Li Wei (Tang Dynasty)
Encyclopedia
Li Wei (died November 20, 879), courtesy name Maoxiu (茂休), was an official of the Chinese
dynasty Tang Dynasty
, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Xizong
.
, which, like Tang Dynasty
's imperial clan, claimed ancestry from Li Gao
, the founder of the Sixteen Kingdoms
period state Western Liang
— with the Tang imperial clan descended from Li Gao's second son Li Xin (Western Liang's second duke) and Li Wei's ancestors descended from Li Gao's eighth son Li Fan (李翻) and Li Fan's son, the prominent Northern Wei
general Li Bao (李寶). Subsequent male-line ancestors of Li Wei's served as officials of Northern Wei, Sui Dynasty
, and Tang. Li Wei's grandfather Li Shanggong (李上公) served as the director of the archival bureau (秘書監, Mishu Jian), while his father Li Jingsu (李景素) served on the staff of a Crown Prince
.
Li Wei himself passed the imperial examination
s in the Jinshi class late in Emperor Wenzong
's Kaifeng era (836
-840
) and was made an assistant to the military governor (Jiedushi
) of Shannan East Circuit (山南東道, headquartered in modern Xiangfan
, Hubei
). At some point thereafter, he apparently served as an assistant to the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan
, Shanxi
). Late in the Huichang era (841
-847
) of Emperor Wenzong's brother and successor Emperor Wuzong
, he passed a special imperial examination for those who made good rulings, and was thereafter made an imperial censor with the title Jiancha Yushi (監察御史). He thereafter served as director of imperial palace affairs (殿中監, Dianzhong Jian). In 853
, by which time Emperor Wuzong's uncle Emperor Xuānzong
was emperor, Li Wei became in charge of the affairs of the Office of Censors. Thereafter, he became in charge of drafting imperial edicts and was made Zhongshu Sheren (中書舍人), a mid-level official at the legislative bureau of government (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng).
, during the reign of Emperor Xuānzong's son Emperor Yizong
, Li Wei was put in charge of the imperial examinations for that year at the ministry of rites (禮部, Libu). In 865
, he was made the deputy minister of rites (禮部侍郎, Libu Shilang), and he was subsequently made Shangshu You Cheng (尚書右丞), one of the secretaries general of the executive bureau (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng). As he considered Emperor Yizong overly devout in Buddhism
— with the emperor often holding grand feasts for large groups of Buddhist monks in the palace — he submitted a lengthy petition asking the emperor to curb his ways. Emperor Yizong praised him for the advice, but did not follow it. Li Wei later served as the mayor of Jingzhao Municipality (京兆, i.e., the region of the capital Chang'an
), and then the minister of worship (太常卿, Taichang Qing). Yet later, he served as the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng
, Henan
), then of Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou
, Jiangsu
). When his term as the military governor of Huainan was over, the people petitioned to have him remain as military governor, and Emperor Yizong agreed to a one-year extension.
, by which time he was chief imperial censor (御史大夫, Yushi Daifu), he was made Zhongshu Shilang (中書侍郎), the deputy head of the legislative bureau, and given the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事), making him a chancellor de facto.
Little is known about Li Wei's acts as a chancellor. In 878
, he was removed from his chancellor position and made the defender of the eastern capital Luoyang
. In 879
, after Cui Jikang (崔季康) the military governor of Hedong was killed in a mutiny, and Cui's successor Li Kan (李侃) was not well liked by the soldiers, the imperial government decided that, because Li Wei had previously treated the people of Hedong well when he served there, to make him military governor. He arrived there late in 879, but died just three days after arrival.
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...
dynasty Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Xizong
Emperor Xizong of Tang
Emperor Xizong of Tang , né Li Yan , later name changed to Li Xuan , was an emperor of the Tang dynasty of China. He reigned from 873 to 888. He was the fifth son of his predecessor Emperor Yizong and was the elder brother of his successor Emperor Zhaozong...
.
Background and early career
It is not known when Li Wei was born. He was from the Guzang Branch of the Li clan of LongxiLongxi
Longxi may refer to the following in China:* Longxi County, Gansu , of Dingxi, Gansu* Longxi County, Fujian , former county of Zhangzhou, currently merged into Longhai* Longxi Station, station of Guangfo Metro Line 1 of Guangzhou Metro, Guangdong...
, which, like Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
's imperial clan, claimed ancestry from Li Gao
Li Gao
Li Gao , courtesy name Xuansheng , nickname Changsheng , formally Prince Wuzhao of Liang , was the founding duke of the Chinese state Western Liáng...
, the founder of the Sixteen Kingdoms
Sixteen Kingdoms
The Sixteen Kingdoms, or less commonly the Sixteen States, were a collection of numerous short-lived sovereign states in China proper and its neighboring areas from 304 to 439 AD after the retreat of the Jin Dynasty to South China and before the establishment of the Northern Dynasties...
period state Western Liang
Western Liang
The Western Liang was a state of the Sixteen Kingdoms in China. It was founded by the Li family of the Han Chinese. The founder of the Tang Dynasty, Li Yuan , traced his ancestry to the Western Liang rulers....
— with the Tang imperial clan descended from Li Gao's second son Li Xin (Western Liang's second duke) and Li Wei's ancestors descended from Li Gao's eighth son Li Fan (李翻) and Li Fan's son, the prominent Northern Wei
Northern Wei
The Northern Wei Dynasty , also known as the Tuoba Wei , Later Wei , or Yuan Wei , was a dynasty which ruled northern China from 386 to 534 . It has been described as "part of an era of political turbulence and intense social and cultural change"...
general Li Bao (李寶). Subsequent male-line ancestors of Li Wei's served as officials of Northern Wei, Sui Dynasty
Sui Dynasty
The Sui Dynasty was a powerful, but short-lived Imperial Chinese dynasty. Preceded by the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it ended nearly four centuries of division between rival regimes. It was followed by the Tang Dynasty....
, and Tang. Li Wei's grandfather Li Shanggong (李上公) served as the director of the archival bureau (秘書監, Mishu Jian), while his father Li Jingsu (李景素) served on the staff of a Crown Prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
.
Li Wei himself passed the imperial examination
Imperial examination
The Imperial examination was an examination system in Imperial China designed to select the best administrative officials for the state's bureaucracy. This system had a huge influence on both society and culture in Imperial China and was directly responsible for the creation of a class of...
s in the Jinshi class late in Emperor Wenzong
Emperor Wenzong of Tang
Emperor Wenzong of Tang , personal name Li Ang , né Li Han , was an emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China. He reigned from 827 to 840. Emperor Wenzong was the second son of Emperor Muzong and younger brother of Emperor Jingzong...
's Kaifeng era (836
836
Year 836 was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* Abbasid caliph al-Mutasim establishes a new capital at Samarra, Iraq.- Europe :...
-840
840
Year 840 was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.-Europe:* After the death of Louis the Pious, his sons Lothar, Charles the Bald and Louis the German fight over the division of the Holy Roman Empire, with Lothar succeeding as Emperor.-Asia:* Tang Wu Zong succeeds Tang Wen Zong...
) and was made an assistant to the military governor (Jiedushi
Jiedushi
The Jiedushi were regional military governors in China during the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. Originally set up to counter external threats, the jiedushi were given enormous power, including the ability to maintain their own armies, collect taxes, and pass their...
) of Shannan East Circuit (山南東道, headquartered in modern Xiangfan
Xiangfan
Xiangyang is a prefecture-level city in Hubei Province of the People's Republic of China. It was formed from two famous ancient cities, Xiangyang and Fancheng...
, Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
). At some point thereafter, he apparently served as an assistant to the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan
Taiyuan
Taiyuan is the capital and largest city of Shanxi province in North China. At the 2010 census, it had a total population of 4,201,591 inhabitants on 6959 km² whom 3,212,500 are urban on 1,460 km². The name of the city literally means "Great Plains", referring to the location where the Fen River...
, Shanxi
Shanxi
' 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....
). Late in the Huichang era (841
841
Year 841 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* June 25 – Battle of Fontenay: Louis the German and Charles the Bald defeat Lothar....
-847
847
Year 847 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Bari is captured by the Saracens....
) of Emperor Wenzong's brother and successor Emperor Wuzong
Emperor Wuzong of Tang
Emperor Wuzong of Tang , né Li Chan , later changed to Li Yan just before his death, was an emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China, reigning from 840 to 846. Emperor Wuzong is mainly known in modern times for the religious persecution that occurred during his reign...
, he passed a special imperial examination for those who made good rulings, and was thereafter made an imperial censor with the title Jiancha Yushi (監察御史). He thereafter served as director of imperial palace affairs (殿中監, Dianzhong Jian). In 853
853
Year 853 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar.- Egypt :* May 22–May 23 – A Byzantine fleet sacks and destroys Damietta in Egypt.- Asia :...
, by which time Emperor Wuzong's uncle Emperor Xuānzong
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang , also commonly known as Emperor Ming of Tang , personal name Li Longji , known as Wu Longji from 690 to 705, was the seventh emperor of the Tang dynasty in China, reigning from 712 to 756. His reign of 43 years was the longest during the Tang Dynasty...
was emperor, Li Wei became in charge of the affairs of the Office of Censors. Thereafter, he became in charge of drafting imperial edicts and was made Zhongshu Sheren (中書舍人), a mid-level official at the legislative bureau of government (中書省, Zhongshu Sheng).
During Emperor Yizong's reign
In 864864
Year 864 was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* July 25 – Edict of Pistres: Charles the Bald orders defensive measures against the Vikings....
, during the reign of Emperor Xuānzong's son Emperor Yizong
Emperor Yizong of Tang
Emperor Yizong of Tang , né Li Wen , later changed to Li Cui , was an emperor of the Tang dynasty of China. He reigned from 859 to 873. Yizong was the eldest son of Emperor Xuānzong...
, Li Wei was put in charge of the imperial examinations for that year at the ministry of rites (禮部, Libu). In 865
865
Year 865 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Ethelred succeeds as king of Wessex .* Louis the German divides his kingdom among his sons....
, he was made the deputy minister of rites (禮部侍郎, Libu Shilang), and he was subsequently made Shangshu You Cheng (尚書右丞), one of the secretaries general of the executive bureau (尚書省, Shangshu Sheng). As he considered Emperor Yizong overly devout in Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
— with the emperor often holding grand feasts for large groups of Buddhist monks in the palace — he submitted a lengthy petition asking the emperor to curb his ways. Emperor Yizong praised him for the advice, but did not follow it. Li Wei later served as the mayor of Jingzhao Municipality (京兆, i.e., the region of the capital Chang'an
Chang'an
Chang'an is an ancient capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history, today known as Xi'an. Chang'an literally means "Perpetual Peace" in Classical Chinese. During the short-lived Xin Dynasty, the city was renamed "Constant Peace" ; yet after its fall in AD 23, the old name was restored...
), and then the minister of worship (太常卿, Taichang Qing). Yet later, he served as the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng
Kaifeng
Kaifeng , known previously by several names , is a prefecture-level city in east-central Henan province, Central China. Nearly 5 million people live in the metropolitan area...
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
), then of Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou
Yangzhou
Yangzhou is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China. Sitting on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, it borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the southwest, Huai'an to the north, Yancheng to the northeast, Taizhou to the east, and Zhenjiang across...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
). When his term as the military governor of Huainan was over, the people petitioned to have him remain as military governor, and Emperor Yizong agreed to a one-year extension.
During Emperor Xizong's reign
At some point, Li Wei was recalled to Chang'an, and in 875875
Year 875 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* December 29 – Charles the Bald, king of West Francia, is crowned emperor....
, by which time he was chief imperial censor (御史大夫, Yushi Daifu), he was made Zhongshu Shilang (中書侍郎), the deputy head of the legislative bureau, and given the designation Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事), making him a chancellor de facto.
Little is known about Li Wei's acts as a chancellor. In 878
878
Year 878 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :...
, he was removed from his chancellor position and made the defender of the eastern capital Luoyang
Luoyang
Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...
. In 879
879
Year 879 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Pope John VIII recognizes the Duchy of Croatia as an independent state....
, after Cui Jikang (崔季康) the military governor of Hedong was killed in a mutiny, and Cui's successor Li Kan (李侃) was not well liked by the soldiers, the imperial government decided that, because Li Wei had previously treated the people of Hedong well when he served there, to make him military governor. He arrived there late in 879, but died just three days after arrival.