Emperor An of Jin family House of Sima
Early life
Sima Dezong was the oldest son of Emperor Xiaowu, born of his concubine Consort Chen Guinü in 382. It is not known when Sima Dezong's developmental disability became known, but it was likely very early in his childhood, for the degree of his disability, according to historians, was great. When he was just seven years old, in 390, his mother died. Even though he had a younger brother, Sima Dewen, born of Consort Chen as well (in 386), who was described to be intelligent and careful, and who learned to take care of him throughout the years, for reasons unknown, Emperor Xiaowu appeared to have never seriously considered making Sima Dewen his heir; in 16 September 387, Sima Dezong was created crown prince. In 395, he was set up in his own residence, the eastern palace, as was customary for crown princes. In 396, he married the daughter of the official Wang Xianzhi, Wang Shen'ai, as his crown princess.
In 397, Emperor Xiaowu was killed by his concubine Honoured Lady Zhang, after offending her. However, with the emperor's only brother Sima Daozi, Prince of Kuaiji, being incompetent and Crown Prince Dezong being developmentally disabled, no investigation into Emperor Xiaowu's death was conducted. Crown Prince Dezong succeeded to the throne as Emperor An, and Sima Daozi became regent.Emperor An's death
With Later Qin destroyed, there was an expectation that Liu Yu would next advance northwest and either destroy or force the subjugation of the several states in the northwest still -- Xia, Western Qin, Northern Liang, and Western Liang. Indeed, at this point, Western Qin's prince Qifu Chipan, Northern Liang's prince Juqu Mengxun, and Western Liang's prince Li Gao were all sufficiently intimidated that they nominally submitted to Jin's authority. However, Liu Muzhi then died at this time, and Liu Yu, intending on taking the throne, decided to return to Jiankang himself, leaving his 11-year-old son Liu Yizhen (劉義真) and the generals Wang Zhen'e, Shen Tianzi, Mao Dezu (毛德祖), and the official Wang Xiu (王脩) in charge of Chang'an.
With Liu Yu having left Chang'an, Xia's emperor Helian Bobo was intent on taking Chang'an himself. He had his sons Helian Gui (赫連璝) and Helian Chang, along with his general Wang Maide (王買德) make a three-pronged advance toward Chang'an while cutting off the supply route between Luoyang and Chang'an. Meanwhile, with Wang Zhen'e and Shen Tianzi being previously envious of each other, Shen Tianzi suspected Wang Zhen'e of being ready to rebel, and so killed him. Wang Xiu then executed Shen Tianzi, but then Liu Yizhen believed the accusations that Wang Zhen'e was in fact about to rebel and that Wang Xiu was ready to as well, and so executed Wang Xiu. Once Wang Xiu was executed, Liu Yizhen himself was without supervision, and he, in fear of Xia forces, withdrew all of his forces inside Chang'an, and Xia forces then sieged the city. Liu Yu, hearing this, sent Zhu Lingshi to replace Liu Yizhen and ordered Liu Yizhen to withdraw. Liu Yizhen's forces, however, having pillaged Chang'an, could not withdraw quickly, and they were crushed by Xia forces at Qingni (青泥, in modern Xi'an, Shaanxi), with nearly the entire army killed or captured. Liu Yizhen barely escaped with his life, and the Chang'an region became Xia possession, although Jin retained the Luoyang region.
Meanwhile, Liu Yu, having accepted the Duke of Song title and the nine bestowments in summer 418, had Emperor An create him the Prince of Song, but then publicly declined it. Meanwhile, he became convinced of the truth of a prophecy that stated, "There will be two more emperors after Changming." (Changming, which meant "dawn," was the courtesy name of Emperor An's father Emperor Xiaowu.) He therefore became resolved to kill Emperor An, and he tried several times to have Emperor An's servants poison him, but because Emperor An's brother Sima Dewen continuously attended to him, the servants had no chance to poison him. However, around the new year 419, Sima Dewen was himself ill and had to be at his house. Liu Yu's assassin Wang Shaozhi (王韶之) then took the opportunity to kill Emperor An—according to Zizhi Tongjian, by twisting clothes into a rope and then using it to strangle Emperor An. Liu Yu then made Sima Dewen emperor (as Emperor Gong).Ancestry
clan kinship lineage dynasty tribe