Sima Bao

Who was Sima Bao?

Sima Bao, courtesy name Jingdu, posthumous name Prince Yuan, was a Jin Dynasty imperial prince who briefly contended for the position of emperor after Emperor Min was captured by Han Zhao forces.

Sima Bao's father Sima Mo the Prince of Nanyang was a younger brother of Sima Yue the Prince of Donghai, who was regent for Emperor Hui and Emperor Huai. Both Sima Mo and Sima Yue were sons of Sima Tai the Prince of Gaomi, the son of Sima Yi's brother Sima Kui. Late in 313, after Emperor Huai was captured by Han Zhao after the fall of the capital Luoyang, Sima Mo, who was defending Chang'an, was captured by the Han Zhao general Zhao Ran and executed.

At the time of his father's death, Sima Bao was at Shanggui. He took the title of the Prince of Nanyang, and soon became in control of Qin Province. He was known for his generosity and openness, and the people of the province, whether Han, Di, or Qiang, were said to be open to his leadership. He was also grossly overweight—according to historians, at 800 Chinese pounds -- or roughly 400 kilograms and said to be impotent, and therefore had no children. He entered into an alliance with Zhang Gui, the governor of Liang Province, and Zhang's domain, largely untouched by wars, often supplied Sima Bao's.