan's son. After Sima Jiong was overthrown by Sima Ying 颖 and Sima Yong 顒, Sima Yong made Sima Ying (who was Sima Yan's 6th son) Crown Prince in 304. Sima Zhao was deposed, and after a failed plot by some military officers to restore him as Crown Prince in 307, he was murdered at the age of 13 and buried as a commoner. By that time, Sima Zhong had been murdered by Sima Yue 越 (Prince of Donghai) and succeeded by his brother Sima Chi 炽, and Sima Yue was in control of the imperial court.

Sima Yue 籥, who became Sima Xia's heir after Sima Zhao's murder. His fate is not recorded.

Sima Quan 銓, who was made Crown Prince by Sima Chi in 308. He was captured by the Xiongnu in the fall of Luoyang in 311, and executed.

Sima Duan 端, who escaped the fall of Luoyang and took refuge with the Jin general Gou Xi 苟晞 who was stationed in the city of Meng 蒙. Gou Xi appointed him as Crown Prince, but soon after, both Gou and Sima Duan were captured by Shi Le 石勒, a general serving the Xiongnu. Gou Xi was executed later on by Shi Le for plotting to rebel against him, while Sima Duan's ultimate fate is unknown.

(to be continued...)