Sima You 司馬攸

Sima You 司馬攸 (248–283), zi Dayou 大猷. Western Jin imperial family member and writer.

Sima You's ancestral home was Wen 溫 county in Henei 河內 (modern Henan). His father was Sima Zhao 司馬昭 (211–265), and his elder brother Sima Yan 司馬炎 (236–290) was the founder of the Western Jin dynasty, Emperor Wu (r. 265–290). According to his biography in the Jin shu, Sima You showed remarkable intelligence at an early age. He associated with able and virtuous men, and he enjoyed helping people who were in need. His brother Sima Yan was far better known among his siblings, but Sima You was just as talented as his brother, and his father treated them equally.

Sima You's uncle Sima shi 司馬師 (208–255) had no son, and he adopted Sima You as his heir. After Sima You accompanied General Wang Ling 王淩 (d. 251) on a military campaign, he was enfeoffed as Marquis of Changle ting 長樂亭. When his adoptive father died, Sima You was not even ten years old. His grief over the loss of his adoptive father moved those who were around him. He inherited Sima Shi's title Marquis of Wuyang 舞陽, and he attentively cared for his adoptive mother Empress Yang 羊皇后 of Jingxian 景獻 at her secondary residence. Sima You was also known for his filial devotion to his adoptive mother. He was later appointed cavalier attendant-in-ordinary and infantry commandant. He was only eighteen at that time, but he easily won the admiration and respect of his troops.

In 265, Sima You's own father died. During the mourning period, the mourning rituals that he observed far exceeded the normal practice. He became so weak that he was forced to eat. When his brother Sima Yan was first enthroned as Emperor Wu, Sima You was awarded the title Prince of Qi 齊. Sima You was given full charge of military affairs. He presented numerous petitions on how to manage court affairs and stressing the importance of agriculture. In the next few years, he was promoted to a number of new positions, including cavalry general, palace attendant, defender-general, junior mentor of the heir apparent, and grand mentor of the heir designate Sima Zhong 司馬衷 (259–306), the future Emperor Hui (r. 290–306). Sima You presented to him an admonition “Taizi Zhen” 太子箴 (Admonition for the crown prince) on how a respected ruler should behave. He cited examples of a few foolish self-indulgent rulers from past history as a warning.

In 276, Sima You replaced Jia Chong 賈充 (217–282) as minister of works while continuing to serve as palace attendant and the grand mentor. Toward the end of Emperor Wu's reign, most of the Jin princes were mediocre and weak. Even the heir designate Sima Zhong, who was developmentally disabled, was questionable as a successor. Many court officials urged Sima Yan to name Sima You as successor. However, Xun Xu 荀勖 (ca. 217–288) and Feng Dan 馮紞 (d. 286) opposed this proposal, and they severely criticized him to Emperor Wu. After learning of this vicious attack on him, Sima You became indignant and fell ill. He threw up blood and died. He was thirty-six at this time.

Sima You's biography in the Jin shu says that “he loved texts and excelled at writing, especially letters. His epistolary writing became a model for his contemporaries.” The monograph on bibliography of the Sui shu lists Sima You's collected writings in two juan and mentions a Liang catalogue listing in three juan. Both Tang histories record a collection in two juan. His collection was lost in the Song. Yan Kejun has collected eight of Sima You's prose writings in his Quan shanggu Sandai Qin Han Sanguo Liuchao wen, most of which are petitions and letters, including the “Taizi Zhen” mentioned above.

Bibliography

Studies

• Cao Daoheng and Shen Yucheng, Zhongguo wenxuejia dacidian, 86.
• Goodman, Howard. Xun Xu and the Politics of Precision in Third-Century AD China. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 2010.

TPK