Shi Jian was briefly an emperor of the Jie-led Later Zhao dynasty of China.
13 Facts About Shi Jian
1.
2.
Shi Jian was the third of four short-lived Later Zhao emperors after the death of his father Shi Hu.
3.
Shi Jian is sometimes referred to by his title prior to becoming emperor, Prince of Yiyang.
4.
Shi Jian was created the Prince of Dai in 333 after his father seized power from the founding emperor Shi Le's son Shi Hong in a coup, and after Shi Hu claimed the title "Heavenly King" in 337, he carried the title Duke of Yiyang.
5.
Shi Jian was repromoted to prince after his father claimed imperial title in early 349.
6.
Shi Jian was one of the princes summoned to a meeting called by Shi Zun before his mother Empress Dowager Zheng in which Shi Zun announced that he was going to execute their powerful adoptive nephew, Shi Min the Duke of Wuxing.
7.
Shi Jian, who had perhaps already been in conspiracy with Shi Min, quickly sent Shi Min the news, and Shi Min surrounded the palace with his troops, capturing and killing Shi Zun.
8.
Shi Jian tried to then have the general Sun Fudu, a fellow Jie, attack Shi Min, but Shi Min quickly defeated him, and Shi Jian, trying to absolve himself, then ordered Shi Min to execute Sun.
9.
Shi Min began to realize that Shi Jian was behind Sun's attack, and he decided that he needed to disarm the Jie, who knew that he was not Jie but ethnically Chinese.
10.
Shi Jian ordered that all non-Chinese not be allowed to carry arms, and most fled Yecheng in light of the command.
11.
In 350, under duress from Shi Min, Shi Jian changed the name of the state from Zhao to Wei and the family name of the imperial clan from Shi to Li.
12.
However, Shi Jian's eunuchs reported this to Shi Min and Li Nong, and they quickly returned to Yecheng and executed Shi Jian, along with 28 grandsons of Shi Hu and the rest of the Shi clan.
13.
Shi Jian Min, restoring his father's original family name of Ran, then took the throne as the emperor of a new state, Wei.