Wei Zhao (Three Kingdoms)

Wei Zhao
Official of Eastern Wu
Born	204
Died	273 (aged 69)
Names
Traditional Chinese	韋昭
Simplified Chinese	韦昭
Pinyin	Wéi Zhāo
Wade–Giles	Wei Chao
Courtesy name	Hongsi (Chinese: 弘嗣; pinyin: Hóngsì; Wade–Giles: Hung-szu)
Other names	Wei Yao (traditional Chinese: 韋曜; simplified Chinese: 韦曜; pinyin: Wéi Yào; Wade–Giles: Wei Yao)

This is a Chinese name; the family name is Wei.

Wei Zhao (204–273), courtesy name Hongsi, was a scholar and politician of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period. He shared the same personal name as Sima Zhao (an ancestor of the Jin Dynasty emperors) so, in order to avoid naming taboo, the Jin historian Chen Shou changed Wei Zhao's personal name to "Yao" when he wrote Wei's biography in the Sanguozhi (the authoritative source for the history of the Three Kingdoms period).

Life

Wei Zhao was appointed as the first President (博士祭酒) of the Imperial Nanking University by the third Wu emperor, Sun Xiu, in 258. He was the chief editor of the Book of Wu, an official history of Wu. While he was compiling the 'Book of Wu, the fourth Wu emperor Sun Hao attempted to force him to rewrite certain portions of the book, but Wei Zhao refused on the grounds that such amendments would infringe the principle of history. Wei Zhao's insistence on producing a historically accurate Book of Wu resulted in his execution by Sun Hao. Wei Zhao also wrote several other works, such as Annotations to Guoyu (國語注) and Argument and Interpretation of Names (辯釋名).

Wei Zhao's tomb is located near East Street, Yanling Town, Danyang County, Jiangsu. The Wei Zhao Temple (韋昭祠), a memorial to him along with his former residence, is also located near there.

See also

• List of people of the Three Kingdoms

References

• Chen, Shou. Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi).
• Pei, Songzhi. Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi zhu).