Sima Chong

Sima Chong (司馬冲) (311 - 28 August 341), courtesy name Daorang (道让), posthumously known as Prince Ai of Donghai, was an Eastern Jin imperial prince. He was a son of Emperor Yuan of Jin; Emperor Yuan allowed him to be posthumously adopted as the heir of Sima Yue, Prince Xiaoxian of Donghai, a regent for Emperor Hui and Emperor Huai.

Life Sima Chong was born in 311; his father Sima Rui was then the Prince of Langye, stationed at Jianye since Sima Yue issued an order on 25 August 307, at the suggestion of Sima Yue's wife Princess Pei, for Rui to do so. Sima Chong's mother was Lady Shi, a concubine who was later granted the rank of jieyu after Sima Rui's ascension.

The year of Sima Chong's birth was a tumultuous time for the Western Jin court. In April, Sima Yue, then the regent for Emperor Huai, died of illness near Xuchang, and the imperial army under him was annihilated by Han forces the following month; Sima Yue's sons were all captured and presumably killed by Han general Shi Le. Only Princess Pei fled, and after much suffering, including a stint where she was enslaved, she arrived in Jianye during the Tai'xing era (318-321). In July 311, Emperor Huai was captured by Han after the fall of the capital Luoyang in the Disaster of Yongjia.

By the time Princess Pei reached Jianye, Sima Rui had already claimed the imperial throne. As emperor, Sima Rui was grateful to Princess Pei for having persuaded Sima Yue to let him have the Jianye post, and he allowed her to adopt Sima Chong to serve as Sima Yue's heir.

As Prince of Donghai, Sima Chong held some positions in the Eastern Jin court during the reign of his nephew Emperor Cheng of Jin, but was not recorded to have any significant achievements in these posts. He died without issue in August 341, during Emperor Cheng's reign.