The Wang clan of Langya (or Langye) (Chinese: 琅琊王氏) was a Chinese clan which gained political prominence during the Han dynasty and became one of the most powerful non-imperial clans during the Eastern Jin period.
| Wang 王 | |
|---|---|
| Clan | |
 | |
| Place of origin | Langya Commandery |
| Founded | late Qin dynasty (c. 207 BC) |
| Founder | Wang Yuan |
| Titles | Various |
| Connected families | Wang clan of Taiyuan |
| Dissolution | Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (c. 900s AD) |
History
editOrigins
editAccording to the New Book of Tang, the Wang clan was founded in Langya by Wang Yuan, a great-grandson of Wang Jian, who fled the collapsing Qin dynasty after the death of his father Wang Li (王離) in the battle of Julu. Wang Ji, a fourth-generation descendant of Wang Yuan (王元), served as an official in the Western Han dynasty, becoming the first recorded member of the clan to hold a position in the imperial bureaucracy.[1]
Jin dynasty
editDuring the Western Jin period, Wang Rong was a prominent scion of the clan, reaching the rank of Situ. He was also the youngest member of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove.
After the Disaster of Yongjia, when the Jin capital of Luoyang was sacked by Former Zhao forces, the Langya Wang clan, led by the brothers Wang Dao and Wang Dun, played an instrumental role in the preservation of the Jin dynasty, accompanying the future Emperor Yuan of Jin in leaving Luoyang and heading south to Jiankang (modern day Nanjing).[2] Such was their influence in ensuring stability during the transition from Western to Eastern Jin, and in managing both local rebellions and the interests of refugee clans fleeing from the north, that it was said that "All Under Heaven is jointly ruled by the Wang and Sima clans" (王与马，共天下).[3]
Prominent members
editQin dynasty
edit- Wang Yuan (王元, ?–?), great-grandson of Wang Jian; founded the clan in Langya after the Battle of Julu[1]
Han dynasty
edit- Wang Ji (?–48 BC), Western Han politician[1]
- Wang Xiang (184–268), Eastern Han, Cao Wei and Western Jin politician
Jin dynasty
edit- Wang Rong (234–305), Western Jin politician[4]
- Wang Dao (276–339), Eastern Jin politician[2]
- Wang Dun (266–324), Eastern Jin military commander[3]
- Wang Xizhi (303–361), writer and calligrapher; the Lantingji Xu is generally attributed to him. Nephew of Wang Dao.[5]
- Wang Xianzhi (344–386), calligrapher; son of Wang Xizhi
- Wang Xun (349–386), calligrapher; nephew of Wang Xizhi
Northern and Southern dynasties
edit- Wang Hong (379–432), Liu Song politician
- Wang Jian (452–489), Liu Song and Southern Qi politician
- Wang Bao (513–576), writer and poet
Tang dynasty
edit- Wang Fangqing, (?–702), Tang and Wu Zhou politician
- Wang Yu (?–768), politician
- Wang Tuan (?–900), politician