Emperor Ai of Jin

Emperor Ai of Jin (; 341 – March 30, 365), personal name Sima Pi , courtesy name Qianling , was an emperor of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. During his brief reign, the actual powers were largely in the hands of his granduncle Sima Yu the Prince of Kuaiji, and the paramount general Huan Wen. According to historical accounts, he had an obsession with immortality, which resulted in his death, brought about as a result of poisoning by pills given to him by magicians in 364 and in 365.

Early life Sima Pi was born in 341, during the reign of his father Emperor Cheng of Jin, as Emperor Cheng's oldest son. His mother was Consort Zhou, who in 342 gave birth to his younger brother Sima Yi. In summer 342, Emperor Cheng grew ill. The common succession protocol, as He Chong (何充) pointed out, would mean that his oldest son would succeed to the throne, but Emperor Cheng's uncle Yu Bing (庾冰), wanting a new emperor who would also be connected to his clan as well, persuaded Emperor Cheng to pass the throne to his younger brother Sima Yue the Prince of Langya, also a son of his sister Yu Wenjun, under the reasoning that with the powerful rival Later Zhao to the north, the empire needed an adult emperor. He continued in that title after Emperor Kang's death in November 344, as Emperor Kang chose to pass the throne to his infant son Sima Dan (as Emperor Mu).

Fang Xuanling inter al., eds. 晉書 (Book of Jin), 648. Beijing: Zhonghua Publishing, 1974. 10 vols. 20 vols.