University of Virginia Library

Reason for presentation of this chapter here

The "Annals" in the History of the Former Han Dynasty recount events
only until the death of Emperor P'ing on Feb. 3, A.D. 6. There was no
legal Han emperor from that date until Aug. 5, A.D. 25, when Emperor
Kuang-wu of the Later Han dynasty took the throne. During the first
three of these years, Wang Mang, a maternal first cousin of Emperor
Ch'eng (the latter of whom was Emperor P'ing's adoptive father), ruled
as Regent and Acting Emperor, with Liu Ying, a descendant of Emperor
Hsüan, as Heir-apparent and Young Prince, (Ju-tzu, an ancient title,
given to King Ch'eng of the Chou dynasty). On Jan. 10, A.D. 9, Wang
Mang took the throne as actual Emperor, and ruled until his death on
Oct. 6, A.D. 23. Seven months previously, a scion of the House of Han
had been set up as Emperor by a group of generals (called, from his
reign-period, the Keng-shih Emperor), and, between that time and until
Emperor Kuang-wu was seated firmly on the throne, about a dozen other
persons were set up or set themselves up as Emperor (cf. Glossary, sub
Kuang-wu, Emperor). The events in the first part of this period, from
A.D. 6 to A.D. 23, are related fully only in this chapter of the History
of the Former Han Dynasty. These seventeen years belong properly to
the Former Han period.

The period of Wang Mang's reign is extremely interesting. Its events
result from the tendencies that had previously been operating. The
"Annals" in the HS constitute a summary of the history during the
reigns of the Han emperors; in order to continue that account until the
beginning of the Later Han period, there is presented here a translation
of the "Memoir of Wang Mang," which is the only extensive primary
source for that period. It really constitutes an appendix to the "Annals
of Emperor P'ing."