Liu Sheng Prince Jing of Zhongshan ( , died 113 BC), was a Chinese

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

 prince of the Western Han dynasty. His father was Emperor Jing

Emperor Jing of Han

Emperor Jing of Han was an emperor of China in the Han Dynasty from 156 BC to 141 BC. His reign saw the limit and curtailment of power of feudal princes which resulted in the Rebellion of the Seven States in 154 BC. Emperor Jing managed to crush the revolt and princes were thereafter denied rights...

, and he was the elder brother of Emperor Wu of Han

Emperor Wu of Han

Emperor Wu of Han , , personal name Liu Che , was the seventh emperor of the Han Dynasty of China, ruling from 141 BC to 87 BC. Emperor Wu is best remembered for the vast territorial expansion that occurred under his reign, as well as the strong and centralized Confucian state he organized...

. He is most renowned now for his tomb, which is one of the most important archaeological sites pertaining to the Western Han imperial family, whose contents include the jade burial suit

Jade burial suit

A Jade burial suit is a ceremonial suit made of pieces of jade in which royal members in Han Dynasty China were buried.-Structure of a jade burial suit:...

s which encased him and his wife, Dou Wan

Dou Wan

The Lady Tou Wan or Dou Wan was the wife of Liu Sheng, a Chinese prince of the Han Dynasty.Her tomb was discovered in 1968. Her body was encased in a jade burial suit. Her and her husband's were the first jade burial suits to be discovered by archaeologists....

.

Life

Liu Sheng was born to Emperor Jing of Han and Consort Jia, who also had another son, Liu Pengzu the Prince of Zhao. He was given the fief of Zhongshan

Zhongshan (state)

Zhongshan was a Di state created by the nomadic Xianyu tribe in China during the later Zhou Dynasty, in the Chinese written sources it is referred to as a state of the Bai Di .)...

 by his father in 154 BC, and therefore reigned in the period right after the Rebellion of the Seven States

Rebellion of the Seven States

The Rebellion of the Seven States or Revolt of the Seven Kingdoms took place in 154 BC against China's Han Dynasty to resist the emperor's attempt to centralise the government further.-Prelude to the rebellion:...

, when the political atmosphere was one of suspicion regarding the feudal states. Given this atmosphere Liu Sheng was one of the more successful feudal rulers.

In the third year of the reign of Emperor Wu, his younger brother, Liu Sheng and several other princes were invited to Chang'an

Chang'an

Chang'an is an ancient capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history, today known as Xi'an. Chang'an literally means "Perpetual Peace" in Classical Chinese. During the short-lived Xin Dynasty, the city was renamed "Constant Peace" ; yet after its fall in AD 23, the old name was restored...

 to feast; at the feast Liu Sheng wept and complained of the treatment of the feudal princes by centrally appointed officials, who made use of their role as monitors to constantly trump up charges against the princes. Impressed by this petition the Emperor explicitly ordered that the unfair scrutiny of the princes should stop, and Liu Sheng became one of the most renowned of the feudal rulers of his time.

He was known to indulge in alcohol and women, and is reputed to have had some 120 sons.

Personal information

• Father
  • Emperor Jing of Han
    Emperor Jing of Han
    Emperor Jing of Han was an emperor of China in the Han Dynasty from 156 BC to 141 BC. His reign saw the limit and curtailment of power of feudal princes which resulted in the Rebellion of the Seven States in 154 BC. Emperor Jing managed to crush the revolt and princes were thereafter denied rights...
    
     (9th son of)
• Mother
  • Consort Jia
• Wives:
  • Dou Wan
    Dou Wan
    The Lady Tou Wan or Dou Wan was the wife of Liu Sheng, a Chinese prince of the Han Dynasty.Her tomb was discovered in 1968. Her body was encased in a jade burial suit. Her and her husband's were the first jade burial suits to be discovered by archaeologists....
    
    
• Major Concubines:
  • ?
• Children
  • Liu Chang
    Liu Chang
    Liu Chang was the last King of the Kingdom of Southern Han during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period in southern coastal China.-Life:...
    
     (劉昌), Prince Ai of Zhongshan
    Zhongshan (state)
    Zhongshan was a Di state created by the nomadic Xianyu tribe in China during the later Zhou Dynasty, in the Chinese written sources it is referred to as a state of the Bai Di .)...
    
     (中山哀王)
  • Liu Zhen (劉貞), Ting Marquis
    Marquis
    Marquis is a French and Scottish title of nobility. The English equivalent is Marquess, while in German, it is Markgraf.It may also refer to:Persons:...
    
     of Zhuolu
    Zhuolu
    Zhuolu is a town and the county seat of Zhuolu County, northwestern Hebei province, Northern China. It has an area of and a population of 57,400 as of 2002, 6 communities and 30 villages. It is located southeast of Zhangjiakou...
    
     (涿鹿亭侯)
• Descendant
  • Liu Bei
    Liu Bei
    Liu Bei , also known as Liu Xuande, was a warlord, military general and later the founding emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history...
    
    (161-223)