| An Lushan 安禄山 | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emperor of Yan | |||||||||||||||||||||
 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Emperor of the Yan dynasty | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Reign | 5 February 756[1] – 25 January 757 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Predecessor | None | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Successor | An Qingxu | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 20th day of the 1st month (February), c. 703[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 25 January 757 (aged 54)[3] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | Lady Kang (Empress Ai) Empress Duan | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Issue | An Qingzong An Qingxu An Qingzhang An Qinghe, Prince of Zheng An Qing'en six other sons | ||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||
| House | Yan | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Mother | Lady Ashide | ||||||||||||||||||||
An Lushan (Chinese: 安祿山; pinyin: Ān Lùshān; 20th day of the 1st month[4] (19 February) 703[2] – 29 January 757[3]) was a Chinese military general and rebel leader during the Tang dynasty and is primarily known for instigating the An Lushan Rebellion which devastated China and killed millions of people.
An Lushan was of Sogdian and Göktürk origin,[5][6][7][8][9][10] at least by adoption.[11] He rose to prominence as a general by defending the northeastern Tang frontier from the Khitans and other threats. Through his frequent visits to Chang'an, the Tang capital, An Lushan managed to gain favour with Emperor Xuanzong of Tang and Chancellor Li Linfu. By 751, he had been appointed military governor over three prefectures. After the death of Li Linfu in 753, An Lushan's rivalry with General Geshu Han and Chancellor Yang Guozhong created military tensions within the empire.
In late 755, An Lushan instigated open revolt and quickly captured Luoyang, the eastern capital, where in early 756 he proclaimed himself emperor of the new Yan dynasty. While his generals continued his campaigns, An Lushan remained in the Luoyang palace; his health failed and he became increasingly violent and paranoid. In early 757 he was murdered by a eunuch with the support of his son, An Qingxu.
- ^ Volume 217 of Zizhi Tongjian recorded that An crowned himself emperor on the 1st day of the 1st month of the 1st year of the Zhide era of Tang Suzong's reign. This date corresponds to 5 Feb 756 on the Julian calendar. [(至德元年)春，正月，乙卯朔，禄山自称大燕皇帝]
- ^ a b Xu, Daoxun et al. (1993). The Biography of Tang Xuanzong. Beijing: People's Press; ISBN 7-01-001210-5. pp. 455–456
- ^ a b Part 1 of Volume 225 of the New Book of Tang recorded that An was killed during the night of the 1st day of the 1st month of the 2nd year of the Zhide era of Tang Suzong's reign. This date corresponds to 25 Jan 757 on the Julian calendar. The record also states that he was in his 50s when he died (年五十馀). However, volume 219 of Zizhi Tongjian recorded that An Qingxu was made crown prince and then emperor on the yimao day of the 1st month of the 2nd year of the Zhide era of Tang Suzong's reign. This date corresponds to 30 Jan 757 on the Julian calendar. If this record is correct, and that An Lushan was killed the day before, then his death date would be 29 Jan 757 on the Julian calendar.[(至德二年正月)乙卯旦，庄宣言于外，云禄山疾亟。立晋王庆绪为太子，寻即帝位，] Zizhi Tongjian, vol.219
- ^ Volume 216 of Zizhi Tongjian recorded a birthday celebration for An on the jiachen day of the 1st month, during the 10th year of the Tianbao era of Tang Xuanzong's reign (751). For that month, the jiachen day corresponds to the 20th day of the month. [(天宝十年正月)甲辰，禄山生日，...]
- ^ Yang, Zhijiu, "An Lushan". Encyclopedia of China (Chinese History Edition), 1st ed.
- ^ Lin, Tianwei An Lushan profile Archived 2007-09-29 at the Wayback Machine, Chinese Encyclopedia (Biography Edition; 1st ed.); accessed 3 August 2011.
- ^ Zhong, Han. "Ah Lushan Dengzahu De Neiya Wenhua Beijing" ("The Cultural Background on An Lushan, etc in Inner Asia — With the Discussion on the Inner Asia-ized of Sute or Sogdian"). Journal of Chinese Historical Studies (2005); ISSN 1002-7963
- ^ Ebrey, Patricia; Walthall, Anne; Palais, James (2009). East Asia: A Cultural, Social, and Political History, vol. 1 (2nd ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. p. 84. ISBN 978-0-547-00539-3.
- ^ Benn, Charles (2002). China's Golden Age: Everyday Life in the Tang Dynasty. Oxford University Press. p. 9. ISBN 978-0-19-517665-0.
- ^ "An Lushan (Chinese general)". Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Britannica.com. Archived from the original on November 18, 2008. Retrieved 3 August 2011.
- ^ Beckwith, p. 21, n. 82