King of Chu
Ma Yin (traditional Chinese: 馬殷; simplified Chinese: 马殷; pinyin: Mǎ Yīn; c. 853[5] – December 2, 930[1][6]), courtesy name Batu (霸圖), also known by his posthumous name as the King Wumu of Chu (楚武穆王), was a Chinese military general and politician who became the founding ruler of the Chinese Ma Chu dynasty during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. He was the only monarch who carried the title of "king" in his dynasty.[8] He initially took control of the Changsha region in 896 after the death of his predecessor Liu Jianfeng, and subsequently increased his territorial hold to roughly modern Hunan and northeastern Guangxi, which became the territory of Ma Chu.
- ^ a b c Academia Sinica Chinese-Western Calendar Converter.
- ^ Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 266.
- ^ Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 276.
- ^ The start of Ma Yin's reign as depends on one's view of what constitutes "reigning." Ma Yin was created the Prince of Chu (楚王) by Zhu Wen in 907; whether he or his state should be considered, from that point, a separate state or a vassal under Later Liang was debatable. Ma continued to be a vassal of Later Tang after Later Liang's conquest by Later Tang in 923. In 927, Emperor Mingzong of Later Tang created Ma the greater title of King of Chu (楚國王), from which point Ma, while still serving as a Later Tang vassal, was also issuing emperor-like edicts on his own. His reign could thus be considered to have begun in 907 or 927.
- ^ a b Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms (十國春秋), vol. 67.
- ^ a b Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 277.
- ^ 927 was the 2nd year of Tiancheng.
- ^ Ma Yin's title was Wang (王) in Chinese, which could be translated as either "Prince" or "King" in English. The translation of "Prince" will be used here during the time that he carried the title of Wang of Chu during Later Liang and most of Later Tang. The translation of "King" will be used after he was created the Guowang (literally, "State King/Prince") of Chu by Li Siyuan, a title that carried for the rest of his life.