Jia Dan
Jia Dan (simplified Chinese: 贾耽; traditional Chinese: 賈耽; pinyin: Jiǎ Dān, 730 – 805),[1] courtesy name Dunshi (
Background[edit]
Jia Dan was born in 730, during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong. His family was from Cang Prefecture (滄州, in modern Cangzhou, Hebei)[2] and traced its ancestry to the Han dynasty official Jia Yi, through officials of Cao Wei, Jin dynasty (266–420), Liu Song, Southern Qi, Liang dynasty, Northern Qi, Northern Zhou, Sui dynasty, and Tang dynasty. Both his grandfather Jia Zhiyi (賈知
Career[edit]
Early career[edit]
During Emperor Xuanzong's Tianbao era (742–756), Jia Dan passed the imperial examinations and was made the sheriff of Linqing County (臨清, in modern Liaocheng, Shandong). After he submitted suggestions on the matters of the times to Emperor Xuanzong, he was moved to be the sheriff of Zhengping County (
Jia was then recalled to Chang'an to serve as the minister of vassal affairs (
During Emperor Dezong's reign[edit]
In 781, during the reign of Emperor Daizong's son Emperor Dezong, when Liang Chongyi, the military governor of nearby Shannan East Circuit (
In 784, while Emperor Dezong was at Liang Prefecture after he fled there due to rebellions by the general Zhu Ci and Li Huaiguang, there was an occasion when Jia sent his officer Fan Ze (樊澤) to make reports to Emperor Dezong. After Fan's return, there was suddenly an imperial edict issued making Fan the military governor of Shannan East Circuit and recalling Jia to Emperor Dezong's location to serve as the minister of public works (
In 786, after the death of Li Cheng (
In 793, Jia was recalled to Chang'an to serve as You Pushe (
In 800, when Lu Qun (
During Emperor Shunzong's and Xianzong's reigns[edit]
In 805, Emperor Dezong died, and his severely ill son Li Song became emperor (as Emperor Shunzong). Emperor Shunzong's close associate Wang Shuwen became the most powerful figure at court, despite his not being a chancellor, and Wang's associates became in charge of many important matters. Jia Dan disliked Wang and his associates and thus offered to retire, but Emperor Shunzong did not approve of the retirement. Jia died later that year, after Emperor Shunzong had passed the throne to his son Li Chun (as Emperor Xianzong) and was given posthumous honors. It was said that during Jia's service as chancellor, while he had no major contributions on policy matters, he was virtuous and led by example.[2]
Works[edit]
Jia Dan was an important contributor to the study of geography in China, of note are his writings on foreign countries. He began to collect information for his books as early as 784, questioning Chinese and foreign envoys about the geography, origins and customs of foreign lands, and directed the Court of Ceremonials to question all foreigners and have their answers recorded precisely. He paid particular attention to foreign countries on the caravan and sea routes, and as a result of his effort, knowledge of countries outside China improved significantly. He produced a number of works on geography, including the 10-volume Huanghua Sida Ji (
In the 40-volume work that Jia completed in 801, Jia wrote of two common sea trade routes in his day: one from the coast of the Bohai Sea towards Silla in Korea and another from Guangzhou through Malacca towards the Nicobar Islands, Sri Lanka and India, the eastern and northern shores of the Arabian Sea to the Euphrates River.[1] Indeed, Korean vessels dominated the Yellow Sea trade, while most Japanese vessels were forced to venture towards the mouth of the Huai River and Yellow River, and even as far south as Hangzhou Bay.[18] Jia's book contains some of the most accurate accounts of the Arab world in Tang Chinese sources. He wrote that the ships in the Euphrates had to anchor at the mouth of the Euphrates and transfer the trade goods on land towards the capital (Baghdad) of Dashi Guo (Abbasid).[1] This was confirmed by the contemporary Arab merchant Shulama, who noted that the draft in Chinese junk ships were too deep to enter the Euphrates, forcing them to land passengers and cargo ashore on smaller boats.[19] A small branch of this extensive second trade route led all the way to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, East Africa.[1] In his work written between 785 and 805, he described the sea route going into the mouth of the Persian Gulf, and that the medieval Iranians (whom he called the people of Luo-He-Yi) had erected 'ornamental pillars' in the sea with torches on it at night that acted as lighthouse beacons for ships that might go astray.[14][20] Confirming Jia's reports about lighthouses in the Persian Gulf, Arabic writers a century after Jia wrote of the same structures, writers such as al-Mas'udi and al-Muqaddasi.[20]
Notes[edit]
- ^ a b c d Hsu, Mei-ling (1988). "Chinese Marine Cartography: Sea Charts of Pre-Modern China". Imago Mundi. 40: 96–112. doi:10.1080/03085698808592642. JSTOR 1151020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Old Book of Tang, vol. 138 Archived 2008-06-21 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ New Book of Tang, vol. 75."
漢 川 草 廬 -二 十 四 史 -新 唐 書 -卷 七 十 五 ‧表 第 十 五 ". Archived from the original on 2009-12-19. Retrieved 2010-02-07."新 唐 書 -宰相 世 系 五 (賈氏)". Archived from the original on 2009-12-20. Retrieved 2008-12-27. - ^ Wang Sili became the military governor of Hedong in 759 (during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong's son Emperor Suzong and died in 761, during the reign of Emperor Daizong while still serving at Hedong, and therefore Jia's service under Wang must have occurred sometime during those years. See Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 221, 222 and Old Book of Tang, vol. 110 Archived 2008-06-21 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ a b Schafer, 26–27.
- ^ New Book of Tang, vol. 48 Archived 2008-11-20 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ a b Schafer, 27.
- ^ Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 228.
- ^ Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 230.
- ^ Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 232.
- ^ Zizhi Tlongjian, vol. 234.
- ^ Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 235. Later that year, when the imperial forces were having little success against the rebel general Wu Shaocheng, who ruled Huaixi Circuit (after having taken control of it after Li Xilie's death), Jia advocated pardoning Wu, and Emperor Dezong did so.
- ^ a b Lo Jung-pang (2012). China as a Sea Power, 1127-1368. NUS Press. p. 104. ISBN 978-9971695057.
- ^ a b Victor H Mair, ed. (29 April 2016). Imperial China and Its Southern Neighbours. ISBN 9789814620550.
- ^ a b Needham, Volume 3, 543.
- ^ Needham gives a date of 785 for the map. However, Jia's biographies in the Old Book of Tang and the New Book of Tang appeared to imply, although not explicitly state, that this work was completed later — during JIa's service as chancellor. See Old Book of Tang, vol. 138 and New Book of Tang, vol. 166 Archived 2007-12-26 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ Morris Rossabi, ed. (2013). Eurasian Influences on Yuan China. ISEAS Publishing. p. 131. ISBN 978-9814459723.
- ^ Schafer, 11.
- ^ Liu (1991), 178.
- ^ a b Needham, Volume 4, Part 3, 661.
References[edit]
- Liu, Pean. (1991). 'Viewing Chinese ancient navigation and shipbuilding through Zheng He's ocean expeditions', Proceedings of the International Sailing Ships Conference in Shanghai.
- Liu Xu et al., Old Book of Tang, vol. 138.
- Needham, Joseph. (1986). Science and Civilization in China: Volume 4, Physics and Physical Technology, Part 3, Civil Engineering and Nautics. Taipei: Caves Books Ltd.
- Ouyang Xiu et al., New Book of Tang, vol. 166.
- Schafer, Edward H. (1963). The Golden Peaches of Samarkand: A study of T’ang Exotics. University of California Press. Berkeley and Los Angeles. 1st paperback edition: 1985. ISBN 0-520-05462-8.
- Sima Guang et al., Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 228, 230, 232, 234, 235, 236.
- 730 births
- 805 deaths
- Writers from Hebei
- 8th-century geographers
- 9th-century geographers
- Chancellors under Emperor Dezong of Tang
- Chancellors under Emperor Shunzong of Tang
- Chancellors under Emperor Xianzong of Tang
- Chinese cartographers
- Medieval Chinese geographers
- Politicians from Cangzhou
- Scientists from Hebei
- Tang dynasty jiedushi of Shannan West Circuit
- Tang dynasty jiedushi of Shannan East Circuit
- Tang dynasty jiedushi of Yicheng Circuit
- Tang dynasty generals from Hebei
- Tang dynasty writers
- 9th-century cartographers
- 8th-century cartographers