孔仅 / Kong Jin (Western Han)

Overview

孔仅 / Kong Jin enters the wiki as a merchant-background Western Han fiscal official whom Hanji 340-2 associates with state use of commercial and metallurgical expertise and promotion to da nong ling under 汉武帝.

Current Profile

The bounded evidence is brief. The episode says Kong Jin came from iron commerce, was first recruited with the salt merchant 东郭咸阳 into the agricultural-finance administration, and was later promoted to da nong ling while 桑弘羊 became da nong cheng. His value in the account is functional: the court uses knowledge drawn from commerce and production to expand revenue and operate salt-and-iron policy.

This does not yet establish Kong Jin’s complete career, his individual share of policy design, or a direct operational role in the Shanglin Three Offices. The source places his promotion beside monetary reform but specifically attributes the proposal to end local minting to Sang Hongyang.

Key Characteristics

• Western Han official presented as coming from iron commerce.
• Recruited for commercial and technical experience during fiscal pressure.
• Associated with salt-and-iron state administration.
• Promoted to da nong ling while Sang Hongyang is promoted to da nong cheng.
• Illustrates the court’s conversion of private-sector expertise into central fiscal capacity.

Evidence

Recruitment and expertise:

• Hanji 340-2 says Wudi recruits the iron merchant Kong Jin and salt merchant 东郭咸阳 to apply commercial experience and technical knowledge to public revenue.

Promotion and policy setting:

• Hanji 340-2 says Kong Jin becomes da nong ling as Sang Hongyang becomes da nong cheng, immediately before its account of centralized five-zhu minting.

Qualifications

This profile rests on one compact popular-history source. It does not reconstruct Kong Jin’s dates, full office sequence, relationship with Dongguo Xianyang, responsibility for individual salt-and-iron measures, or role in coin production. The transcript’s “孔锦” is normalized to the received 孔仅, and its “大农城” to 大农丞 where the referent is clear.

What Changed

• Created a bounded profile linking Kong Jin’s iron-merchant background, fiscal recruitment, and promotion to da nong ling.

Relationships

• 汉武帝 - ruler whose fiscal administration recruits and promotes Kong Jin.
• 桑弘羊 - parallel fiscal specialist promoted to da nong cheng in the same episode.
• 五铢钱中央统一铸造 - monetary reform narrated beside Kong Jin’s promotion, without proof that he designed it.
• 官营商业垄断式汲取 - broader system in which commercial expertise is brought inside state revenue operations.