Ban Biao Explained

Ban Biao (3–54 CE), courtesy name, was a Chinese historian and politician born in what is now Xianyang, Shaanxi during the Han dynasty. He was the nephew of Consort Ban, a famous poet and concubine to Emperor Cheng.

Ban Biao's mother was of Xiongnu origin, daughter of Jin Chang (金敞), an attendant to Emperor Yuan of Han (48-33 BCE).^{[1] [2]} Jin Chang was himself a grandson of Jin Lun (金伦), son of Xiongnu King Xiutu and brother of Jin Midi, who had been adopted by Han Wudi and founded of the Jin name (金).^[2] The Xiongnu origins of Ban Biao on the maternal side might help explain the skills of the Ban family in dealing with matters related to China's history and foreign relations.^[2]

Ban Biao began the Book of Han, which was completed by his son, Ban Gu and daughter Ban Zhao while their brother Ban Chao was a famous general who contributed his stories to expand the Book of Han. Ban Biao wrote an essay titled Treatise on the Mandate of Kings (王命論), which was influential on the Chinese concept of sovereignty and is included in Wenxuan.^[3]

Ban Biao and his descendants

• Ban Biao (班彪; 3–54; father)
  • Ban Gu (班固; 32–92; first son)
  • Ban Chao (班超; 32–102; second son)
    • Ban Xiong (班雄; ?–after 107; Ban Chao's eldest son)
      • Ban Shi (班始; ?–130; Ban Xiong's son)
    • Ban Yong (班勇; ?–after 127; Ban Chao's youngest son)
  • Ban Zhao (班昭; 45–116; daughter)

See also

• Book of Han

References

• Book: Loewe . Michael . Twitchett . Dennis . Loewe . Michael . The Cambridge History of China. Vol. 1: the Ch'in and Han Empires, 221 BC-AD 220 . 1986 . Cambridge University Press . Cambridge . 978-0-521-24327-8 . 726–746 . Chapter 13: The Concept of Sovereignty.
• Book of Later Han, vol. 40, part 1.
• Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 33, 40, 41, 42, 44.

Notes and References

1. Book: Clark . Anthony E. . Ban Gu's history of early China . 2008 . Cambria press . Amherst (N.Y.) . 978-1-60497-561-1 . 44 . The “Basic Annals of Emperor Wen” is a chapter that Biao seems to have written entirely. Ban Biao appears as the commentator in the final remarks of the chapter. The passage states, 贊曰﹕臣外祖兄弟為元帝侍中，語臣曰元帝多才藝，美史書．The Eulogy states: My (your minister’s) maternal grandmother’s older and younger brothers were made the palace retainers of Emperor Yuan. They informed me that Emperor Yuan had several talents in the arts and considered historical books attractive.
   The “minister” in this Eulogy is usually identified as Ban Biao. The Han commentator, Ying Shao, noted that “the annals of both Yuan and Cheng were written by Ban Biao; when ‘chen’ 臣 (i.e., ‘minister’) is used, the speaker is Biao. The distaff relative mentioned is Jin Chang” 元，成帝紀皆班固父彪所作，臣則彪自說也．外祖，金敞也..
2. Chen . Sanping . Two Notes on the Xiongnu Ancestry of the Authors of "Hon-shu" . Central Asiatic Journal . 2011 . 55 . 1 . 33–36 . 41928567 . 0008-9192.
3. Web site: Ban . Biao . Treatise on the Mandate of Kings . Chinese Notes . 12 December 2020.