Huyan Zan
Encyclopedia
Huyan Zan was a military general who lived during the Northern Song Dynasty
period of Chinese history
.
). His family was of Xiongnu
origin and was gradually assimilated
into Han Chinese
society after the Western and Eastern Jin dynasties. Huyan Zan's father Huyan Cong (呼延琮) served as a Cavalry and Infantry Commanding Officer (馬步都指揮使) in Zizhou (淄州; present-day Zichuan District
, Zibo
, Shandong
) under the Later Zhou Dynasty
.
At a young age, Huyan Zan started his career as a cavalryman in the Song Dynasty
's army. Emperor Taizu
recognized Huyan Zan's talent and promoted him to the rank of a Cavalry Officer (驍雄軍使). Huyan Zan later followed general Wang Quanbin (王全斌) to attack Sichuan
and he led the vanguard force. He was wounded in battle and promoted to Deputy Commander (副指揮使) for his contributions in the campaign. During the reign of Emperor Taizong
, Huyan Zan was further promoted to Commander of Armoured Cavalry (鐵騎軍指揮使). During a campaign in Taiyuan (太原), Huyan Zan charged ahead of his men and was the first to climb a wall of the enemy city. He fell from the wall four times and was injured but he continued attempting to scale the wall. For his bravery, Huyan Zan was rewarded with gold and silk by the emperor in the imperial court.
In 964 Huyan Zan was instrumental in Song's campaign against Later Shu
, leading his troops personally into battle. In 979 he once again showed his martial prowess in Song's campaign against Northern Han
.
In 982, Huyan Zan assisted Cui Han (崔翰) in defending Dingzhou
. Cui Han appreciated Huyan Zan's courage and appointed him as Deputy Commander of Cavalry (馬軍副都軍頭) and Neiyuan Liaozhi Duyu Hou (內員寮直都虞候).
In 987, Huyan Zan was appointed as Cavalry and Infantry Deputy Commander (馬步軍副都軍頭). During marches, he often presented self-drawn maps to the commander, while providing advice on setting up camp. He constantly expressed his desire to be sent to the frontier. Emperor Taizong summoned Huyan Zan and ordered him to perform his skills in front of him. Huyan Zan and his four sons - Huyan Bixing (呼延必興), Huyan Bigai (呼延必改), Huyan Biqiu (呼延必求) and Huyan Bixian (呼延必顯) - dressed up in full armour and performed martial arts in front of an audience. Emperor Taizong was very pleased and he rewarded them with gold and expensive garments.
In 989, Huyan Zan was appointed as Governor (刺史) of Fuzhou (富州). After the Song army launched several disastrous campaigns against the Khitan
Liao Dynasty
, in 992, Huyan Zan became Governor of Baozhou (保州) and Deputy Commander (副都部署) of Jizhou (冀州). However, Huyan Zan was not competent in managing logistics so he was reappointed as Governor of Liaozhou (遼州刺史). Even after switching appointment, Huyan Zan showed that he was not good in governing a civilian population so he was reappointed as Governor of Fuzhou (扶州) and Drill Instructor (團練使) of Kangzhou (康州). During his tenure (992–997) he reinvigorated the defense of the border region and held off numerous Khitan attacks. In 997 he resigned from his post after the death of Emperor Taizong.
In 999 Huyan Zan was appointed by Emperor Zhenzong
as Inspector of the Palace Interior and Exterior (宮內外都巡檢). At that time, Emperor Zhenzong was seeking someone to be an army commander and many officials started fighting for the post. Huyan Zan said, "I draw a salary of thousands each month but my expenses are not even half of my salary, so I'm already very satisfied with my current salary. I questioned myself and felt that I haven't done anything to repay my country so I do not dare to seek any further promotions. I'm worried that I'll meet with a calamity one day if my fortune keeps increasing." Huyan Zan's humility impressed many people. The following year, Huyan Zan was tasked with guarding the garden of Empress Dowager Yuande (元德皇太后), but died during his service. Huyan Zan's son Huyan Bixian succeeded his father as Deputy Military Commander (軍副都軍頭).
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
period of Chinese history
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
.
Biography
Huyan Zan's ancestral home was in Taiyuan, Bingzhou (in present-day ShanxiShanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
). His family was of Xiongnu
Xiongnu
The Xiongnu were ancient nomadic-based people that formed a state or confederation north of the agriculture-based empire of the Han Dynasty. Most of the information on the Xiongnu comes from Chinese sources...
origin and was gradually assimilated
Sinicization
Sinicization, Sinicisation or Sinification, is the linguistic assimilation or cultural assimilation of terms and concepts of the language and culture of China...
into Han Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
society after the Western and Eastern Jin dynasties. Huyan Zan's father Huyan Cong (呼延琮) served as a Cavalry and Infantry Commanding Officer (馬步都指揮使) in Zizhou (淄州; present-day Zichuan District
Zichuan District
The Zichuan District is one of eight divisions within the city of Zibo in the Chinese province of Shandong. As the largest district of Zibo, it is composed of a central urban zone of over 23 square kilometers...
, Zibo
Zibo
Zibo is a prefecture-level city in central Shandong province, People's Republic of China. It borders the provincial capital of Jinan to the west, Laiwu and Tai'an to the southwest, Linyi to the south, Weifang to the east, Dongying to the northeast, and Binzhou the north.Located in the middle part...
, Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
) under the Later Zhou Dynasty
Later Zhou Dynasty
The Later Zhou Dynasty was the last a succession of five dynasties that controlled most of northern China during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, which lasted from 907 to 960 and bridged the gap between the Tang Dynasty and the Song Dynasty.-Founding of the Dynasty:Guo Wei, a Han...
.
At a young age, Huyan Zan started his career as a cavalryman in the Song Dynasty
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
's army. Emperor Taizu
Emperor Taizu of Song
Emperor Tàizǔ , born Zhao Kuangyin , was the founder of the Song Dynasty of China, reigning from 960 to 976.-Ancestry and early life:...
recognized Huyan Zan's talent and promoted him to the rank of a Cavalry Officer (驍雄軍使). Huyan Zan later followed general Wang Quanbin (王全斌) to attack Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
and he led the vanguard force. He was wounded in battle and promoted to Deputy Commander (副指揮使) for his contributions in the campaign. During the reign of Emperor Taizong
Emperor Taizong of Song
Emperor Taizong , born Zhao Kuangyi, was the second emperor of the Song Dynasty of China from 976 to 997. He was the younger brother of Emperor Taizu. His temple name Taizong means "Grand Ancestor".-Overview:...
, Huyan Zan was further promoted to Commander of Armoured Cavalry (鐵騎軍指揮使). During a campaign in Taiyuan (太原), Huyan Zan charged ahead of his men and was the first to climb a wall of the enemy city. He fell from the wall four times and was injured but he continued attempting to scale the wall. For his bravery, Huyan Zan was rewarded with gold and silk by the emperor in the imperial court.
In 964 Huyan Zan was instrumental in Song's campaign against Later Shu
Later Shu
Later Shu was one of the Ten Kingdoms during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period in China from 907 to 960. It was located in present-day Sichuan with its capital in Chengdu.-Founding:...
, leading his troops personally into battle. In 979 he once again showed his martial prowess in Song's campaign against Northern Han
Northern Han
The Northern Han kingdom is a state of the Ten Kingdoms in the Period of Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms. It was founded by Liu Min , formerly known as Liu Chong , and lasted from 951 – 979.-Founding of the Northern Han:...
.
In 982, Huyan Zan assisted Cui Han (崔翰) in defending Dingzhou
Dingzhou
Dingzhou |subdistricts]], 13 towns, 8 townships, and 1 autonomous township. Dingzhou is southwest of Beijing, northeast of Shijiazhuang.-History:...
. Cui Han appreciated Huyan Zan's courage and appointed him as Deputy Commander of Cavalry (馬軍副都軍頭) and Neiyuan Liaozhi Duyu Hou (內員寮直都虞候).
In 987, Huyan Zan was appointed as Cavalry and Infantry Deputy Commander (馬步軍副都軍頭). During marches, he often presented self-drawn maps to the commander, while providing advice on setting up camp. He constantly expressed his desire to be sent to the frontier. Emperor Taizong summoned Huyan Zan and ordered him to perform his skills in front of him. Huyan Zan and his four sons - Huyan Bixing (呼延必興), Huyan Bigai (呼延必改), Huyan Biqiu (呼延必求) and Huyan Bixian (呼延必顯) - dressed up in full armour and performed martial arts in front of an audience. Emperor Taizong was very pleased and he rewarded them with gold and expensive garments.
In 989, Huyan Zan was appointed as Governor (刺史) of Fuzhou (富州). After the Song army launched several disastrous campaigns against the Khitan
Khitan people
thumb|250px|Khitans [[Eagle hunting|using eagles to hunt]], painted during the Chinese [[Song Dynasty]].The Khitan people , or Khitai, Kitan, or Kidan, were a nomadic Mongolic people, originally located at Mongolia and Manchuria from the 4th century...
Liao Dynasty
Liao Dynasty
The Liao Dynasty , also known as the Khitan Empire was an empire in East Asia that ruled over the regions of Manchuria, Mongolia, and parts of northern China proper between 9071125...
, in 992, Huyan Zan became Governor of Baozhou (保州) and Deputy Commander (副都部署) of Jizhou (冀州). However, Huyan Zan was not competent in managing logistics so he was reappointed as Governor of Liaozhou (遼州刺史). Even after switching appointment, Huyan Zan showed that he was not good in governing a civilian population so he was reappointed as Governor of Fuzhou (扶州) and Drill Instructor (團練使) of Kangzhou (康州). During his tenure (992–997) he reinvigorated the defense of the border region and held off numerous Khitan attacks. In 997 he resigned from his post after the death of Emperor Taizong.
In 999 Huyan Zan was appointed by Emperor Zhenzong
Emperor Zhenzong of Song
Emperor Zhenzong was the third emperor of the Song Dynasty of China. He reigned from 997 to 1022. Zhenzong was the third son of Emperor Taizong. His personal name was Zhao Heng and his temple name Zhenzong means "True Ancestor".Zhenzong's reign was noted for the consolidation of power and the...
as Inspector of the Palace Interior and Exterior (宮內外都巡檢). At that time, Emperor Zhenzong was seeking someone to be an army commander and many officials started fighting for the post. Huyan Zan said, "I draw a salary of thousands each month but my expenses are not even half of my salary, so I'm already very satisfied with my current salary. I questioned myself and felt that I haven't done anything to repay my country so I do not dare to seek any further promotions. I'm worried that I'll meet with a calamity one day if my fortune keeps increasing." Huyan Zan's humility impressed many people. The following year, Huyan Zan was tasked with guarding the garden of Empress Dowager Yuande (元德皇太后), but died during his service. Huyan Zan's son Huyan Bixian succeeded his father as Deputy Military Commander (軍副都軍頭).
In literature
- The stories of Huyan Zan and his descendants were compiled into a novel titled Shuo Hu Quan Zhuan (說呼全傳; Full Chronicles of the Tales of Hu). Alternative titles include Shuo Hu (說呼; Tales of Hu), Hu Jia Jiang (呼家將; Generals of the Hu Family), Hu Jia Hou Dai Quan Zhuan (呼家後代全傳; Full Chronicles of the Hu Family Descendants) and Jin Bian Ji (金鞭記; Story of the Golden Rod). The novel is similar to, but not as popular as other works on famous military generals of the Song Dynasty, such as Generals of the Yang Clan (楊家將) and Shuo Yue Quanzhuan (說岳全傳).
- Huyan Zhuo, a character in the Chinese classical novel Water MarginWater MarginWater Margin , also known as Outlaws of the Marsh, All Men Are Brothers, Men of the Marshes, or The Marshes of Mount Liang, is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.Attributed to Shi Nai'an and written in vernacular Chinese, the story, set in the Song Dynasty,...
, is a fictitious descendant of Huyan Zan.