[1]Name and datesMiao Jinqing was a Tang dynasty figure, born in 689 and dying in 765, and is also counted as a poet.
CBDBMiao Jinqing (32562)CBDB gives his name as Miao Jinqing, his birth year as 689 and death year as 765, his dynasty as Tang, and lists his status as poet.
Souyun苗晉卿 (19387)The notice in the Tangshi da cidian presents him as a man of Tang with dates of 689 to 765 and notes his skill in prose and poetry.
WikidataMiao Jinqing (Q1568310)Wikidata gives his Chinese label as Miao Jinqing and records his death in 765.
[2]Courtesy name and native placeMiao Jinqing's courtesy name was Yuanfu, and his native place was Huguan in Luzhou, present-day Huguan in Shanxi.
CBDBMiao Jinqing (32562)CBDB records his courtesy name as Yuanfu and gives his native place as Huguan.
Souyun苗晉卿 (19387)The Tangshi da cidian gives his courtesy name as Yuanfu and calls him a man of Huguan in Luzhou (present-day Huguan, Shanxi).
[3]Variant birth yearsHis birth year is recorded variously, as 675 in one account and as 685 in another.
Souyun苗晉卿 (19387)The Zhongguo lidai renming da cidian dates his life to 675–765, differing from the 689 of the Tangshi da cidian, while the Quan Tangwen notice states that he was eighty-one at death.
[4]ExaminationsMiao Jinqing passed the jinshi examination and in 719, the seventh year of the Kaiyuan era, was selected in the decree examination in the literary elegance category.
CBDBMiao Jinqing (32562)CBDB records that he passed the jinshi examination and was selected in the special examination in the wenci yali category.
Souyun苗晉卿 (19387)The Tangshi da cidian records that he passed the jinshi and in 719, the seventh year of Kaiyuan, was selected in the wenci yali examination.
[5]Early officesHe served as defender of Wannian county, prefect of Jinzhou, investigating censor, attendant censor, and vice director in the bureaus of expenditure, war and personnel, rising to director of the Ministry of Personnel.
CBDBMiao Jinqing (32562)CBDB lists successive posts as defender of Wannian county, prefect of Jinzhou, investigating censor, attendant censor, vice director in the Bureau of Expenditure, vice director in the Ministry of War, vice director in the Ministry of Personnel, and director of the Ministry of Personnel.
Souyun苗晉卿 (19387)The Tangshi da cidian lists his posts as defender of Wannian, prefect of Jinzhou, investigating censor, attendant censor, vice director in the bureaus of expenditure, war and personnel, and director of the Ministry of Personnel.
[6]Secretariat and Ministry of PersonnelIn 736 he was appointed drafter of the Secretariat and later served as a judge under the military commissioner of Hexi; in 741 he became vice minister of personnel and at one time had charge of the Ministry of Personnel's selection procedures.
CBDBMiao Jinqing (32562)CBDB records him as drafter of the Secretariat in 736, later as judge under the Hexi military commissioner, and as vice minister of personnel in 741.
Souyun苗晉卿 (19387)The Tangshi da cidian records his appointment as drafter of the Secretariat in 736 and as vice minister of personnel in 741, and the same entry lists his charge of personnel selection.
[7]Tianbao appointments and titleIn 743 he was sent out as governor of Ankang commandery and transferred to Wei commandery; in 746 he was moved to Hedong commandery, then to Fufeng commandery, made surveillance commissioner of Hebei, enfeoffed as Baron of Gaoping, and transferred to the regency of the Eastern Capital, from which he retired.
Souyun苗晉卿 (19387)The Tangshi da cidian records his departure as governor of Ankang commandery in 743, transfer to Wei commandery, move to Hedong commandery in 746 and transfer to Fufeng commandery, while the Zhongguo lidai renming da cidian adds his post as surveillance commissioner of Hebei, his fief as Baron of Gaoping, and his retirement in the regency of the Eastern Capital.
CBDBMiao Jinqing (32562)CBDB records his governorships of Ankang, Wei, Hedong and Fufeng commanderies, his tenure as surveillance commissioner of Hebei, and his post as regent of the Eastern Capital.
[8]Governor of ShanjunIn 755, the fourteenth year of Tianbao, he was appointed governor of Shanjun and concurrently defense commissioner of the Shanguo army.
Souyun苗晉卿 (19387)The Tangshi da cidian records his appointment as governor of Shanjun in the fourteenth year of Tianbao.
CBDBMiao Jinqing (32562)CBDB records him as governor of Shanjun and defense commissioner of the Shanguo army in 755.
[9]Chancellorship under SuzongAfter Xuanzong fled to Shu, Suzong summoned him to the imperial headquarters, and he rose to Minister of Justice and concurrently Left Assistant Director of the Department of State Affairs; in 757 he was appointed Left Chancellor, changed to director of the Chancellery, and enfeoffed as Duke of Han.
Souyun苗晉卿 (19387)The Zhongguo lidai renming da cidian and the Tangshi da cidian record that after Xuanzong fled to Shu, Suzong summoned him to the imperial headquarters and appointed him Left Chancellor and Duke of Han; the Quan Tangwen notice adds his rise to Minister of Justice and concurrent Left Assistant Director and the change to director of the Chancellery.
CBDBMiao Jinqing (32562)CBDB records his post as Minister of Justice, his appointments as Left Vice-President and director of the Chancellery in 757, and his enfeoffment as Duke of Han.
[10]Grand Guardian and retirement from officeIn 759, the second year of Qianyuan, he was invested as Grand Guardian and relieved of his governmental duties.
Souyun苗晉卿 (19387)The Quan Tangwen notice records his investiture as Grand Guardian and his removal from office.
[11]Under DaizongDuring Daizong's reign, when the Tibetans raided the capital and tried to coerce him, he kept silent, and after the emperor's return he was appointed Grand Guardian again.
Souyun苗晉卿 (19387)The Zhongguo lidai renming da cidian records that in Daizong's time, when the Tibetans raided the capital, he was threatened but kept silent, and was appointed Grand Guardian after the emperor's return.
[12]Death and posthumous grantHe died in 765, the first year of Yongtai, at the age of eighty-one, and was granted the title of Grand Preceptor.
Souyun苗晉卿 (19387)The Quan Tangwen notice records his death in the first year of Yongtai at the age of eighty-one and his grant of the title Grand Preceptor, as does the Tangshi da cidian entry.
[13]Posthumous names and temple honourHe was first given the posthumous name Yixian, which was changed to Wenzhen after Yuan Zai became chancellor and had the change urged on the authorities out of old obligation; in 772 he was granted a place in the temple of Suzong.
Souyun苗晉卿 (19387)The Quan Tangwen notice records that he was first given the posthumous name Yixian, that it was changed to Wenzhen after Yuan Zai became chancellor and had the change urged on the authorities out of old obligation, and that in the seventh year of Dali he was granted a place in the temple of Suzong; the other two notices give his posthumous name as Wenzhen.
CBDBMiao Jinqing (32562)CBDB lists both Yixian and Wenzhen among his posthumous names.
WikidataMiao Jinqing (Q1568310)Wikidata records both Wenzhen and Yixian as his posthumous names.
[14]Writings and steleMiao was skilled in prose and poetry; one of his poems survives in the Complete Tang Poems, and four fragmentary lines from Wang Wei's stele on his virtuous administration were later added to the supplement to that anthology.
Souyun苗晉卿 (19387)The Tangshi da cidian states that he was skilled in prose and poetry and that one of his poems survives in the Complete Tang Poems; four fragmentary lines from Wang Wei's stele on his virtuous administration were later incorporated into the supplement to that anthology.
[15]Tomb inscription and biographyLi Hua composed his tomb inscription, and his biography appears in both the Old and New Books of Tang.
Souyun苗晉卿 (19387)The Tangshi da cidian notes that his life is treated in the old and new Books of Tang and in the tomb inscription by Li Hua.
[16]Literary contacts and other compositionsHe exchanged verses with the poets Gao Shi, Cen Shen, Qian Qi and Yao Hu, all of whom addressed poems to him; he also presented poems and prose to Emperor Xuanzong and composed a tomb inscription for Guo Jingzhi.
CBDBMiao Jinqing (32562)CBDB records that Gao Shi, Cen Shen, Yao Hu and Qian Qi all presented poems or prose to him, that he himself presented poems and prose to Emperor Xuanzong, and that he composed a tomb inscription for Guo Jingzhi.
[17]FamilyHis father was Miao Daishu; his sons included Miao Fa, Miao Shou, Miao Pi, Miao Jian, Miao Can, Miao Chui, Miao Xiang and Miao Chang, his grandsons Miao Zhen and Miao Hongben, and Miao Su was a more distant descendant.
CBDBMiao Jinqing (32562)CBDB records his father Miao Daishu; his sons Miao Fa, Miao Shou, Miao Pi, Miao Jian, Miao Can, Miao Chui, Miao Xiang and Miao Chang; his grandsons Miao Zhen and Miao Hongben; and the more distant descendant Miao Su.
CBDB
