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Chao Cuo
Western Han adviser nicknamed the 'bag of wisdom' who, as Imperial Counsellor to Emperor Jing, pressed to cut the princes' lands and was executed when seven kingdoms rebelled
Mural of the event “Seven Kingdoms Revolt”, which this person took part in.
Early Han enfeoffment of imperial kinsmen had let large vassal states such as Wu and Chu grow until they threatened the center. Emperor Jing adopted Chao Cuo's "reduce the vassals" policy, provoking a fierce rebellion among the kings.
Chao Cuo came from Yingchuan and studied the legalist teachings of Shen Buhai and Shang Yang under Zhang Hui at Zhi. Under Emperor Wen he was sent to Jinan to learn the *Book of Documents* (*Shangshu*) from Fu Sheng, then served the crown prince's household, where he was nicknamed the 'bag of wisdom'. His memorials on war, border colonies and grain include the *Memorial on Valuing Grain* (*Lun gui su shu*), which proposed letting people buy rank or remit punishment with grain. When the prince became Emperor Jing, Chao rose to Imperial Counsellor, asked that the princes' fiefs be cut and revised thirty statutes. In 154 BC seven kingdoms led by Wu and Chu rebelled in the name of punishing him, and on Yuan Ang's advice the emperor had him executed in his court robes in the eastern market. When an officer later told the emperor that cutting the fiefs had served the dynasty's long-term interest, Emperor Jing admitted that he too regretted the execution.
Life and times
Dates c. 200 BCE–154 BCE
- 154 BCESeven Kingdoms RevoltTook part
- 154 BCEChao Cuo and Seven States Rebellion