Shi Le - Sekiroku

The first ruler of the Later Zhao Dynasty during the Sixteen Kingdoms Period in China (reigned 319-333). He was of the Jie tribe, a descendant of the Xiongnu, and was born to the family of a small tribe chief near Wuxiang County in Shanxi Province, but at a young age he became a slave to the Han people. He then joined a group of bandits and became their leader, taking advantage of the Eight Kings Rebellion to expand his power, but when Liu Yuan became the Han emperor, he surrendered to him, and played an active role in the Yongjia Rebellion together with Liu Yao and Wang Mi. However, he later conquered Shandong, Henan, and Hebei from his base in Xiangguo (near Xingtai County, Hebei Province), gradually strengthening his tendency to become independent from the Han. When the Han was destroyed by Jin Jun, he took the throne of Zhao himself and established Later Zhao in opposition to Liu Yao's Former Zhao in Chang'an. After destroying Former Zhao and annexing Guanzhong, he became King of Zhao and then Emperor (330). He established legal codes and started the project of compiling history books, respecting China's traditional institutions and culture. This attitude was also reflected in his clear distinction between the Han people and the various ethnic groups below the Jie tribe. He also contributed to the spread of Buddhism by treating Fo Tucheng with respect.

[Shiro Sekio]

“The History of the Formation of the Sui and Tang Empire” by Michio Tanikawa (1971, Chikuma Shobo)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国、五胡(ごこ)十六国時代、後趙(こうちょう)の初代の君主（在位319～333）。匈奴(きょうど)系の羯(けつ)族の出身で、山西省武郷県付近の小部族の首長(しゅちょう)の家に生まれたが、若くして漢人の奴隷に転落した。さらに群盗の仲間に入ってその首領となり、八王の乱に乗じて勢力を伸ばしたが、劉淵(りゅうえん)が漢の帝位につくと彼に降(くだ)り、永嘉(えいか)の乱では劉曜や王彌(おうび)らと活躍した。しかしその後、襄国(じょうこく)〔河北省邢台(けいだい)県付近〕を拠点として山東、河南、および河北を経略し、しだいに漢から自立する傾向を強め、漢が靳準(きんじゅん)によって滅ぼされると、長安にあった劉曜の前趙に対抗して自ら趙王の位につき、後趙を建てた。のち前趙を滅ぼして関中をも併合すると、趙天王を経て帝位についた（330）。彼は律令(りつりょう)を制定したり歴史書の編纂(へんさん)事業をおこして、中国の伝統的な制度や文化を尊重した。漢人と羯族以下の諸民族の区別を明らかにしたのもそのような姿勢の表れである。また仏図澄(ぶっとちょう)を礼遇して仏教の普及にも貢献した。

［關尾史郎］

『谷川道雄著『隋唐帝国形成史論』（1971・筑摩書房）』

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