Yang Yuhuan ( Chinese : 楊玉環 ; 719 – 15 July 756), often known as Yang Guifei ( 楊貴妃 , with Guifei being the highest rank for imperial consorts during her time), and known briefly by the Taoist nun name Taizhen ( 太真 ), was the beloved consort of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang during his later years. She is known as one of the Four Beauties of ancient China .
136-543: During the An Lushan Rebellion , as Emperor Xuanzong and his cortege were fleeing from the capital Chang'an to Chengdu , the emperor's guards demanded that he put Yang to death because they blamed the rebellion on her cousin Yang Guozhong and the rest of her family. The emperor capitulated and reluctantly ordered his attendant Gao Lishi to supervise her forced suicide . Yang was born in 719 during
272-586: A Christian couple in Luoyang of a Nestorian Christian Sogdian woman, Lady An (安氏) who died in 821 and her Nestorian Christian Han Chinese husband, Hua Xian (花献) who died in 827. These Han Chinese Christian men may have married Sogdian Christian women because of a lack of Han Chinese women belonging to the Christian religion, limiting their choice of spouses among the same ethnicity. Another epitaph in Luoyang of
408-688: A Nestorian Christian Sogdian woman also surnamed An was discovered and she was put in her tomb by her military officer son on 22 January 815. This Sogdian woman's husband was surnamed He (和) and he was a Han Chinese man and the family was indicated to be multiethnic on the epitaph pillar. In Luoyang, the mixed raced sons of Nestorian Christian Sogdian women and Han Chinese men had many career paths available for them. Neither their mixed ethnicity nor their faith were barriers and they were able to become civil officials, military officers, and to openly celebrate their Christian religion and support Christian monasteries. Vajrayana Buddhist master Amoghavajra assisted
544-492: A census official at Shu Prefecture ( 蜀州 ; in modern Chengdu , Sichuan ), and his family went there with him. He appeared to have had no sons, but had four daughters who were known to history—Yang Yuhuan and three older sisters. Yang Xuanyan died when Yang Yuhuan was still young, so the latter was raised by her uncle Yang Xuanjiao ( 楊玄璬 ), who was a low-ranking official at Henan Municipality ( 河南府 ; modern Luoyang ). On 10 Feb 736, seventeen-year-old Yang Yuhuan married Li Mao ,
680-498: A coffin. When they found the body, it had decomposed, but the fragrance bag buried with her was still fresh. The eunuchs returned with the fragrance bag, and upon its presentation to Emperor Xuanzong, he wept bitterly. When he returned to Chang'an, he had a painter create a picture of Consort Yang in a secondary palace, and often went there to view the portrait. Yang was known for having a larger figure in an era of Chinese history where such body types were preferred. Because of that, Yang
816-466: A mass migration of Han Chinese from northern China to southern China called 衣冠南渡(yì guān nán dù). These mass migrations led to southern China's population growth, economic, agricultural and cultural development as it stayed peaceful unlike the north. A massacre of foreign Arab and Persian Muslim merchants by former Yan rebel general Tian Shengong happened during the An Lushan rebellion in
952-667: A pivotal role in defeating the rebel Pang Xun . Han Huang , another jiedushi of Zhenhai Army, was chief minister in 785. Zhenwu Jiedushi was created in 758 and headquartered in the Chanyu Protectorate (northwest of Horinger ). It controlled the Chanyu Protectorate, Lin Prefecture (麟州), Sheng Prefecture (勝州), East Shouxiang city (東受降城), and held areas in Shenmu ( Shaanxi ), and Baotou in Inner Mongolia . It
1088-591: A quarter of the empire's population, were no longer subject to the imperial revenue system. For these reasons, census numbers for the post-rebellion Tang are considered unreliable. The An Lushan rebellion was one of several wars in northern China along with the Uprising of the Five Barbarians , Huang Chao Rebellion, the wars of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms and Jin–Song Wars which caused
1224-697: A regional warlord, according to the book, "History of An Lushan" (安祿山史記). Another source says the slaughter of the Hu barbarians serving Ashina Chengqing was done by Gao Juren in Fanyang in order to deprive him of his support base, since the Tiele, Tongluo, Sogdians and Turks were all Hu and supported the Turk Ashina Chengqing against the Mohe, Xi, Khitan and Goguryeo origin soldiers led by Gao Juren. Gao Juren
1360-520: A result of Amoghavajrya's assistance in crushing An Lushan, Estoteric Buddhism became the official state Buddhist sect supported by the Tang dynasty, "Imperial Buddhism" with state funding and backing for writing scriptures, and constructing monasteries and temples. The disciples of Amoghavajra did ceremonies for the state and emperor. Tang dynasty Emperor Suzong was crowned as cakravartin by Amoghavajra after victory against An Lushan in 759 and he had invoked
1496-662: Is known as Yōkihi . Legend says that her final resting place was at Atsuta Shrine in Nagoya, where she found refuge. A water spring is dedicated to her. The east gate Shunkō-mon (春敲門) of the shrine was also connected to her memory. The gate was a National Treasure and was lost in the Pacific War. In the novel Dream of the Red Chamber , the two ladies beside the main character Jia Baoyu , Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai had
SECTION 10
#17327760519661632-607: Is often compared and contrasted with Empress Zhao Feiyan , who is known for being a slender person. This, in turn, led to the four-character idiom huanfei yanshou ( traditional Chinese : 環 肥 燕 瘦 ; simplified Chinese : 环 肥 燕 瘦 ; pinyin : huánféi yànshòu ; lit. 'plump Huan', 'slender Yan'), describing the physical range of the types of beauties between Zhao and Yang. Modern-day description of Yang's physical size differs. She has been variously described as "rotund", "well rounded", "full-bodied", "portly", and "obese". However, some consider
1768-430: Is shown, for example, by the luxurious house Emperor Xuanzong built for him in 751, in the capital Chang'an . The house was furnished with luxuries such as gold and silver objects and a pair of ten-foot-long (3.0 m) by six-foot-wide (1.8 m) couches appliqued with rare and expensive sandalwood. He was appointed by Emperor Xuanzong (following the suggestion of Xuanzong's favorite concubine Yang Guifei and with
1904-654: The Guanzhong region, which had been a political and economic heartland of China at least since the Han dynasty , and a shift of the economic center of China towards the Jiangnan region. Beginning in 742, Eurasia entered a 13-year period of major political turmoil, with the regional empires generally suffering "a major rebellion, revolution, or dynastic change." In this year the Second Turkic Khaganate of
2040-648: The Hai River and parts of Beijing . It was headquartered in Ji county (southwest of Beijing ). An Lushan was promoted to jiedushi of Pinglu, Fanyang (in north Hebei ), and Hedong (central Shanxi ) with an army of 150 000. He rebelled against the Tang dynasty in 755. Li Guangbi was promoted to jiedushi of Fanyang after recovering much territory from the rebels in Hebei, but he died soon after in 764. Li Huaixian , former general of An Lushan, delivered Shi Chaoyi 's head to
2176-613: The Jingyuan mutiny in 783 for denouncing the usurper Zhu Ci . Jingyuan was annexed by Li Maozhen in 899. Shannan West Circuit Jiedushi was created in 780 and headquartered in Liang Prefecture (梁州) (east of Hanzhong , Shaanxi ). It was annexed by Wang Jian in 902. Heyang Sancheng Jiedushi was created in 781 and headquartered in Heyang (河陽) (south of Mengzhou ). It controlled Mengzhou and Mengjin . Yiwu Army Jiedushi
2312-453: The Siege of Suiyang (January–October 757), almost two years after their initial capture of Luoyang. Originally, An Lushan's forces were blocked from the main imperial (or "Western") capital at Chang'an (modern Xi'an ), by loyal troops placed in nearly impregnable defensive positions in the intervening high mountain passes of Tongguan . Unfortunately for Chang'an, the two generals in charge of
2448-650: The Tang dynasty state against the An Lushan rebellion. He carried out Vajrayana rituals which were ostensibly effective in supernaturally attacking and destroying An Lushan's army including the death of one of An Lushan's generals, Zhou Zhiguang. Amoghavajra used his rituals against An Lushan while staying in Chang'an when it was occupied in 756 while the Tang dynasty crown prince and Xuanzong emperor had retreated to Sichuan. Amoghavajra's rituals were explicitly intended to introduce death, disaster and disease against An Lushan. As
2584-603: The Tang dynasty , early in the reign of Emperor Xuanzong . Her great-great-grandfather Yang Wang ( 楊汪 ) was a key official during the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui , and, after the fall of the Sui dynasty , served one of the contenders to succeed Sui, Wang Shichong ; Yang Wang was then killed when Wang Shichong was defeated by Tang forces in 621. Yang Wang was from Huayin ( 華陰 ; in modern Weinan , Shaanxi ), but his clan subsequently relocated to Yongle ( 永樂 ; in modern Yuncheng , Shanxi ). Yang's father Yang Xuanyan ( 楊玄琰 ) served as
2720-582: The Tarim Basin area was completely lost. Moreover, during the rebellion, the Tang general Gao Juren massacred all the Sogdians in Fanyang, who were identified through their noses and faces. The political decline was paralleled by economic decline, including large Tang governmental debt to Uighur money lenders. The old taxation system of Zu Yong Diao no longer functioned after the rebellion. In addition to being politically and economically detrimental to
2856-659: The Tibetan Empire was proceeding more successfully, with the campaign to capture the Tibetans' Central Asian territories appearing nearly successful. With the assassination of the Tibetan emperor Me Agtsom in 755 in the midst of a major rebellion within the Tibetan polity, final Tang victory over the Tibetan Empire seemed all but assured. However, back in the increasingly financially challenged Chinese heartland,
SECTION 20
#17327760519662992-532: The Umayyad dynasty , and eventually the absence of strong troops guarding the palace coupled with a string of natural disasters. An Lushan was very influential in the Tang court, his close relationship with Emperor Xuanzong led to him being adopted by the imperial concubine Yang Guifei. The positions of power of Yang clan members (the family of the preceding Sui dynasty into which the Tang emperor had married) were important in this situation, especially complicated by
3128-506: The Yangzhou massacre (760) . Since Tian Shengong was defecting to the Tang dynasty and wanted them to publicly recognize and acknowledge him as a regional warlord without him giving up territory, and the Tang court portrayed the war as between rebel Hu barbarians of the Yan against Han Chinese of the Tang dynasty, Tian Shengong slaughtered foreigners as a blood sacrifice to prove he was loyal to
3264-460: The "Eastern Capital" city of Luoyang on 18 January 756, defeating the poorly supplied General Feng Changqing . There, on 5 February, ^ An Lushan declared himself Emperor of the new Great Yan dynasty (大燕皇帝). His next steps would be to capture the Tang western capital of Chang'an and then to attempt to continue into southern China to complete his conquest. However, the Battle of Yongqiu , in
3400-517: The Acala vidyaraja against An Lushan. The Tang dynasty crown prince Li Heng (later Suzong) also received important strategic military information from Chang'an when it was occupied by An Lushan though secret message sent by Amoghavajra. In the beginning of 757 and continuing through October of that year, a protracted stalemate between the Yan and Tang forces occurred in Suiyang . The siege was noted for
3536-717: The East Christians like the Bactrian Priest Yisi of Balkh helped the Tang dynasty general Guo Ziyi militarily crush the An Lushan rebellion, with Yisi personally acting as a military commander and Yisi and the Nestorian Church of the East were rewarded by the Tang dynasty with titles and positions as described in the Nestorian Stele . Epitaphs were found dating from the Tang dynasty of
3672-515: The Emperor eventually agreed. He had Gao take Consort Yang to a Buddhist shrine and allow her a forced suicide , considered a more dignified death than execution. When Consort Yang's body was shown to Chen and the other imperial guard generals, the soldiers dispersed and prepared to continue the journey. Consort Yang was buried at Mawei, without a coffin, but with masses of fragrance wrapped in purple blankets. In 757, Prince Li Heng , who had taken
3808-427: The Emperor. On 19 September 745, after Emperor Xuanzong gave the third daughter of the general Wei Zhaoxun ( 韋昭訓 ) to Li Mao as his new wife and princess on 28 August, he officially made Taizhen an imperial consort—with the newly restored rank of Guifei , which was greater than the previously highest rank of Huifei , carried by Consort Wu. He bestowed posthumous honors on her father Yang Xuanyan and granted her mother
3944-640: The Han Chinese Tang dynasty state. He killed other foreign Hu barbarian ethnicities as well whose ethnic groups were not specified, not only Arabs and Persians, since it was directed against all foreigners. The former Yan rebel general Gao Juren, of Goguryeo descent, ordered a mass slaughter of West Asian (Central Asian) Sogdians in Fanyang, also known as Jicheng (Beijing) , in Youzhou. They were identified through their big noses and lances were used to impale their children when he rebelled against
4080-590: The King of Qi before submitting to Tang rule. Wang Wujun also ruled Chengde Circuit as a de facto independent Kingdom of Zhao before submitting to Tang again under Emperor Dezong . Liang Chongyi seized control of the Shannan East Circuit before being defeated by Tang in 781. 「賊臣不救，孤城圍逼，父陷子死，巢傾卵覆。」 — Excerpt from Yan Zhenqing 's Draft of a Requiem to My Nephew about the deaths of Yan Gaoqing (Magistrate of Changshan) and Yan Jiming Censuses taken in
4216-513: The Ladies of Han, Guo, and Qin—were said to be exceedingly honored and rich, and all of the officials fought to flatter them. Around the same time, Consort Yang introduced her second cousin Yang Zhao (whose name was later changed to Yang Guozhong) to Emperor Xuanzong. Yang Zhao, who flattered the emperor, rose quickly in the ranks. Consort Yang became so favored that whenever she rode a horse,
Yang Guifei - Misplaced Pages Continue
4352-552: The Lady of Guo, and her son Pei Hui ( 裴徽 ) tried to flee, but were killed. The soldiers then surrounded Emperor Xuanzong's pavilion and refused to leave, even after the Emperor came out to comfort them and ordered them to disperse. Emperor Xuanzong then sent Gao Lishi to ask General Chen Xuanli for his advice. Chen's reply was to urge the Emperor to put Consort Yang to death. Initially the Emperor refused, but after Wei E ( 韋諤 , Wei Jiansu's son) and Gao Lishi spoke in agreement with Chen,
4488-482: The Nanzhao attacks. Consort Yang interceded on Yang Guozhong's behalf, and Yang Guozhong did not actually report to Jiannan. Li Linfu soon died, and Yang Guozhong became chancellor. Yang Guozhong and An Lushan soon were in conflict, and Yang Guozhong repeatedly acted provocatively, such as arresting and executing staff members from An's mansion in Chang'an. In 755, An finally rebelled and marched his troops toward
4624-876: The Prince of Guangping (the son of Li Heng, who by this point had taken imperial title as Emperor Suzong), with aid from Huige , was able to recapture Chang'an in summer 757 by defeating Yan forces in the Battle of Xiangji Temple . Tang forces under Li Chu and Huige forces then advanced east, toward Luoyang. In winter 757, An put together his forces and sent them, under Yan Zhuang's command, to defend Shan Commandery (陝郡, roughly modern Sanmenxia , Henan). When Yan forces engaged Tang forces, however, they saw that Huige forces were on Tang's side, and, in fear, they collapsed. Yan Zhuang and Zhang Tongru (張通儒) fled back to Luoyang to inform An, and An, after executing some 30 Tang generals who had been captured, abandoned Luoyang and fled north, to Yecheng , which he converted to Ancheng Municipality. At
4760-414: The Prince of Guichuan and made him the jiedushi of Fanyang Circuit; instead, Shi, hoarding the supplies that An Lushan had previously shipped to Fanyang, began to disobey An Qingxu's orders, and An Qingxu could not keep him in check. When the Tang general Guo Ziyi attacked Tong Pass, intending to recapture Chang'an, however, An was able to send forces to repel Guo's attack. However, the Tang prince Li Chu
4896-465: The Prince of Shou and the son of Emperor Xuanzong and Consort Wu . She thus carried the title of Princess of Shou. After Consort Wu died in January 738, Emperor Xuanzong was greatly saddened by the death of his then-favorite concubine. Some time after that, however, Princess Yang somehow came into Xuanzong's favor and the Emperor decided to take her as his consort. However, since Princess Yang was already
5032-542: The Sogdian-Turkic General An Lushan had worked himself into a position of trust with the Tang emperor Xuanzong and his consort Yang Guifei . An Lushan was a general of uncertain birth origins, but thought to have been adopted by a Sogdian father and Göktürk mother of the Ashina tribe . Eventually he managed to become a favorite of the reigning emperor of China. His success in this regard
5168-737: The Tang and surrendered in 763, becoming jiedushi of Youzhou and Lulong. Zhang Shougui (張守珪) was a jiedushi of Youzhou. Zhu Tao was a jiedushi of Lulong. Jiannan Jiedushi was created in 719 and headquartered in Yi Prefecture (益州) ( Chengdu ). It was split into Jiannan Dongchuan Jiedushi and Jiannan Xichuan Jiedushi in 757 and then merged again from 763 to 764, and then split again from 766 to 779. It controlled 25 prefectures in Chengdu and areas to its north and south in Sichuan . East River controlled 12 prefectures from Jiange to Luzhou . It
5304-576: The Tang army's determination to fight to the last man, as well as the large-scale cannibalism practised by the defenders, who in this way were able to hold out longer. Their resistance effectively blocked the Yan forces from attacking the extensive areas south of the Yangzi River , which remained relatively untouched by the An–Shi disturbances. The Tang imperial forces were helped by the newly formed dynasty's internal fighting. On 29 January 757, An Lushan
5440-543: The Tang dynasty. Even after the difficult suppression of that rebellion, some jiedushi such as the Three Fanzhen of Hebei were allowed to retain their powers due to the weakened state of the court. The jiedushi were one of the primary factors which contributed to the political division of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period , a period marked by continuous infighting among rival kingdoms, dynasties, and regional regimes established by jiedushi . Hexi Jiedushi
5576-496: The Tang dynasty. Furthermore, the Tang government also lost most of its control over the Western Regions , due to troop withdrawal to central China to attempt to crush the rebellion and deal with subsequent disturbances. Continued military and economic weakness resulted in further subsequent erosions of Tang territorial control during the ensuing years, particularly in regard to the Tibetan empires. By 790 Chinese control over
Yang Guifei - Misplaced Pages Continue
5712-511: The Tang general Wei Boyu ( 衛伯玉 ). Shi Siming was angered by Shi Chaoyi's failures and considered punishing him and the generals below him. On 18 April, Shi Siming ordered Shi Chaoyi to build a triangular fort with a hill as its side, to store food supplies, and ordered that it be completed in one day. Near the end of the day, Shi Chaoyi had completed it, but had not plastered the walls with mud, when Shi Siming arrived and rebuked him for not applying mud. He ordered his own servants to stay and watch
5848-474: The Tang in 756 against An Lushan. With Uyghur assistance, the Tang Imperial forces recaptured both Chang'an and Luoyang in late 757. However, they failed to capture or subdue the rebel troops, who fled to the rebel heartland in the northeast. Uyghur Khaganate diplomats clashed against Arab Abbasid diplomats over who would enter the diplomatic hall in Chang'an first in 758. The Nestorian Church of
5984-499: The Tang's weakness, proceeded to briefly capture Chang'an on 18 November 763 before conquering much of Tang's territories in Central Asia . In 765, Pugu Huai'en , allied with Uyghur and Tibetan forces launched another siege on Chang'an. Furthermore, Yan generals who had surrendered to Tang were allowed by Emperor Daizong to retain as independent military governors (Jiedushi), this began an era of warlordism that plagued Tang for
6120-409: The ability to maintain their own armies, collect taxes and promote and appoint subordinates. Powerful jiedushi eventually became fanzhen rulers ( de facto warlords) and overrode the power of the central government of Tang. An early example of this was An Lushan , who was appointed jiedushi of three regions, which he used to start the An Lushan Rebellion that abruptly ended the golden age of
6256-488: The agreement of Chancellor Li Linfu ) to be Jiedushi of three garrisons in the north— Pinglu , Fanyang and Hedong . In effect, An was given control over the entire area north of the lower reaches of the Yellow River , including garrisons about 164,000 strong. He took advantage of various circumstances, such as popular discontent with an extravagant Tang court, the synchronous Sogdian-involved Abbasid Revolution against
6392-403: The approximate midpoint of the Tang dynasty (618–907). It began as a commandery rebellion attempting to overthrow and replace the Tang government with the rogue Yan dynasty . The rebels succeeded in capturing the imperial capital Chang'an after the emperor had fled to Sichuan, but eventually succumbed to internal divisions and counterattacks by the Tang and their allies. The rebellion spanned
6528-585: The army on the verge of mutiny, the Emperor had no choice but to agree, ordering the strangling of Lady Yang. The incident made Xuanzong fear for his own safety, so he fled to Chengdu at once. However, people stopped his horse, not wanting him to go away. So he made the crown prince, Li Heng, stay to hold the fort. Instead, Li Heng fled in the other direction to Lingzhou (today called Lingwu , in Ningxia province). Later, on 12 August, after reaching Sichuan, Xuanzong abdicated (becoming Taishang Huang ), in favor of
6664-508: The capital Chang'an to meet Emperor Xuanzong, Emperor Xuanzong showed him much favor and allowed him into the palace. He had An honor Consort Yang as his mother and Consort Yang's cousins and sisters as his brothers and sisters. In 750, Consort Yang again offended Emperor Xuanzong with her words, and he sent her back to her clan. The official Ji Wen ( 吉溫 ) told Emperor Xuanzong that he had overreacted, and Emperor Xuanzong regretted his actions. He again sent imperial meals to her, and she wept to
6800-430: The capital now lay open. With rebel forces clearly an imminent threat to the imperial seat of Chang'an, and with conflicting advice from his advisers, Tang emperor Xuanzong determined to flee to the relative sanctuary of Sichuan with its natural protection of mountain ranges so the Tang forces could reorganize and regroup. He brought along the bulk of his court and household. The route of travel from Chang'an to Sichuan
6936-423: The capital. In order to try to placate the populace, which believed that Yang Guozhong's conflict with An Lushan had provoked the rebellion, Emperor Xuanzong considered passing the throne to his crown prince, Li Heng . Yang Guozhong, who was not on good terms with the prince, feared this development, and persuaded Consort Yang and her sisters, the Ladies of Han, Guo, and Qin, to speak against it. Emperor Xuanzong, for
SECTION 50
#17327760519667072-519: The capital. Most historians believe the fruits were delivered from modern Guangdong , but some believe they came from modern Sichuan . A copy of the outline of her right hand still exists, having been carved on a large stone at the site of the Xi'an Palace . Yang was granted use of the Huaqing Pool which had been the exclusive private pool of previous Tang emperors. Yang is sometimes credited with
7208-418: The city and declared himself emperor of a new state of Qin (later changed to Han). In 784, Zhu Ci was defeated and killed. Li Huaixian and fellow Yan generals Xue Song, Li Baochen, and Tian Chengsi submitted to Tang thus were allowed to keep their territory. Li Huaixian was made the military governor (jiedushi) of Lulong Circuit (headquartered in modern Beijing) consisting of Youzhou , the core territory of
7344-410: The combined forces of the Tang and their Huige allies were led by his eldest son. This son, first named Li Chu, was renamed Li Yu in 758, after being named crown prince. On 18 May 762, on the death of his father, he became Emperor Daizong of Tang . By this time it was clear that the new Yan dynasty would not last and Yan officers and soldiers began to defect to the Tang side. Then, in the winter of 762,
7480-438: The crown prince, who had already been proclaimed emperor. In July 756 An Lushan and his rebel forces captured Chang'an, an event that had a devastating effect upon this thriving metropolis. Before the revolt, estimates put the population within the city walls at from 800,000 to 1,000,000. Including small cities in the vicinity forming the metropolitan area, the census in 742 recorded 362,921 families with 1,960,188 persons. Much of
7616-566: The defection of the Karluk Turks in the midst of the battle. However, the Arabs did not proceed any further after the battle, and the Tang retained their Central Asian territories until the An Lushan rebellion. Further, southern expansion of the Tang was limited by the ineffective, and even disastrous, campaigns against the Kingdom of Nanzhao . However, the concurrent Tang campaign against
7752-399: The description of Yang as an obese woman to be either a misinterpretation of ancient Chinese texts, or a misapplication of modern standards on body size. Lychee was a favorite fruit for Yang, and the emperor had the fruit, which was only grown in southern China , delivered by the imperial courier's fast horses, whose riders would take shifts day and night in a Pony Express -like manner, to
7888-661: The eastern Eurasian Steppe was overthrown and then replaced by Sogdian-influenced Uighur rulers. This was apparently the first of several revolutionary events either led by or intimately connected with the merchants and tradespeople involved with the international commerce often referred to as the Silk Road . In 747, the Abbasids began their rebellion against the Umayyad Caliphate in Merv , Khurasan , resulting in
8024-537: The eastern capital Luoyang was retaken by Tang forces for the second time. Yan Emperor Shi Chaoyi attempted to flee, but was intercepted early in 763. Shi Chaoyi chose suicide over capture, dying on 17 February 763, ending the eight-year-long rebellion. The end of the rebellion was a long process of rebuilding and recovery . Due to the Imperial Court's weakened condition, other disturbances flared up. The Tibetan Empire under Trisong Detsän , taking advantage of
8160-488: The empire, the rebellion also affected the intellectual culture of the Tang dynasty. Many intellectuals had their careers interrupted, giving them time to ponder the causes of the unrest. Some lost faith in themselves, concluding that a lack of moral seriousness in intellectual culture had been the cause of the rebellion. However, a political and cultural recovery eventually did occur within Tang China several decades after
8296-532: The eunuch Gao Lishi would attend her. Seven hundred laborers were conscripted to sew fabrics for her. Officials and generals flattered her by offering her exquisite tributes. In 746, she angered Emperor Xuanzong by being jealous and rude to him, and he had her sent to her cousin Yang Xian's mansion. Later that day, however, his mood was such that he could not eat, and he battered his servants for minor offenses. Gao knew that he missed Consort Yang, and requested that
SECTION 60
#17327760519668432-437: The eunuchs delivering the meal, stating: My offense deserves death, and it is fortunate that His Imperial Majesty did not kill me, but instead returned me to my household. I will forever leave the palace. My gold, jade, and treasures were all given to me by His Imperial Majesty, and it would be inappropriate for me to offer them back to him. Only what my parents gave me, I would dare to offer. She cut off some of her hair and had
8568-496: The former Yan. In 768, Li Huaixian was killed by his subordinates Zhu Xicai , Zhu Ci and Zhu Tao who then took over command of the circuit. Lulong Circuit remained a semi-independent fief, survived the fragmentation of Tang until being annexed by Li Cunxu 's Jin state in 913. Li Baozhen kept control of the Chengde Circuit . His son Li Weiyue , along with Tian Chengsi's son Tian Yue, rebelled against Tang in 781 but
8704-407: The general Xue Song to Fanyang to seek aid from Shi, offering the throne to him. Shi thus advanced south toward Yecheng. Meanwhile, Tang forces, under the command of nine generals (with Li Siye having died during the siege), were uncoordinated. On 7 April 759, Shi engaged Tang forces—and, when a storm suddenly arrived, both armies panicked; Shi's forces fled north, and Tang forces fled south, lifting
8840-611: The general Cai Xide (蔡希德) at Taiyuan to watch Li Guangbi's actions. He also sent the general Yin Ziqi (尹子奇) to attack the city of Suiyang , then under the defense by the Tang generals Zhang Xun and Xu Yuan (許遠), intending to capture Suiyang first and then send Yin south to capture Tang territory south of the Huai River (Yin, however, was locked into a siege of Suiyang that would last until winter 757, stopping any possibility of Yan's advancing south). To show favor to Shi, he created Shi
8976-465: The hair taken back to Emperor Xuanzong. Emperor Xuanzong had Gao escort her back to the palace, and thereafter had even greater love for her. In 751, An Lushan again visited Chang'an. On An's birthday on 20 February, 751, Emperor Xuanzong and Consort Yang rewarded him with clothing, treasures, and food. On 23 February, when An was summoned to the palace, Consort Yang, in order to please Emperor Xuanzong, had an extra-large infant wrapping made, and wrapped
9112-455: The half-century before the rebellion show a gradual increase in population, with the last census undertaken before the rebellion, in 755, recording a population of 52,919,309 in 8,914,709 taxpaying households. However, a census taken in 764, the year following the end of the rebellion, recorded only 16,900,000 in 2,900,000 households. Later censuses count only households, but by 855 this figure had risen to only 4,955,151 households, little over half
9248-579: The honorific used for the empress. Her three older sisters were conferred the ranks of Ladies of Han, Guo, and Qin, and it was said that whenever the noble women were summoned to imperial gatherings, even Emperor Xuanzong's highly honored sister Li Chiying ( 李持盈 ), the Princess Yuzhen, did not dare to take a seat more honorable than theirs. Emperor Xuanzong also gave his favorite daughter, Princess Taihua (born of Consort Wu), to Yang Qi in marriage. The five Yang households—those of Yang Xian, Yang Qi, and
9384-485: The images of Xi Shi and Yang Guifei. Both Lin and Xi Shi are sick and weak, Xue and Yang are plump and healthy. In chapter 30, Xue got angry because Jia said she is like Yang and she is chubby. The real reason is that Xue does not have a brother like Yang Guozhong . Other works retelling her story include: An Lushan Rebellion The An Lushan rebellion was a civil war in China that lasted from 755 to 763, at
9520-425: The imperial guard declared that Yang Guozhong was planning treason in collaboration with the Tibetan emissaries. They killed Yang Guozhong, his son Yang Xuan ( 楊暄 ), Consort Yang's sisters, the ladies of Han and Qin, and Wei Fangjin. (Wei Jiansu was severely injured and nearly killed, but was spared at the last moment.) Yang Guozhong's wife Pei Rou ( 裴柔 ) and his son Yang Xi ( 楊晞 ), along with Consort Yang's sister,
9656-542: The invention of the hezi , an ancient Chinese bodice. Yang's story has been often retold. While some literature describes her as the author of much misfortune, other writings sympathize with her as a scapegoat. In the following generation, a long poem, " Chang Hen Ge " (" Song of Everlasting Sorrow "), was written by the poet Bai Juyi describing Emperor Xuanzong's love for her and perpetual grief at her loss. It became an instant classic, known to and memorized by Chinese schoolchildren far into posterity. The story of Yang and
9792-633: The jiedushi of Shuofang, Guo Ziyi , defeated the rebel Shi Siming in Hebei and recovered Chang'an and Luoyang from the rebels in 757. He was made Commandery Prince of Fenyang in 762 and retook Chang'an from the Tibetan Empire in 763. Shuofang was taken over by the warlord Han Zun (韓遵) in 887. Youzhou Jiedushi , also known as Fanyang Jiedushi, was created in 713. It assumed control of Lulong in 762 and controlled You, Ji, Ping, Tan, Gui, and Yan prefectures. Its territory lay primarily in Tianjin north of
9928-473: The latter half of the dynasty that continued into the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period for decades after the ultimate demise of the Tang. The fear of repeating Tang's commandery secessionism also led the Song dynasty that followed to distrust and oppress prominent military commanders even when invaded by hostile foreign states such as Liao , Western Xia and Jin . It also triggered the long-term decline of
10064-402: The leadership. Shi Siming ruled for two years, but was in turn killed by his own son Shi Chaoyi , who ruled for another two years until the Yan dynasty fell to Tang forces on 17 February 763. There were also other anti-Tang rebel forces, especially those in An Lushan's base area in Hebei , as well as Sogdian forces and other opportunist parties who took advantages of the chaos. The rebellion
10200-568: The loss of a sixth of the world's population at that time, though Pinker stated that the figure was controversial. Matthew White, from whom Pinker had taken the figure of 36 million, later revised his figure down to 13 million (based on a different calculation from the census results) in his book The Great Big Book of Horrible Things . White's revised figure is repeated by cultural historians such as Johan Norberg . Historians such as Charles Patrick Fitzgerald argue that claims of massive depopulation are incompatible with contemporary accounts of
10336-487: The number recorded in 755. The difference in the census figures amounts to 36 million people less, two-thirds of the population of the empire, though scholars have attributed this to factors including a breakdown in taxation and census gathering. The figure of 36 million was used in Steven Pinker 's book The Better Angels of Our Nature , where it is presented as proportionally the largest atrocity in history with
10472-418: The obese An in it, causing much laughter among the ladies in waiting and eunuchs. When Emperor Xuanzong asked what was going on, Consort Yang's attendants joked that Consort Yang gave birth three days before and was washing her baby Lushan. Emperor Xuanzong was amused by the comic situation and rewarded both Consort Yang and An greatly. Thereafter, whenever An visited the capital, he was allowed free admittance to
10608-617: The official Wei Fangjin ( 魏方進 ), the general Chen Xuanli , and some eunuchs and ladies in waiting close to him. On 15 July, Emperor Xuanzong's cortege reached Mawei Courier Station ( 馬 嵬 驛 ; Mǎwéi Yì , in modern Xianyang , Shaanxi ). The imperial guards were hungry and angry at Yang Guozhong. Tibetan emissaries, who had followed the emperor, were also complaining to Yang Guozhong that they had not been fed. General Chen Xuanli believed that Yang Guozhong's actions had provoked this disaster and reported to Li Heng that he planned to accuse Yang Guozhong. In this tense situation, soldiers of
10744-440: The palace, and there were rumors that he and Consort Yang had an affair, but Emperor Xuanzong discounted the rumors. Consort Yang's cousin, Yang Guozhong, had been serving—remotely—as commander of Jiannan Circuit ( 劍南道 ; headquartered in modern Chengdu , Sichuan ). In 752, following Nanzhao incursions against Jiannan Circuit, chancellor Li Linfu wanted to send Yang Guozhong to Jiannan to personally supervise defenses against
10880-405: The pardoning of many rebels. Indeed, some were even given their own garrisons to command. Political and economic control of large swathes of the empire became intermittent or was lost, and these areas came to be controlled by fanzhen , autonomous regional authorities headed by the jiedushi (regional military governors). In Hebei, three fanzhen became virtually independent for the remainder of
11016-443: The plastering. He then angrily stated, "After I capture Shan Prefecture, I will kill you, thief!" That night, Shi Chaoyi's subordinates Luo Yue ( 駱悅 ) and Cai Wenjing ( 蔡文景 ) warned him that he was in dire straits—and that if he refused to take action to depose Shi Siming, they would defect to Tang. Shi Chaoyi agreed to take action, and Luo persuaded Shi Siming's guard commander General Cao (personal name lost to history) to agree with
11152-435: The plot. That night, Luo led 300 soldiers and ambushed Shi Siming, binding him and then beginning a return to Luoyang with the troops. On the way back to Luoyang, Luo feared that someone might try to rescue Shi Siming, and so strangled him to death. Shi Chaoyi was enthroned as the new emperor of Yan even though he failed to get widespread support from the other Yan generals. By 762, Emperor Suzong had become seriously ill; and
11288-454: The poem also became highly popular in Japan and served as sources of inspiration for the classical novel The Tale of Genji which begins with the doomed love between an emperor and a consort, Kiritsubo, who is likened to Yang. Noh plays have been staged based on her story. A Japanese rumour states that Yang had been rescued, escaped to Japan and lived her remaining life there. In Japanese, she
11424-464: The population fled at the approach of the rebels. Then the city was captured and looted by the rebel forces and the remaining population put in jeopardy. The third son of Xuanzong, Li Heng, was proclaimed Emperor Suzong at Lingzhou (modern-day Lingwu ), although another group of local officials and Confucian literati tried to promote a different prince, Li Lin, the Prince of Yong , at Jinling (modern-day Nanjing ). One of Suzong's first acts as emperor
11560-407: The position of Yang Guifei's relative Yang Guozhong in the Tang governmental administration. The An Lushan rebellion signaled a period of disorder spanning the reigns of three Tang dynasty emperors, beginning during the final ( Tianbao era) period of the reign of Xuanzong (8 September 712 to 12 August 756), continuing through the reign of Suzong (12 August 756 to 16 May 762) and ending during
11696-518: The proclamation of a new Abbasid Caliph in about 750. This rebellion also seems to have been organized by merchants and persons identifying themselves as merchants. The western expansion of the Tang Empire was checked in 751 by the defeat of a large expeditionary force led by General Gao Xianzhi in the Battle of Talas in the modern Fergana Valley , with the Abbasid victory attributable to
11832-406: The rebel Yan emperor Shi Chaoyi and defeated rival Yan dynasty forces under the Turk Ashina Chengqing . High nosed Sogdians were slaughtered in Youzhou in 761. Youzhou had Linzhou, another "protected" prefecture attached to it, and Sogdians lived there in great numbers. Gao Juren, like Tian Shengong, wanted to defect to the Tang dynasty and wanted them to publicly recognize and acknowledge him as
11968-417: The rebellion was ultimately suppressed by a large-scale alliance between the imperial dynasty and various participants, including local militias and foreign support, the dynasty did not overall change the structure of the military committee, but only followed the old principles of establishing territory. It was a direct cause of the dynasty's decline, and led to rampant secessionism among regional warlords during
12104-627: The rebellion, until about 820, the year of the death of Emperor Xianzong of Tang . Much of the rebuilding and recovery occurred in the Jiangnan region in the south, which had escaped the events of the rebellion relatively unscathed and remained more firmly under Tang control. However, due in part to the jiedushi system, the Tang Empire by 907 devolved into what is known as the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period . Jiedushi The jiedushi ( Chinese : 節度使 ; Korean : 절도사 ; romaja : Jeoldosa ; Vietnamese : Tiết độ sứ , Old Turkic : Tarduş) or jiedu ,
12240-487: The reign of Daizong (18 May 762 to 23 May 779), as well as spanning the four imperial claimants of the failed Yan dynasty. At the end of 755 An Lushan revolted. On 16 December, his army surged down from Fanyang (near modern Beijing ). Along the way, An Lushan treated surrendered local Tang officials with respect. As a result, more and more of them joined his ranks. He moved rapidly along the Grand Canal and captured
12376-508: The reigns of three Tang emperors: Xuanzong , Suzong , and Daizong . On 16 December 755, An Lushan , the jiedushi of the Taiyuan Commandery , mobilized his army and marched to Fanyang . An Lushan led the rebellion for two years before he was assassinated by his son An Qingxu . Two years after An Qingxu's ascension, Shi Siming , the governor of Pinglu Commandery and a close ally of An Lushan, killed An Qingxu and usurped
12512-568: The rest of the dynasty. In 781, The Circuits of Shannan East, Chengde, Weibo and Zhiqing rose up against Tang court in what was called the Four Garrisons Rebellion ( Chinese : 四镇之乱 ). In 782, a Tang general-governor of Huaxi-Cicuit, Li Xilie also rebelled in 782 and proclaimed as the Emperor of Chu. In 783, the Jingyuan mutiny forced the Emperor Dezong to flee Chang'an. Zhu Ci , the jiedushi of Lulong, captured
12648-419: The sides stalemated. At this time, Shi was described as cruel and prone to kill, terrorizing his army. He favored Shi Chaoqing over Shi Chaoyi and considered creating Shi Chaoqing crown prince and killing Shi Chaoyi. In spring 761, Shi Siming began another attempt to attack Shan Prefecture, wanting to attack Chang'an. He had Shi Chaoyi serve as his forward commander, but Shi Chaoyi was repeatedly repelled by
12784-516: The siege on Yecheng. An Qingxu's forces gathered the food and supplies abandoned by Tang forces, and An thereafter considered, with Sun Xiaozhe (孫孝哲) and Cui, the possibility of refusing Shi, who gathered his troops and again approached Yecheng, admittance. Shi himself was not communicating with An, but was feasting his soldiers and watching Yecheng. Zhang and Gao Shang (高尚) requested permission to meet Shi, and An agreed; Shi gave them gifts and let them return to Yecheng. An, unsure what to do, again offered
12920-483: The soldiers resented Cui for his harshness. By winter 758, the Tang generals Guo Ziyi, Lu Jiong (魯炅), Li Huan (李奐), Xu Shuji (許叔冀), Li Siye , Ji Guangchen (季廣琛), Cui Guangyuan (崔光遠), Dong Qin (董秦), Li Guangbi , and Wang Sili (王思禮), were gathering at Yecheng and putting it under siege. An Qingxu tried to fight out of the siege, but was defeated by Tang forces, and his brother An Qinghe (安慶和) was killed. Meanwhile, with Shi recently having again rebelled against Tang, An sent
13056-520: The spring of 756, went badly for An Lushan. Although his army, under Linghu Chao, was numerous, it was unable to make further territorial gains due to the failure to wrest control of Yongqiu (modern Qi County, Kaifeng , in Henan ) and (later) the nearby Suiyang from the Tang defenders led by Zhang Xun . This prevented the Yan forces from conquering southern China, before the Tang were able to recover. The Yan army did not take control of Suiyang until after
13192-455: The throne as Emperor Suzong, recaptured Chang'an and welcomed ex-Emperor Xuanzong, then Taishang Huang (retired emperor) back to the capital. Emperor Xuanzong went through Mawei on his way back to Chang'an. He wanted to locate Consort Yang's body and rebury her with honor. The official Li Kui spoke against it, pointing out that the imperial guard might again mutiny if he did so. However, Emperor Xuanzong secretly sent eunuchs to rebury her with
13328-664: The throne to Shi, which Shi declined. Shi instead suggested to him that perhaps they could both be emperors of independent, allied states. An, pleased, exited Yecheng and met with Shi to swear to the alliance. On 10 April 759, An Qingxu was killed by Shi Siming who enthroned as Emperor Zhaowu of Yan. Shi Siming soon left Empress Xin's son Shi Chaoqing ( 史朝清 ) in charge of Fanyang and headed south. He quickly captured Bian Prefecture (汴州, roughly modern Kaifeng , Henan) and Luoyang, but his further attempts to advance were rebuffed by Tang forces at Heyang (河陽, in modern Jiaozuo , Henan) and Shan Prefecture (陝州, roughly modern Sanmenxia , Henan), and
13464-627: The time being, did not abdicate the throne. In 756, Yang Guozhong forced General Geshu Han to engage An Lushan, at least partly out of fear that the general himself might attempt to usurp the throne. Geshu Han was defeated and Tong Pass , the last major imperial defense, fell to An's forces. With the situation becoming desperate, Yang Guozhong suggested fleeing to Chengdu, the capital of Jiannan Circuit. On 14 July, Emperor Xuanzong, along with Consort Yang, her family, and his immediate clan members, secretly left Chang'an, heading toward Chengdu. With him were Yang Guozhong, his fellow chancellor Wei Jiansu ,
13600-506: The time that An arrived at Yecheng, he had only 1,000 infantry soldiers and 300 cavalry soldiers. Soon, however, Yan generals Ashina Chengqing (阿史那承慶), Cai Xide, Tian Chengsi , and Wu Lingxun (武令珣), who had been attacking other Tang cities, headed to Yecheng and coalesced there, allowing An to have over 60,000 soldiers under his disposal and thus regaining some measure of strength. Meanwhile, apprehensive of Shi, he sent Ashina and An Shouzhong (安守忠) to Fanyang to order Shi to contribute troops, but
13736-401: The title of Lady of Liang. He also gave high offices to her uncle Yang Xuangui ( 楊玄珪 ) and cousins Yang Xian ( 楊銛 ) and Yang Qi ( 楊錡 ). Since 745, all within the imperial court and the palace had treated her like the new empress (像皇后, Xiàng huánghòu), and bowed to her as if she was the most powerful woman in the land (Tiānxià Mǔ, 天下母), and in the palace, they called her lady (娘子, Niángzǐ), like
13872-479: The treasures in Consort Yang's palace be sent to her. Emperor Xuanzong agreed, and sent imperial meals to her as well. That night, Gao requested that Emperor Xuanzong welcome Consort Yang back to the palace, a request that Emperor Xuanzong easily agreed to. Thereafter, she was even more favored, and no other imperial consort drew his favor. In 747, when the military governor ( jiedushi ) An Lushan arrived at
14008-419: The troops at Tong Pass, Gao Xianzhi and Feng Changqing, were executed due to a court intrigue involving the powerful eunuch Bian Lingcheng. Yang Guozhong, with grossly inept military judgment, then ordered the replacement General Geshu Han , who was in charge of the troops in the passes, together with reinforcement troops, to attack An's army on open ground. On 7 July, the Tang forces were defeated. The road to
14144-440: The war, which was fought intermittently over three or four provinces. They point out that the numbers recorded on the postwar registers reflect not only population loss, but also a breakdown of accuracy of the census system as well as the removal from the census figures of various classes of untaxed persons, such as those in religious orders, foreigners and merchants. In addition, several of the northern provinces, with approximately
14280-508: The way, an incident occurred at Mawei Inn, in today's Xingping in Xianyang , Shaanxi . Xuanzong's bodyguard troops were hungry and tired, and very angry with Yang Guozhong for exposing the whole country to danger. They demanded the death of the much-hated Yang Guozhong, and then of his cousin and imperial favorite, Yang Guifei. Soon the angry soldiers killed Yang Guozhong, Yang Xuan (his son), Lady Han and Lady Qin (Yang Guifei's sisters). With
14416-414: The wife of his son, Emperor Xuanzong stealthily arranged her to become a Taoist nun, with the tonsured name Taizhen, in order to prevent criticism that would affect his plan of making her his concubine. Yang then stayed, for a brief moment, as a Taoist nun in the palace itself, before Emperor Xuanzong made her an imperial consort after bestowing a new wife on his son Li Mao. Yang became the favorite consort of
14552-546: Was An Lushan's eunuch after this and highly used and trusted by him. Li Zhu'er and another two men helped carry the obese An Lushan when he was taking off or putting on his clothes. Li Zhu'er helped clothe and unclothe at the Huaqing (Hua-ch'ing) steam baths granted by Emperor Xuanzang. Li Zhuer was approached by people who wanted to assassinate An Lushan after An Lushan became paranoid and blind, stricken with skin disease and started flogging and murdering his subordinates. An Lushan
14688-753: Was a jiedushi of Hedong. Lingwu Jiedushi was created in 733 and headquartered in Huile (回樂) (southwest of Lingwu , Ningxia ). It controlled Ling, Hui, and Yan prefectures. Huainan West Circuit Jiedushi, also known as Huaixi Jiedushi, was created in 756 and lasted until 818. It was headquartered in Yingchuan Prefecture (潁川郡) ( Xuchang , Henan ), Zhengzhou (in Henan ), Shou Prefecture ( Shou County , Anhui ), An Prefecture ( Anlu northwest of Wuhan , Hubei ), Cai Prefecture ( Runan County , southeast Henan ) from 773 to 776, and Bian Prefecture ( Kaifeng , Henan ) from 776 to 779. In 757 Gao Shi
14824-462: Was a regional military governor in China; the title was established in the Tang dynasty and abolished in the Yuan dynasty . The post of jiedushi has been translated as "military commissioner", " legate ", or "regional commander". Originally introduced in 711 to counter external threats, the jiedushi were posts authorized with the supervision of a defense command often encompassing several prefectures,
14960-453: Was an important turning point in the history of medieval China, as the military activities and associated casualties caused significant depopulation from famine, displacement, and large-scale infrastructure destruction, significantly weakening the Tang dynasty, collapsing the prestige of the Tang emperors as the Khan of Heaven and leading to the permanent loss of the Western Regions . Even though
15096-648: Was appointed jiedushi of Shannan East Circuit. He committed suicide in 781. Yu Di was a jiedushi of Shannan East Circuit. Zhenhai Army Jiedushi, also known as Zhejiang West Circuit Jiedushi (浙江西道) was created in 758 and lay in parts of Jiangsu , Zhejiang, Anhui , and Jiangxi. It was headquartered in Sheng Prefecture (昇州) ( Nanjing , Jiangsu ) and Suzhou ( Jiangsu ). In 761 it moved to Xuanzhou ( Xuancheng , southeast Anhui ), 787 to Runzhou ( Zhenjiang , Jiangsu ), and 808 to Hangzhou ( Zhejiang ). The jiedushi of Zhenhai Army, Du Shenquan , played
15232-480: Was appointed jiedushi of Huainan. Li Zhongchen was jiedushi until he was expelled by his nephew Li Xilie . Wu Yuanji and Wang Bo were jiedushi of Huainan. Jiangxi Jiedushi was created in 756 and headquartered in Hong Prefecture ( Nanchang , Jiangxi ). It was renamed Zhennan Jiedushi in 865. It controlled Hong, Jiang, Xin, Yuan, Fu, Rao, Qian, and Ji prefectures, covering mostly Jiangxi . Li Gao
15368-426: Was betrayed and killed by his son, An Qingxu , (An Lushan's violent paranoia posed too much of a threat to his entourage). The rebel An Lushan had a Khitan eunuch named Li Zhu'er (李豬兒) (Li Chu-erh) who was working for An Lushan when he was a teenager but An Lushan used a sword to sever his genitals and he almost died after losing multiple pints of blood. An Lushan revived him after smearing ashes on his injury. Li Zhu'er
15504-729: Was created in 711 and headquartered in Liang Prefecture . It was lost to the Tibetan Empire in 766. Wang Junchuo (王君㚟), Xiao Song , Niu Xianke , Geshu Han , and Cui Xiyi (崔希逸) were jiedushi of Hexi. Longyou Jiedushi was created in 713 and headquartered in Shan Prefecture ( Ledu , Qinghai ). In 747, Geshu Han was appointed jiedushi of Longyou. Shuofang Jiedushi was created in 713 and headquartered in Ling Prefecture (southwest of Lingwu , Ningxia ). It controlled Ordos , Ningxia , and north Shanxi . In 756
15640-454: Was created in 730 and headquartered in Taiyuan , controlling Shi, Lan, Fen, Xin, and Dai prefectures in central and north Shanxi. Liu Gongchuo (柳公綽) was a jiedushi of Hedong. In 883 Li Keyong was appointed jiedushi of Hedong after recovering Chang'an from Huang Chao . In 885 Li Keyong captured Chang'an and laid waste to it. He was defeated by Zhu Wen in 902 and died in 908. Liu Zhiyuan
15776-713: Was created in 757 and headquartered in Hedong (southwest of Yongji, Shanxi ). It controlled Jin, Jiang, Ci, and Xi prefectures. Jingli Jiedushi was created in 757 and headquartered in Jingzhou ( Jingzhou District , south central Hubei ). It controlled 17 prefectures in Jingzhou , Hubei , Changde , and Hunan . It was annexed by Zhu Wen in 905. Shannan East Circuit Jiedushi was created in 757 and headquartered in Xiangzhou . Its territory encompassed areas of Suizhou , Shiyan , Hubei, Nanyang , and Henan. In 763 Liang Chongyi
15912-843: Was created in 760 and included Fengxiang and Long Prefecture (隴州) ( Long County, Shaanxi and Huating County, Gansu ). It was headquartered in Fengxiang. Li Maozhen and Zheng Zhu were jiedushi of Fengxiang. Chengde Army Jiedushi was one of the Three Fanzhen of Hebei after the An Lushan Rebellion. From 762 it was headquartered in Heng Prefecture (恆州)/Zhen Prefecture (鎮州) ( Zhengding , Hebei ), and controlled Heng, Ji, Shen, Zhao, De, and Di prefectures. Its territory were primarily located in Shijiazhuang , Zanhuang , and Hebei. Li Baochen , adopted son of An Lushan,
16048-647: Was created in 763 and headquartered in Wei Prefecture (northeast of Daming County and southeast of Handan , south Hebei ). It controlled Wei, Bo, Bei, Wei, Chan, and Xiang prefectures in Shandong, north Henan, and south Hebei. It was renamed Tianxiong Army in 904. Tian Chengsi , Tian Hongzheng , Tian Xu were jiedushi of Weibo. Zhaoyi Army Jiedushi was created in 766 and headquartered in Xiang Prefecture ( Anyang , Henan ). Jingyuan Jiedushi
16184-524: Was created in 768 and lasted until 894 when it was renamed Zhangyi Army. Jingyuan's territory was located in Jingchuan , Zhenyuan , Gansu, and Ningxia . Its headquarter was in Jing Prefecture (north of Jingchuan , northeast Gansu . Surviving the Battle of Talas in 751, Duan Xiushi went on to become the jiedushi of Jingyuan until he was dismissed in 780 by Yang Yan . He was killed during
16320-554: Was created in 782 and headquartered in Dingzhou (in Hebei ). Sun Fangjian (孫方諫) was a jiedushi of Yiwu Army. Henghai Army Jiedushi was created in 785 and lasted until 829. It was headquartered in Cangzhou (southeast Hebei ) and controlled Cang, Jing, De, and Di prefectures. Xiasui Jiedushi was created in 787 and controlled Xia, Sui, Yin, and You prefectures in Shenmu and south Ih Ju League, Inner Mongolia . Wuning Jiedushi
16456-622: Was created in 795 and headquartered in Xuzhou . Shi Pu was a jiedushi of Wuning. Wang Shi was appointed jiedushi of Wuning in 862. Caizhou Jiedushi controlled Cai, Shen, and Guang prefectures around 813. It was headquartered in Runan , southeast Henan. Chenxu Jiedushi was in charge of Chen and Xu prefectures around 813. It was headquartered in Xuchang . Eyue Jiedushi was in charge of E, Mian, An, Huang, Qi, and Yue prefectures around 813. It
16592-480: Was hacked to death in his stomach and abdomen by Li Zhuer and another conspirator, Yan Zhuang (Yen Chuang) (嚴莊) who was beaten by An before. An Lushan screamed "this is a thief of my own household" as he desperately shook his curtains since he could not find his sword to defend himself. An Lushan's intestines came out of his body as he was hacked to death by Li Zhuer and Yan Zhuang. A horse was once crushed to death under An Lushan's sheer weight due to his fatness. It
16728-709: Was headquartered in Baima . In 851 the Guiyi Army Jiedushi was created from territories reclaimed by Zhang Yichao from the Tibetan Empire. It was situated east Xinjiang and Gansu, and was headquartered in Sha Prefecture (west of Dunhuang , Gansu ). Qingyuan Army Jiedushi was created in 949 and headquartered in Quanzhou . It controlled Zhangzhou , Xiamen , and other areas in Fujian . Liu Congxiao
16864-514: Was headquartered in Jiangxia ( Wuchang , Hubei ). Xiangyang Jiedushi controlled Xiang, Deng, Fu, Ying, Tang, Sui, Jun, and Fang prefectures in north Hubei and southwest Henan around 813. It was headquartered in Xiangyang. Xusi Jiedushi controlled Xu, Su, and Hao prefectures around 813. It was headquartered in Xuzhou . Zhenghua Jiedushi controlled Zheng and Hua prefectures around 813. It
17000-607: Was headquartered in Zi Prefecture (梓州) ( Santai , Sichuan ). West River controlled the Chengdu area and surrounding prefectures. Wei Gao and Xianyu Zhongtong were jiedushi of Jiannan. Pinglu Jiedushi was created in 719 and headquartered in Ying Prefecture (營州) ( Chaoyang , Liaoning ). It controlled Pinglu, Lulong and other prefectures in Liaoyang , Jinzhou , Liaoning , and northeast Hebei. Hedong Jiedushi
17136-536: Was in charge of Heng Prefecture under An Qingxu . He surrendered to Tang and retained control over central Hebei east of the Taihang Mountains . Li Weiyue requested succession of Chengde Army in 781 and was denied, so he rebelled, and was killed a year later by his subordinate general Wang Wujun . Han Lingkun , Wang Chengzong , Wang Tingcou were jiedushi of the Chengde Army. Henan Jiedushi
17272-725: Was intending to have Ashina and An Shouzhong take over Shi's command if possible. Instead, Shi arrested Ashina and An Shouzhong and submitted to Tang. Many other cities previously under Yan's control also submitted to Tang, and An Qingxu's territory shrank to just Yecheng and the surrounding area. It was said that An Qingxu became cruel and paranoid in light of these military losses, and that if generals submitted to Tang, he would slaughter their families if they were Han and their tribes if they were non-Han. Meanwhile, believing accusations that Zhang made against Cai, he killed Cai, which further led to dissension among his soldiers, particularly since he then put Cui Qianyou (崔乾祐) in command of his army, and
17408-446: Was later killed by Li Huaixian, who was loyal to Shi Chaoyi. The rebellion of An Lushan and its aftermath greatly weakened the centralized bureaucracy of the Tang dynasty, especially in regards to its perimeters. Virtually autonomous provinces and ad hoc financial organizations arose, reducing the influence of the regular bureaucracy in Chang'an. The Tang dynasty's desire for political stability in this turbulent period also resulted in
17544-709: Was later killed by his officer Wang Wujun . Chengde's last ruler, Wang Rong later founded the Zhao Dynasty that lasted until 921. Tian Chengsi had full control of the Weibo Circuit . He later annexed Xue Song 's Zhaoyi Circuit. Weibo Circuit remained independent until integrated with the Later Liang state in 910. Li Zhengji became the powerful ruler of the Pinglu Circuit (modern Tai'an, Shandong). His son Li Na rebelled and proclaimed to be
17680-550: Was merged into Shuofang Jiedushi in 764. Zhuye Chixin was a jiedushi of Zhenwu. Binning Jiedushi existed from 759 until 885, when it was renamed Jingnan Army. It was headquartered in Bin Prefecture (Shaanxi) and governed Changwu and parts of Gansu. Shanguo Jiedushi was created in 759 and headquartered in Shanzhou . It controlled Shan, Guo, and Hua prefectures. It was renamed Baoyi Army in 889. Fengxiang Jiedushi
17816-520: Was notoriously difficult, requiring hard travel on the way through the intervening Qin Mountains . However, the geographical features of the terrain were not the only hardships on the journey: there was a matter that first had to be settled, involving the relationship between Xuanzong and the Yang family, especially the emperor's beloved Yang Guifei. So, before progressing more than a few kilometers along
17952-543: Was revived in 762 and was sometimes known as the Biansong Jiedushi from then onward. It officially became the Biansong Jiedushi in 776 until 781 when it was renamed Xuanwu Army. The Biansong Jiedushi was headquartered in Bian Prefecture ( Kaifeng ), and governed Shangqiu as well as east Henan. In 781 its seat was moved to Song Prefecture (宋州) (south of Shangqiu , east central Henan ). Biansong Jiedushi
18088-467: Was said that An Qingxu was an introvert who couldn't speak to others properly. As a result, Yan Zhuang advised him not to meet officials frequently, and he entrusted most of affairs of state to Yan and created Yan the Prince of Fengyi. He tried to ingratiate his generals by promoting their positions. Meanwhile, with the major general Shi Siming besieging the Tang general Li Guangbi at Taiyuan , An Qingxu ordered Shi to return to his base of Fanyang and leave
18224-679: Was the jiedushi of Jiangxi during the Li Xilie rebellion. Lingnan Jiedushi was created in 756 and headquartered in Guangzhou . It ended in 862 when its territory was split into West and East circuits. Lingnan West Circuit covered Guangxi and northern Vietnam . It was headquartered in Yong Prefecture (邕州) (south of Nanning , Guangxi ). Lingnan East Circuit covered Guangdong and was headquartered in Guangzhou. Hezhong Jiedushi
18360-480: Was the home territory of Zhu Wen . Ziqing-Pinglu Jiedushi was created in 762 and headquartered in Qingzhou , Shandong . It controlled 15 prefectures encompassing most of Shandong and parts of Henan, Anhui, and Jiangsu. Li Zhengji became the jiedushi of Ziqing-Pinglu after the An Lushan Rebellion and worked together with Tian Yue to curtail the imperial court's attempt to weaken local powers. Weibo Jiedushi
18496-586: Was to appoint the generals Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi to deal with the rebellion. The generals, after much discussion, decided to borrow troops from an offshoot of the Turkic Tujue tribe, the Huihe, or Huige, also known as the Uyghur Khaganate , who were ruled by Bayanchur Khan until his death in the summer of 759. Three thousand Arab mercenaries were sent by the Abbasid caliph al-Mansur to join
#965034