{ "id": "ep6kf7vv5n", "slug": "atai", "title": "Atai", "updated": "2026-10-21", "topic_path": [ { "id": "society", "label": "Society and history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society" }, { "id": "society.history", "label": "History and archaeology", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.history" }, { "id": "society.history.asia", "label": "Asian history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.history.asia" }, { "id": "society.history.asia.china", "label": "China", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.history.asia.china" }, { "id": "society.history.asia.china.yuan", "label": "Mongol conquest and the Yuan dynasty (1206 to 1368)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.history.asia.china.yuan" }, { "id": "society.history.asia.china.yuan.officials-and-statesmen", "label": "Officials and statesmen", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.history.asia.china.yuan.officials-and-statesmen" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.chn.t1000.society.history.asia.china.yuan.officials-and-statesmen", "label": "China · 1000 to 1799: Officials and statesmen", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t1000.society.history.asia.china.yuan.officials-and-statesmen", "path": [ { "id": "geo.chn", "label": "China", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t1000", "label": "China · 1000 to 1799", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t1000" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t1000.society", "label": "Society and history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t1000.society" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t1000.society.history", "label": "History and archaeology", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t1000.society.history" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t1000.society.history.asia", "label": "Asian history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t1000.society.history.asia" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t1000.society.history.asia.china", "label": "China", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t1000.society.history.asia.china" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t1000.society.history.asia.china.yuan", "label": "Mongol conquest and the Yuan dynasty (1206 to 1368)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t1000.society.history.asia.china.yuan" }, { "id": "geo.chn.t1000.society.history.asia.china.yuan.officials-and-statesmen", "label": "Officials and statesmen", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.chn.t1000.society.history.asia.china.yuan.officials-and-statesmen" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Atai (阿台, 1228–1288) was a Yuan dynasty official, grand protector of Pingluan circuit, known for remitting taxes and opening granaries to relieve famine at his own risk.", "snippet": "Atai (阿台, 1228–1288) was a Yuan dynasty official, grand protector of Pingluan circuit, known for remitting taxes and opening granaries to relieve famine at his own risk.", "node": "society.history.asia.china.yuan.officials-and-statesmen", "markdown": "# Atai\n\n**Atai** (阿台; 1228–1288) was a [Yuan dynasty](https://www.edgepedia.org/yuan-dynasty) official who served as grand protector (达鲁花赤) of Pingluan (平滦) circuit under [Möngke Khan](https://www.edgepedia.org/mongke-khan) and [Kublai Khan](https://www.edgepedia.org/kublai-khan). His biography in 《元史》卷一百二十四 presents him as an administrator noted for remitting taxes, relieving famine at his own risk, and protecting the common people of his jurisdiction from exploitation.\n\n| Fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Name | Atai (阿台), Yuan dynasty |\n| Born / died | 1228; 1288, aged 61[1](https://cbdb.fas.harvard.edu/cbdbapi/person.php?id=0113828) |\n| Father | A Liqishitiemu'er (阿里乞失帖木儿), holder of the post of area commander-in-chief of the Xingping (兴平) region[2](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/元史/卷124) |\n| First office | 平滦路达鲁花赤, appointed by 宪宗 in the dingsi year (丁巳)[2](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/元史/卷124) |\n| Posthumous name | 忠亮[1](https://cbdb.fas.harvard.edu/cbdbapi/person.php?id=0113828) |\n\n## Origins and family\n\nAtai came from a family of hereditary Yuan officials. His father A Liqishitiemu'er inherited the post of area commander-in-chief of the Xingping region (兴平等处行省都元帅), governed by his predecessor's methods, promoted schools and lightened punishments and corvée, and took part in the great army's campaign against Gaoli (高丽) with merit. He died in the bingchen year (岁丙辰) and was posthumously granted the title of meritorious official, enfeoffed as Prince of Ying (营国公), with the posthumous name 武襄[2](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/元史/卷124). Atai was due to inherit his father's post, but the area administration had just been dissolved into the Pingluan circuit general prefecture, and in the dingsi year (丁巳) 宪宗 appointed Atai instead as darughachi (达鲁花赤, resident commissioner) of Pingluan circuit[2](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/元史/卷124).\n\n## Career\n\nOn taking office, Atai petitioned for the remission of one-eighth of the tax quotas on silver, salt, wine, and other commodities, and that the poorest households not be taxed at all[2](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/元史/卷124).\n\nWhen 世祖 (Kublai Khan) took the throne, Atai came to court and received the golden tiger tally (金虎符)[2](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/元史/卷124). Princes traveling through Pingluan cost 7,500 taels of silver in provisions; the Bureau of Revenue (户部) did not repay the sum, and Atai petitioned the emperor in person and recovered it in full[2](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/元史/卷124). He established the jiayi register (甲乙籍), classifying the population by male labor, which the people found greatly to their advantage[2](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/元史/卷124).\n\nIn 至元十年 he was advanced in rank to 怀远大将军[2](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/元史/卷124).\n\n## Political influence\n\nHis tax remission of one-eighth, with exemption for the poorest households, is the fiscal measure the biography records for Pingluan[2](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/元史/卷124). The 甲乙籍 register of male labor was an administrative device that, in the history's telling, served the people well[2](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/元史/卷124).\n\nHis conduct in famine was the episode the biography emphasizes. When hunger struck and he opened the state granaries to relieve the people, some objected that he lacked authority; the history records his reply: \"If the court does not approve, I am willing to repay the granary from my own grain.\" Many lives were thereby preserved (全活甚众)[2](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/元史/卷124). He also gave new subordinates salt, rice, sheep, livestock, and utensils on arrival, saying he wished only that they should not flay the people; he gave monthly stipends to poor relatives, coffins, cloth, and provisions to families unable to bury their dead. Because Luan (滦) was the old land of the state of Guzhu, he built a temple to Bo Yi (伯夷) and [Shu Qi](https://www.edgepedia.org/shu-qi) (叔齐) to encourage local customs[2](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/元史/卷124).\n\n## Posthumous name\n\nAccording to the China Biographical Database, Atai received the posthumous name 忠亮[1](https://cbdb.fas.harvard.edu/cbdbapi/person.php?id=0113828). \n\n## Textual problems and assessment\n\nThe biography is laudatory throughout, and the standard history offers no critical assessment of him. Two textual variants in the transmitted text of 《元史》卷一百二十四 bear on the record:\n\n- **Which emperor rewarded the horses.** The Shidian guji edition reads \"太祖大喜\" (Taizu was pleased)[3](https://www.shidianguji.com/zh/book/NGJ892411999032794107099/chapter/1lwwmcvcqmiau), while a simplified transcription reads 世祖大喜[4](http://yuwen.anslib.com/guoxue/yuanshi/6083.html).\n- **A minor graph variant.** One Shidian edition prints the merit title as 宜力功臣[5](https://www.shidianguji.com/zh/book/NGJ89241200000289314998/chapter/1lvwye35htqfu).\n\n## Legacy\n\nNo tomb, memorial, later honor, or appearance in later literature or popular culture is recorded in the sources retrieved[2](https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/元史/卷124). No modern monograph or academic study devoted to him was found in the evidence set, and questions such as his exact birth date beyond the CBDB figure of 1228 remain unsettled[1](https://cbdb.fas.harvard.edu/cbdbapi/person.php?id=0113828).\n\n## References\n\n1. China Biographical Database (CBDB), person 113828 阿台, https://cbdb.fas.harvard.edu/cbdbapi/person.php?id=0113828\n2. 《元史》卷一百二十四 (Wikisource transcription), https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/元史/卷124\n3. 卷一百二十四-元史全文原文-识典古籍, https://www.shidianguji.com/zh/book/NGJ892411999032794107099/chapter/1lwwmcvcqmiau\n4. 《元史》卷一百二十四 列传第十一 (simplified transcription), http://yuwen.anslib.com/guoxue/yuanshi/6083.html\n5. 卷一百二十四《元史》全文原文（识典古籍）, https://www.shidianguji.com/zh/book/NGJ89241200000289314998/chapter/1lvwye35htqfu\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › History and archaeology › Asian history › China › Mongol conquest and the Yuan dynasty (1206 to 1368) › Officials and statesmen*\n\n*Initially written Sep 23, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/atai", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/atai.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Atai\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/atai. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Atai](https://www.edgepedia.org/atai)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/atai](https://www.edgepedia.org/atai). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Atai\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/atai. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Atai was a Yuan dynasty official, grand protector of Pingluan circuit, known for remitting taxes and opening granaries to relieve famine at his own risk." }