生平

少年時期：名將幼弟

霍光的父親霍仲孺是河東郡平陽縣的縣吏，前141年前後在長安平陽侯府的時候和府中侍女衛媼之女衛少兒私通生下霍去病。霍仲孺回平陽侯國，和衛少兒不再來往，後另娶妻生霍光。

建元三年（前138年），陳皇后之母大長公主劉嫖因嫉妒被冷落了一年的宮女衛子夫懷孕，綁架了正在建章當差的衛青（衛子夫之弟）意圖殺害，漢武帝知道後很生氣，封衛青為建章監，和其兄衛長君同為侍中，三姐衛子夫為夫人，二姐衛少兒也因此得以嫁給西漢開國功臣陳平曾孫，時任詹事一職的陳掌。

元狩二年（前121年），霍去病拜驃騎將軍之職，在出擊匈奴的途中，被河東太守出迎至平陽侯國的傳舍，並派人請來霍仲孺與之父子相見。霍去病替霍仲孺大量購買田地房屋和奴婢後離去。霍去病此次出征凱旋時，再次拜訪霍仲孺，並將異母弟弟霍光一起帶到長安照顧。霍光當時年僅十七歲，在霍去病的幫助下，先任郎官，隨後遷任諸曹，侍中等職位。

元狩六年（前117年），霍去病去世。霍光升任奉車都尉、光祿大夫等職位，侍奉漢武帝左右，前後出入宮禁二十多年，未曾犯一次錯誤。因此得到漢武帝的信任。

武帝末年：託孤重臣

征和二年（前91年），衛太子被江充以巫蠱之禍逼死後，漢武帝決定立鉤弋夫人之子劉弗陵為儲君，並計劃令霍光輔佐。武帝令宮中畫師畫《周公負成王朝諸侯圖》賜給霍光，暗示他準備輔政。後元元年（前88年）侍中僕射莽何羅與弟弟重合侯莽通(馬通)謀反，刺殺武帝的行動被金日磾當場阻止，武帝派侍中駙馬都尉金日磾、奉車都尉霍光、騎都尉上官桀領兵勦除殘黨。隨後于後元二年（前87年）武帝臨終前兩天，立皇太子即後來的漢昭帝，並任命霍光為大司馬大將軍，金日磾為車騎將軍，及太僕上官桀為左將軍，搜粟都尉桑弘羊為御史大夫，皆拜臥內床下，受遺詔輔少主。一同輔佐時年八歲的漢昭帝 。昭帝二年，以武帝遺詔，封霍光、金日磾、上官桀三人為列侯。霍光被封為博陸侯但當時也有人提出異議，認為武帝根本沒有留下封三人為侯的遺詔。

民國史學家呂思勉考據認為漢武帝託孤給霍光等人不足為信，所謂託孤之時所云「立少子，君行周公之事」和畫周公輔政圖相送其實為子虛烏有，他認為：

• 霍光只是漢武帝身邊的左右侍衛，只是供驅使的下人，怎可能被漢武帝如此重視而有託孤之重任？

• 金日磾乃匈奴人，實則為異族外人，託孤事關朝廷社稷不可能託付給一個與漢政權有殺父之仇的異族後代

其實漢武帝託孤沒有問題，是朝中文武都知道的。漢武帝去世前立太子，並一併任命顧命大臣，當時丞相是年邁的田千秋(亦稱車千秋)，也有在顧命之列。昭帝即位後，由大司馬大將軍霍光主持朝政，田千秋從旁協助，昭帝和田千秋並沒有否認武帝託孤這件事。

昭帝時期：權傾天下

霍光與同為輔政大臣的金日磾和上官安都有聯姻關係。金日磾次子金賞的妻子是他女兒。另外一位輔政大臣上官桀的兒子上官安所娶則是霍光長女，有一女上官氏。上官安打算讓時年僅僅六歲的上官氏做皇后，遭到霍光反對，于是轉而走蓋長公主的門路，成功實現目的。上官家族為了回報蓋長公主，想將其情夫丁外人封列侯和光祿大夫，也被霍光駁回。霍光此前又曾多次阻止上官家族其他親戚封官。雙方因而結怨，成為政敵。此時的外朝領袖桑弘羊也因為與內朝領袖霍光發生激烈鬥爭，因此加入了上官桀的反霍光集團。桑弘羊在西元前81年鹽鐵會議上與霍光發生政見衝突，又因為同年霍光任命自己親信楊敞為大司農，侵入了桑弘羊獨佔的財政大權，讓桑弘羊憤而加入反霍光集團。

於是，上官桀父子聯合蓋長公主、燕王劉旦以及輔政大臣桑弘羊等共同結成反對霍光的同盟，假託燕王名義趁霍光休假的時候向漢昭帝上書誣陷霍光有不臣之心，並內外接應，做好準備打算一舉擒殺霍光，但時年僅十四歲的昭帝識破了他們的陰謀，不予理睬，並安撫霍光，且下令追查上書人的來歷。後來漢昭帝還下令如有人上書毀謗霍光者必追究到底。

上官桀等人見無法從昭帝處下手，便決定發動政變殺霍光，廢黜昭帝，立燕王為帝。但計劃洩漏，霍光族滅上官桀父子和桑弘羊，蓋長公主和燕王旦自殺。此後霍光成為朝政實際上的決策者。

在昭帝時期，霍光得到漢昭帝的全面信任，因而得以獨攬大權，他採取休養生息的措施，多次大赦天下，鼓勵農業，使得漢朝國力得到一定的恢復。對外也緩和了同匈奴的關係，恢復和親政策。

這段時期和後來的宣帝朝被合稱昭宣中興，史家認為西漢自文景之治後被武帝窮兵黷武政策所耗空的國力在這段時間得到了恢復。

昌邑王賀：伊霍廢立

元平元年（前74年）夏四月癸未日，年僅二十二歲的漢昭帝忽然駕崩，他沒有兒子。霍光迎立漢武帝孫昌邑王劉賀即位，但二十七日之後就以淫亂無道的理由報請上官太后廢除了他。

眾大臣上書孝昭皇后：

霍光同群臣商議後決定從民間迎接武帝曾孫劉病已（後改名劉詢）繼承帝位。這就是漢宣帝。霍光效法殷商伊尹，行廢立天子之事，從此後人合稱為「伊霍」。

宣帝時期：禍萌驂乘

漢宣帝即位初，霍光表示要歸政于帝，但宣帝沒有接受，朝廷事務的決策仍先經過霍光過問再稟報皇帝。宣帝對霍光表面上很信任，但內心十分忌憚，與之同車時「若有芒刺在背」。霍光本人功高震主，為後來的全家族滅埋下了禍根。

漢宣帝即位後，沒有依照群臣提議立霍光之女霍成君為皇后，而是委婉地以尋故劍的名義表示要立自己的元配妻子許平君為皇后。霍光沒有反對，但以許皇后父親許廣漢受過宮刑的緣故反對漢宣帝依照漢朝慣例封后父為列侯。霍光的妻子霍顯對女兒沒有成為皇后不滿，背著霍光趁許皇后生產的機會買通醫生淳于衍毒死了許皇后。許皇后死後，宣帝追究醫生責任，淳于衍下獄受審，顯害怕而向霍光坦白了此事。霍光驚駭之餘，想要追究顯的責任，但最終還是礙于夫妻情分替她掩蓋了過去。霍成君最終被立為后。

地節二年（前68年）春三月庚午，霍光病重逝世，臨終上書請分自己的兩萬戶封邑中的三千戶給其侄孫霍山，以繼承其兄長霍去病的香火。

身後哀榮：全族屠滅

霍光死後，漢宣帝與上官太后一同到場治喪，將之與蕭何相比，以皇帝級別的葬儀葬于茂陵。其葬禮上，有玉衣、梓宮、便房、黃腸題湊等葬具，以縕輬車，黃屋送葬。霍光遺孀顯猶嫌不夠氣派，將霍光生前自己安排的墳墓規格擴大。

漢宣帝同霍光子侄關係逐步惡化，顯毒殺許皇后的消息也開始流傳。宣帝聽到後並未開始調查，而是先採取措施提拔自己的外戚與霍氏的政敵擔任要職，架空霍家子弟的兵權，漢宣帝先改霍光女婿大將軍范明友為光祿勛，羽林監任勝為安定郡太守，又把霍光的姐夫張朔由給事中光祿大夫改為蜀郡太守，孫婿王漢為武威郡太守，長樂宮衞尉鄧廣漢為少府，這樣奪取了他們的在首都的軍權，掃清了霍家的外圍勢力。接著開始對霍家動手，改霍禹為大司馬，無印綬，架空兵權，霍光的另一女婿趙平的兵權也被奪，霍氏人馬，再也無法掌握長樂宮和未央宮的禁軍。

霍氏家族惶恐之餘，決定反擊，霍禹打算殺了丞相魏相與宣帝的丈人昌成君許廣漢，廢黜皇帝，前66年七月，事情敗露，霍禹被腰斬，霍雲、霍山自殺，霍家一族遭到滿門抄斬。至此，霍光妻子顯及兒子、侄子、女婿等家人除女婿金賞因告發謀反一事被赦免外，全部被殺或者自殺，女兒霍成君也被廢處昭台宮，十二年後自殺。長安城中有數千家人家被牽連族滅。當時人大多認為霍家功高震主，族滅之因在霍光輔政時期就已經埋下，謀殺許皇后和謀反不過是事件爆發的導火線。

霍家族滅以後，霍光之墓未被株連，依舊陪葬茂陵。

甘露三年（前51年），漢宣帝因匈奴歸降，回憶往昔輔佐有功之臣，乃令人畫十一名功臣圖像于麒麟閣以示紀念和表揚，列霍光為第一，並為了表示尊重，獨獨不寫出霍光全名，只尊稱為「大司馬、大將軍、博陸侯，姓霍氏」。

此後霍光一直為漢朝皇帝所尊奉祭祀。漢成帝年間，曾增加守墓人一百戶。漢平帝元始二年（2年），以千戶封霍光堂弟的曾孫霍陽為博陸侯，奉祀霍光。漢章帝時一度想封霍光後代為侯，因為找不到子孫而作罷。

後世評價及影響

正面評價

霍光廢立皇帝，與商朝名臣伊尹放太甲于桐宮的故事相同，是臣子忠于社稷的行為。

霍光作為昭宣中興時期秉政時間最長的執政者，對于這一治世的出現有著不可抹煞的功勞，他廢昌邑王而改立的漢宣帝也是中國曆史上傑出的統治者。

西漢末年，王莽同樣權傾天下，廢立君主。但王莽最終篡奪漢家天下，而霍光輔佐帝室，安邦定國，故史書往往將兩人並提，以儆後人，分清真假。但亦有史家認為，兩人所處的環境僅表面相同，不可一概而論。

爭議和疑點

霍光廢立昌邑王，當時也有人認為是昌邑王及其黨羽沒有準備好，沒有及時除去霍光而招致的禍患。

後世權臣廢立皇帝，為了掩蓋動機，往往假稱「行伊霍之事」。不過由于《竹書紀年》曾質疑伊尹事跡，加上後世行伊霍之事的往往都是圖謀篡位之人，因此，很多人也對霍光的動機產生疑問。

近代開始，有史學家提出霍光本人為了擴大權力，逐漸侵害其他幾位輔政大臣的權勢，促成桑弘羊等人的廢殺事件；而廢劉賀立劉詢也多出于霍光專權的個人用心。劉賀久在封國，廣有黨羽，不一定聽從霍光的「輔政」，劉詢長在民間，無依無靠，無法和霍光抗衡，當劉賀與霍光的衝突一觸即發時，霍光因此廢了昌邑王改立漢宣帝。

霍光被非議的問題又有以下幾點：

• 霍光一直稱讚什麼事都不管的丞相田千秋，其動機是田的行為方便他大權獨攬，破壞了武帝當年臨終安排多人輔政相互制衡的計劃。

• 蓋長公主與燕王謀反一案中，桑弘羊等人存在疑點。

• 漢朝封權臣幼子官職一直是慣例，霍光諸子也未例外，因此他反對桑弘羊為兒子求官的行為，不一定是出于漢書所說的高尚的動機。

• 霍光本人曾將六七歲的女兒嫁給金日磾之幼子金賞，這一點與漢書中說他以上官氏年齡太小反對立為皇后的行為存在矛盾。

• 霍光為了其外孫女上官皇后獨寵以生下漢昭帝的後代，默許太醫藉口漢昭帝身體不好而令宮中宮女皆穿「窮褲」。

• 霍光等三人因武帝遺詔而封列侯的說法，早在當日就有王忽質疑，王忽也因此被霍光間接逼死，這一點表明，霍光和金日磾桑弘羊等人的列侯爵位也存在疑點。

• 霍光治家不嚴，其繼室作出毒死皇后的魯莽行徑也被他輕輕放過。他的家奴在長安橫行霸道，甚至曾打上御史大夫府第。漢樂府中也有「昔有霍家奴，姓馮名子都。依倚將軍勢，調笑酒家胡。」之句。霍光也因為這點被班固批評「不學無術」。

Service under Emperor Wu

Huo Guang was born to Huo Zhongru and he had a half-brother named Huo Qubing, a renowned general. His step-aunt was Empress Wei Zifu, the second Empress of Emperor Wu of Han. Huo's early career in Han government was not well documented, but it is known that as of 88 BC—near the end of Emperor Wu's reign, he was already a high-ranked official with dual titles of Fengche Duwei (奉車都尉) and Guanglu Dafu (光祿大夫). When Emperor Wu, near the end of his life, chose his youngest son Liu Fuling (later Emperor Zhao) as heir, he commissioned Huo, ethnically-Xiongnu official Jin Midi, and imperial guard commander Shangguan Jie (上官桀) as coregents, but with Huo effectively in command of the government, with the titles of dasima (大司馬) and dajiangjun (大將軍). When Emperor Wu died in 87 BC, Emperor Zhao, then eight years old, was left in the tutelage of Huo, Jin, and Shangguan. Emperor Wu's will created the three of them as marquesses, but all three declined.

Service under Emperor Zhao and Control of power as regent

As Emperor Zhao was the youngest son of Emperor Wu, this created conflict and ill will with his older brothers, and in his reign there were multiple conspiracies. In 86 BC, a conspiracy involving Liu Dan (劉旦), Prince of Yan, and an elder son of Emperor Wu, was discovered, but the prince was not punished, presumably under Huo's decision, even though the other conspirators were executed.

In 85 BC, Huo was created the Marquess of Bolu (博陆侯). In the same year, Jin, a moderating influence in the co-regency, died. After Jin's death, Shangguan became increasingly jealous of Huo's powers, even though the two had been great friends, and Huo had given his daughter in marriage to Shangguan's son Shangguan An (上官安). In 84 BC, as a ploy to further strengthen his powers, Shangguan Jie gave his granddaughter (also Huo's granddaughter), then age five, in marriage to the emperor, then age 11, and she was made empress in 83 BC.

In 80 BC, the growing conflict between Huo and Shangguan came to a head. Shangguan formed a conspiracy with Liu Dan, the Prince of Yan, the Princess Eyi (鄂邑公主) (who, as the emperor's sister, had served as his guardian), and another important official Sang Hongyang (桑弘羊) to make false allegations of treason against Huo. However, Emperor Zhao, who trusted Huo, did not act on the allegations. The conspirators then planned a coup d'etat, but were discovered. Most of the conspirators, including Shangguan, were executed, and Liu Dan and the Princess of Eyi were forced to commit suicide.

The Prince He Incident and the installation of Emperor Xuan

In 74 BC, Emperor Zhao died at age 21 without issue. Even though Emperor Zhao had living older brothers, Huo considered them incompetent and unfit for the throne. After some investigation, he settled on making Liu He, Emperor Zhao's nephew and the Prince of Changyi the new emperor. Once the Prince of Changyi was installed as the emperor, however, he began to spend incessantly and otherwise act inappropriately during the period of mourning for Emperor Zhao.

In response, Huo decided to depose the new emperor, an unprecedented action in Chinese history. Under an edict issued by Empress Dowager Shangguan (Huo's granddaughter), Prince He was deposed after just 28 days as emperor and exiled to his old principality of Changyi, but without a princely title.

There was no imperial heir who met Huo's standard of a diligent and skilled emperor. At the suggestion of another senior official Bing Ji (丙吉), Huo made a great-grandson of Emperor Wu, Liu Bingyi (later Liu Xun 劉詢) emperor, taking the name Emperor Xuan.. Liu Bingyi's grandfather Liu Ju had been Emperor Wu's crown prince by Empress Wei but subsequently fell out of favour and was killed, with his issue being removed from the imperial household.

Service under Emperor Xuan

In 73 BC, Huo offered to return all authority to Emperor Xuan, but the emperor declined and reaffirmed that all important matters were to be presented to Huo before Huo would present them to the emperor. The emperor also made Huo's son Huo Yu (霍禹) and his grandnephews Huo Yun (霍雲) and Huo Shan (霍山) (Huo Qubing's grandsons) key officials in his administration. Huo Guang's sons-in-law Fan Mingyou (范明友) and Deng Guanghan (鄧廣漢) were made high military commanders. During the next few years, Huo and the emperor effectively shared imperial powers.

In 71 BC, Huo Guang's wife, Lady Xian (顯), in order to make her daughter Huo Chengjun (霍成君) empress, poisoned Emperor Xuan's wife Empress Xu Pingjun by bribing her doctor. In 70 BC, Huo Chengjun was created empress.

Despite Emperor Xuan's outward respect towards Huo Guang, it was recorded that he feared Huo, and regarded him as "a thorn in (his) back" (芒刺在背, "mang ci zai bei"). This, combined with Huo Guang's unwillingness to rein in his clansmen, would prove disastrous to the Huo clan.

Death and subsequent destruction of the Huo clan

In 68 BC, Huo Guang became ill and died. Emperor Xuan and Empress Dowager Shangguan made the nearly-unprecedented act of personally attending Huo's wake and built an impressive mausoleum for Huo. After Huo's death, his sons, sons-in-law, and grandnephews remained in important posts and were made marquesses. His wife, after a period of mourning, formed a passionate relationship with Huo Guang's slave master, Feng Zidu, himself a former lover of Huo Guang. The Huo family lived luxurious lives similar to the imperial household.

Emperor Xuan, unhappy about the Huos' perceived arrogance, began to gradually strip their actual powers while letting them keep their formal titles. In 67 BC, Emperor Xuan made his son Liu Shi (劉奭, later Emperor Yuan), by the deceased Empress Xu, crown prince, an act that greatly angered Lady Xian, who instructed her daughter to murder the crown prince. Allegedly, Empress Huo did make multiple attempts to do so, but failed each time. Around this time, the emperor also heard rumours that the Huos had murdered Empress Xu, which led him to further strip the Huos of actual power.

In 66 BC, Lady Xian revealed to her son and grandnephews that she had, indeed, murdered Empress Xu. In fear of what the emperor might do if he had actual proof, Lady Xian, her son, her grandnephews, and her sons-in-law formed a conspiracy to depose the emperor. The conspiracy was discovered, and the entire Huo clan was executed by Emperor Xuan. This act later drew heavy criticism from historians, such as Sima Guang in his Zizhi Tongjian, for its ungratefulness to Huo Guang. Empress Huo was deposed. Twelve years later she was exiled and, in response, she committed suicide.

Despite the destruction of the Huo clan, Emperor Xuan continued to honour Huo Guang posthumously. In 51 BC, when he painted the portrait of 11 great statesmen of his administration in the great hall of his palace, Huo, alone among the 11, was referred to by title and family name only, which was considered an even greater honour than the honour given to the other ten.

Impact on Chinese history

Huo was treated somewhat paradoxically by posterity. On one hand, he was greatly admired for his skilful administration of the empire and his selflessness in putting himself in great danger in deposing an unfit emperor. On the other hand, he was also criticized for his dictatorial governing style, alleged nepotism and failure to rein in the behaviour of his clansmen, traits that some historians claim eventually led to his clan's destruction after his death.

Many later conspirators in Chinese history would often claim that they were acting in the empire's best interest, like Huo, even though few actually did. Conversely, when emperors wanted to accuse (and execute) officials of treason, they often euphemistically refer to them as "wanting to act like Huo Guang." Effectively, Huo set a standard of decisiveness and strength that was rarely matched and even more rarely used for the benefit of the state.