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Sima Gan (司马榦; 232 - 26 February 311), courtesy name Ziliang (子良), was the youngest son of Sima Yi and his main wife Zhang Chunhua, and a younger brother of Sima Shi and Sima Zhao. Sima Yi, Sima Shi and Sima Zhao eventually became regents of the Cao Wei state during the Three Kingdoms era.

Life under Cao Wei

Sima Gan was born in 232 during the reign of Cao Rui, as the youngest son of Sima Yi and his wife Zhang Chunhua. Like his brothers, Sima Gan was given various posts and titles during the Cao Wei era; unlike them, Gan's posts and titles were largely minor or ceremonial.

The first recorded historical event Sima Gan was involved in was the attempted coup by Cao Mao, by then a puppet under Sima Zhao's control. In June 260, Cao Mao launched a coup in an attempt to seize back power from Sima Zhao. Man Changwu (a grandson of Man Chong) was in charge of guarding one of the palace gates. Sima Gan led his men to the palace to assist Sima Zhao, but Man Changwu refused to let him pass and told him to enter through another gate instead. Later, when Sima Zhao asked Sima Gan why he was late, Sima Gan told him what happened.

Sima Zhao was made Prince of Jin on 2 May 264. With this elevation, when Sima Zhao established the Five Feudal Ranks of Zhou, Sima Gan was made Count of Dingtao.

During the Jin era

In February 266, Sima Zhao's son Sima Yan accepted Cao Huan's abdication and founded the Jin dynasty. Sima Gan was then made Prince of Pingyuan, with a fiefdom of 11,300 households. Although his fiefdom was large, he did not take an active role in administration; instead, he appointed officials based on their abilities and the positions which needed to be filled. He also allowed his income (cloth, silk) to accumulate and rot.

Sima Yan died in May 290, and his son Sima Zhong ascended the throne. During audiences with the emperor, as the emperor's great-uncle, Sima Gan was allowed to wear his shoes and carry his sword, as well as walk at a normal pace.

The Book of Jin recorded several anecdotes between Sima Gan and his grandnephew Sima Jiong. During the War of the Eight Princes, after Sima Jiong defeated Sima Lun, while other clansmen of the Sima family and court officials sent oxen and wine as gifts to Sima Jiong, Sima Gan offered him 100 cash. At their meeting, Sima Gan said, "The Prince of Zhao (Sima Lun) caused a rebellion and you managed to put it down; that is your credit. Now, I'm congratulating you using these 100 cash. Even so, it is very difficult to remain at a high position; you must be careful and cautious." After becoming regent, Sima Jiong once received a visit from his great-uncle. While Sima Jiong stepped out of the house and received Sima Gan with courtesy, upon entering the house, Sima Gan sat down on Jiong's bed and did not allow Jiong to be seated. Gan then said, "You must not emulate the son of that Bai woman (referring to Sima Lun)." After Sima Jiong was killed in January 303, Sima Gan cried bitterly and told those around him, "The Sima clan is waning; only this child is the most capable. Now that he has died, the Sima clan is in peril!"

After Sima Yue became Emperor Hui's last regent in 306, he decided to pay Sima Gan a visit at Gan's residence in Luoyang. Gan declined to meet him; after a lengthy wait, Gan despatched a servant to see Yue off. At the same time, Gan left the door ajar, allowing him to observe the scene from behind the door. At the time, people could not understand his actions; they thought that Gan was ill, or that he had turned reclusive.

Descendants

Sima Gan was recorded to have two sons. The elder Sima Guang died young and presumably left no descendants; the younger Sima Yong and his family were later killed, presumably during the Disaster of Yongjia.

References

1. (丁卯，...封皇叔祖父孚为安平王，叔父干为平原王、...) Zizhi Tongjian, vol.79
2. (春正月，...。庚辰，太保、平原王干薨。) Jin Shu, vol.05; vol.87 of Zizhi Tongjian also gave the same death date. (永嘉五年薨，时年八十。) Jin Shu, vol.38.
3. (干妃，伟妹也。) Shiyu annotation in Sanguozhi vol.26
4. (有二子，世子广早卒，次子永以太熙中封安德县公，...) Jin Shu, vol.38
5. At the time of Sima Gan's death, Liu Cong was attacking Luoyang, and so the Jin court could not decide on a posthumous name (会刘聪寇洛，不遑赠谥，...) Jin Shu, vol.38.
6. (平原王干，字子良。) Jin Shu, vol.38
7. Of Sima Yi's sons, only Sima Shi (first), Sima Liang (fourth) and Sima Lun (ninth) had their birth orders explicitly recorded in Book of Jin. Sima Zhao's biography in the same work also recorded that he was a younger full-brother of Sima Shi. (文皇帝讳昭，字子上，景帝之母弟也。) Jin Shu vol.02. Sima Gan's half-brothers who were older than him include Sima Liang, Sima Zhou and Sima Jing. The age order between Sima Gan and Sima Jun (Yi's youngest son with Lady Fu, and the youngest full brother of Liang, Zhou and Jing) is unknown; Jun was also born in 232 as he was eight (by East Asian reckoning) when Cao Fang became emperor in Jan 239 (齐王芳立，骏年八岁，...) Jin Shu, vol.38.
8. (少以公子魏时封安阳亭侯，稍迁抚军中郎将，进爵平阳乡侯.) Jin Shu, vol.38
9. (高貴鄉公之難，以掾守閶闔掖門，司馬文王弟安陽亭侯幹欲入。 ... 長武謂幹曰：「此門近，公且來，無有入者，可從東掖門。」幹遂從之。文王問幹入何遲，幹言其故。) Shiyu annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 26.
10. Another version of this anecdote was recorded in Xun Xu's biography in Book of Jin. In this account, Sima Gan was denied entry by Sun You (孫佑), who was also an officer guarding the main gate, so he had to enter the palace through another gate. When Sima Zhao found out why Sima Gan showed up late, he wanted to execute Sun You and his family. However, Xun Xu advised him against it by pointing out that it would be unfair and unjust to punish Sun You's family as well. Sima Zhao heeded Xun Xu's advice and punished Sun You only, by demoting him to the status of a commoner. (高貴鄉公欲為變時，大將軍掾孫佑等守閶闔門。帝弟安陽侯幹聞難欲入，佑謂幹曰：「未有入者，可從東掖門。」及幹至，帝遲之，幹以狀白，帝欲族誅佑。勖諫曰：「孫佑不納安陽，誠宜深責。然事有逆順，用刑不可以喜怒為輕重。今成倅刑止其身，佑乃族誅，恐義士私議。」乃免佑為庶人。) Jin Shu vol. 39. It is possible that both Man Changwu and Sun You were involved in the anecdote.
11. The Shiyu also recorded that in 257, when Zhuge Dan's Rebellion broke out in Shouchun, Sima Zhao ordered Man Wei (Man Changwu's father) to join him in suppressing the rebellion. When Man Wei reached Xuchang, he fell sick so he remained in Xuchang and did not meet up with Sima Zhao at Shouchun. When Man Changwu, who was with Sima Zhao at Shouchun, heard about his father's illness, he left Shouchun and went to Xuchang to see his father. Sima Zhao was very unhappy with Man Changwu because of this. Later, he found an excuse to order Man Changwu's arrest and imprisonment. Man Changwu died under torture while in prison, while Man Wei was stripped of his titles and reduced to the status of a commoner. Many people saw this incident as a grievous injustice to Man Wei and Man Changwu. (壽春之役，偉從文王至許，以疾不進。子從，求還省疾，事定乃從歸，由此內見恨。收長武考死杖下，偉免為庶人。時人冤之。) Shiyu annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 26. By combining the two anecdotes, Man Changwu's arrest, imprisonment and subsequent death under torture must have taken place after Cao Mao's attempted coup, and that Man's actions during the coup was the "excuse" Sima Zhao was looking for. However, it is unknown when Man Wei was stripped of his titles and reduced to the status of a commoner.
12. (咸熙元年春...三月...己卯，进晋公爵为王，...) Sanguozhi, vol.04
13. (五等建，改封定陶伯。) Jin Shu, vol.38
14. (武帝践阼，封平原王，邑万一千三百户，给鼓吹、驸马二匹，加侍中之服。.....干虽王大国，不事其务，有所调补，必以才能。虽有爵禄，若不在己，秩奉布帛，皆露积腐烂。) Jin Shu, vol.38
15. (惠帝即位，进左光禄大夫，侍中如故，剑履上殿，入朝不趋。) Jin Shu, vol.38
16. (齐王冏之平赵王伦也，宗室朝士皆以牛酒劳冏，干独怀百钱，见冏乂之，曰：“赵王逆乱，汝能义举，是汝之功，今以百钱贺汝。虽然，大势难居，不可不慎。”冏既辅政，干诣之，冏出迎拜。干入，踞其床，不命冏坐，语之曰：“汝勿效白女儿。”其意指伦也。及冏诛，干哭之恸，谓左右曰：“宗室日衰，唯此儿最可，而复害之，从今殆矣！” ) Jin Shu, vol.38
17. (东海王越兴义，至洛阳，往视干，干闭门不通。越驻车良久，干乃使人谢遣，而自于门间窥之。当时莫能测其意，或谓之有疾，或以为晦迹焉。) Jin Shu, vol.38
18. (次子永以太熙中封安德县公，散骑常侍，皆为善士。遇难，合门堙灭。) Jin Shu, vol.38

• 232 births
• 311 deaths
• Jin dynasty (266–420) imperial princes