Ban Biao

Ban Biao (Chinese: 班彪; pinyin: Bān Biāo; Wade–Giles: Pan¹ Piao¹, 3–54 CE), courtesy name (Chinese: 叔皮; pinyin: Shūpí; Wade–Giles: Shu¹-P'i²), was a Chinese historian, and an official 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 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 ^[1] and is included in Wenxuan.^[2]

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

Notes

References

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