Author: CHUNG Yoon Ngan
Date: 04-16-12 18:13
中國姓氏故事 - 蕭姓
初生牛兒不怕虎,---Chu sheng niu2 er2 bu4 pa4 hu3,
長出角來倒怕狼.---Zhang3 chu jiao3 lai2 dao4 pa4 lang2.
Newly born calves are not afraid of tigers,
However, when their horns are grown they are afraid of foxes.
A Chinese proverb
.............................................................
Surname XIAO (蕭姓)
Xiao means: the name of a herbal grass.
The surname Xiao is about 2,500 years old.
The surname Xiao originated in an area referred to during the Jin Dynasty
(晉朝 265AD to 420AD) as the Lanling prefecture (蘭陵郡). The present day
location of Lanling prefecture is in the east of Yi county (嶧縣 117.8 degree
East and 34.6 degree North on the world map) of Shandong province (山東省
).
In 1113BC, Zhou King Cheng (周成王), who reigned from 1115BC to 1079BC,
awarded Zi Weiqi (子微啟) the heritable title of Gong (公) or the Duke.
Zhou King Cheng also gave Zi Weiqi the authority to rule the State of Song
(宋國 present day Shangqiu county 商丘縣 in Henan province 河南省). Zi Weiqi
came to be known as Song Gong (宋公).
Seventeen generations after Zi Weiqi, during the Spring and Autumn Period
(春秋時間 722BC to 481BC), in 691BC, an offspring of Zi Weiqi by the name
of Zi Jie (子捷) was installed as the 17th ruler of the State of Song.
In the spring of 684BC, the State of Song fought a battle with the State
of Lu (魯國 present day Qufu county 曲阜縣 in Shandong province). There
was a courageous general, Nangong Changwan (南公 長萬) in the Song armed
forces.The Song army, under the command of General Nangong Changwan, were
defeated. General Nangong did not flee from the battle field but fought
to the finish. When the battle was over he was captured by the Lu soldiers
and became a prisoner of war.
A year later, Ji Tong (姬同), the 16th ruler of the State of Lu signed a
peace accord with the State of Song and the fighting between them was over.
General Nangong was released and returned to Song.
One day, in a banquet, Zi Jie ridiculed General Nangong Changwan as a defeated
General. This enraged Genearl Nangong and he had Zi Jie killed. General
Nangong was branded a criminal guilty of regicide. General Nangong escaped
to the State of Chen (陳國 present day Huaiyang county 淮陽縣 in Henan province)
.
In 681BC, Shu Daxin (叔大心), another general in the Song armed forces,
asked Gui Chujiu (媯杵臼), the 16th ruler of the State of Chen, to help
him to capture Nangong Changwan. Gui Chujiu obliged and had Nangong Changwan
captured and was brought back to Song. General Nangong was executed publicly
in a market place.
General Shu Daxin was rewarded by Zi Yushuo (子御說) the new ruler of the
Stae of Song, to rule the protectorate State of Xiao (蕭國 present day Xiao
Xian 蕭縣 in Jiangsu province 江蘇省). Shu Daxin adopted XIAO as his surname
and he became known as Xiao Daxin (蕭大心).
In 597BC, the State of Xiao was subjugated by the State of Chu (楚國 present
day Jianglng county 江陵縣 in Hubei province 湖北省). Xiong Lu (熊旅),
the 22nd ruler of Chu annexed Xiao as part of the State of Chu.
At the end of the Qin Dynasty (秦朝221BC to 207BC) a descendant of Xiao
Daxin by the name of Xiao He (蕭何) assisted Liu Bang (劉邦) to found the
Han Dynasty (漢朝 206BC to 220AD). Eventually Xiao He became the Prime
Minister of Liu Bang, the first Emperor of the Han Dynasty (漢朝).
During the reign of Emperor Xuan Di (宣帝 59BC to 48BC) of the Han Dynasty,
a descendant of Xiao Daxin called Xiao Wangzhi (蕭望之) became the Prime
Minister of Xuan Di. Xiao Wangzhi's hometown was in Lanling prefecture (蘭
陵郡) of Shandong province (山東省) where the surname Xiao is said to have
originated.
The couplet of Xiao clan is
先祖大心,---Xian zu3 Da Xin,
望出蘭陵.---Wang4 chu Lanling.
The progenitor of surname Xiao was Da Xin,
And the clan spread from Lanling.
-----------------------------------------
Prominent persons produced by the Xiao Clan
(1) Xiao He (蕭何 ? 193AD)
Xiao He was born in Pei county (沛縣) of Jiangsu province (江蘇省).
When Liu Bang (劉邦) organized a group of armed peasants to go against the
Qin Dynasty (秦朝 221BC to 207BC) Xiao He was a petty official in the administrative
office in Pei county. He and Cao San (曹參) and Fan Kuai (樊噲) had the
administrative officer killed and joined Liu Bang to rebel against the Qin
Dynasty.
Liu Bang joined forces with Xiang Yu (項羽), the leader of another armed
group. Eventually they overthrew the Qin Dynasty. Liu Bang was appointed
the King of Han (漢王) and he made Xiao He his Priemer. Xiao He was a resource
and wise man full of strategems. He often offered good advice and made
good suggestuins to Liu Bang. Xiao He suggested to Liu Bang to use Han Xin
(韓信) as the commder-in-chief of the army.
In 205 BC civil war broke out between Liu Bang and Xiang Yu. In 202BC Liu
Bang defeated Xiang Yu and establish the Han Dynasty (漢朝 206BC to 220AD).
Liu Bang was crowned Emperor Gao Zu (高祖皇帝) and Xiao He was appointed
the Prime Minister. The laws, decrees, regulations and institutions of the
fledging Han Empire were all created by Xiao He.
Seeing Han Xin becoming too powerful he suggested to Emperor Gao Zu to have
Han Xin arrested. Eventually, Han Xin was executed. There is a Saying about
Xiao He. "成也蕭何, 敗也蕭何 Cheng ye Xiao He, bai ye Xiao He or It is because
of Xiao He that it has succeded. It has failed because of Xiao He".
Liu Bang died in 195BC and was succeeded by his son Liu Ying (劉盈) who
was crowned Emperor Hui Di (惠帝皇帝). Xiao He continued to serve as his
Prime Minister until he died of old age in 193BC.
(2) Xiao Dao Cheng (蕭道成 ? to 482AD)
Xiao Dao Cheng was the founder of the Qi Dynasty (齊朝 479AD to 502AD) and
his capital was in Jian Kang (建康 in present day of Nanjing city 南京 of
Jiangsu province 江蘇省). There were seven rulers during the and their surname
was Xiao (蕭). The seven rulers wre:
(a) = Gao Zu Emperor Xiao Daocheng (高祖蕭道成 479AD to 482AD)
(b) = Wu Emperor Xiao Ze (武帝蕭賾 483AD to 493AD)
(c) = The abolished Emperor Yu (廢帝蕭鬱 494AD)
Later King Lin Xiao Zhaoye (林王蕭昭業)
(d) = The abolished Emperor (廢帝海 494AD)
Later Kin Ling Xiao Zhaowen (陵王蕭昭文)
(e) = Ming Emperor (明帝蕭鸞 494AD to 498AD)
(f) = The abolished Emperor (廢帝 499AD to 501AD)
Later Duke Dong Hun Xiao Bao Juan (東昏侯蕭寶卷)
(h) = He Emperor Xiao Baorong (和帝蕭寶融 501AD to 502AD)
The Qi Dynasty was subjugated Liang Dynasty (梁朝 502AD to 557AD).
The founder of this Dynasty was Xiao Yan (蕭衍 ? to 549AD).
(3) Xiao Chao Gui (蕭朝貴 1820AD to 1852AD), the Western King (西王).
Xiao Chao Gui was born in Wu Xuan county (武宣縣) in Guangxi province. He
was a charcoal burner before he took part in the uprising in Jin Tian village
(金田村). He was one of the founders of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. He
married Hong Xuan Jiao (洪宣嬌), the younger sister of Hong Xiu Quan. He
was killed in battle in 1852AD.
.............................................................................
...
Note;
Surname XIAO (蕭姓) is the 30th most common Chinese surname in the world
Posted to asiawind.com
By CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元).
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