Zhang Gui (Tang Dynasty)
Encyclopedia
Zhang Gui (d. February 10, 888) was a warlord late in the Chinese
dynasty Tang Dynasty
who controlled Jingnan Circuit (荊南, headquartered in modern Jingzhou
, Hubei
) from 885
to 888
.
and the New Book of Tang
), and it is not known when he was born. According to the Zizhi Tongjian
, he was from Wei Prefecture (渭州, in modern Pingliang
, Gansu
) — although the modern Chinese historian Bo Yang
, apparently believing that "Wei Prefecture" was erroneously written instead of "Hua Prefecture" (滑州, in modern Anyang
, Henan
), indicated that Zhang was from Hua Prefecture. In any case, Zhang apparently became an officer at Huainan Circuit (淮南, headquartered in modern Yangzhou
, Jiangsu
), but later rebelled against the military governor (Jiedushi
) Gao Pian
. He seized Fu Prefecture (復州, in modern Tianmen
, Hubei
) and claimed the title of prefect.
In 885
, Chen Ru
the military governor of Jingnan was faced with repeated raids against the circuit by Lei Man
the prefect of Lang Prefecture (朗州, in modern Changde
, Hunan
). He invited Zhang and another former Huainan officer, Han Shide (韓師德), who had also rebelled against Gao and taken over Yue Prefecture (岳州, in modern Yueyang
, Hunan
) as its prefect, to serve under him and attack Lei. Despite initially accepting Chen's invitation, neither actually did so — Han pillaged the region and then returned to Yue, while Zhang attacked Chen and seized Jingnan himself, claiming the title of military governor for himself. When Chen tried to flee to Chengdu
, where then-reigning Emperor Xizong
was (Emperor Xizong having fled the imperial capital Chang'an
earlier due to the attack by the agrarian rebel Huang Chao
), Zhang seized and imprisoned him.
, who had retired, had much wealth, he had the soldiers attack Zhu's mansion at night, kill Zhu, and seize his wealth. He became fearful of the officer Guo Yu
, who was considered a capable officer, and wanted to kill Guo. Guo, after receiving news, fled; Guo then attacked and seized Gui Prefecture (歸州, in modern Yichang
, Hubei
), claiming the title of prefect.
Later in the year, Qin Zongquan, a former Tang military governor who had rebelled and claimed the title of emperor himself, sent his brother Qin Zongyan (秦宗言) to attack Jingnan Circuit. Qin Zongyan put Jingnan's capital Jiangling Municipality under siege. During the siege, the officer Zhao Kuang (趙匡) plotted to rescue Chen Ru from imprisonment. When Zhang realized this, he put Zhao and Chen to death. Meanwhile, the food supplies ran out, such that the people resorted to eating human corpses. However, Qin Zongyan was unable to capture the city, and withdrew in late 886
.
In 887
, Qin Zongquan sent another general, Zhao Deyin
, to attack Jingnan. In early 888
, the city fell, and Zhang was killed. Zhao left his officer Wang Jianzhao
in control of Jingnan and withdrew back to his base at Shannan East Circuit (山南東道, headquartered in modern Xiangyang
, Hubei
).
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...
who controlled Jingnan Circuit (荊南, headquartered in modern Jingzhou
Jingzhou
Jingzhou is a prefecture-level city in Hubei Province, People's Republic of China. The city is located on the banks of the Yangtze River.Its population is 5,691,707 at the 2010 census whom 1,154,086 in the built up area made of 3 urban districts.-Geography:Jingzhou occupies an area of...
, 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...
) from 885
885
Year 885 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* The Vikings besiege Paris.* Godfrith, the Sea King is killed in Lobith...
to 888
888
Year 888 was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* January 13 – With the death of Charles the Fat, the Frankish kingdom is split again, and this time permanently...
.
Background
Little is known about Zhang Gui's background, as he had no biography in either of the official histories of Tang Dynasty (the Book of TangBook of Tang
The Book of Tang , Jiu Tangshu or the Old Book of Tang is the first classic work about the Tang Dynasty. The book began when Gaozu of Later Jin ordered its commencement in 941...
and the New Book of Tang
New Book of Tang
The New Book of Tang , is a classic work of history about the Tang Dynasty edited by Ouyang Xiu and Song Qi and other official scholars of the Song Dynasty. The emperor called for a revision of the former Book of Tang in 1044. The New Book was presented to the throne in 1060. It was given its...
), and it is not known when he was born. According to the Zizhi Tongjian
Zizhi Tongjian
The Zizhi Tongjian was a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084, under the form of a chronicles. In 1065 CE, Emperor Yingzong of Song ordered the great historian Sima Guang to lead with other scholars such as his chief assistants Liu Shu, Liu Ban and Fan Zuyu, the...
, he was from Wei Prefecture (渭州, in modern Pingliang
Pingliang
Pingliang is a prefecture-level city in eastern Gansu Province in China. Pingliang is famous for a local mountain range that includes Kongtong Mountain, a site sacred to Taoism and mythical meeting place of the Yellow Emperor and Guangchengzi, an immortal....
, Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
) — although the modern Chinese historian Bo Yang
Bo Yang
This article is about the Chinese writer. His name in Western languages is homonymic with Bó Yáng .Boyang , also sometimes called Baiyang, was a Chinese language writer based in Taiwan...
, apparently believing that "Wei Prefecture" was erroneously written instead of "Hua Prefecture" (滑州, in modern Anyang
Anyang
Anyang is a prefecture-level city in Henan province, People's Republic of China. The northernmost city in Henan, Anyang borders Puyang to the east, Hebi and Xinxiang to the south, and the provinces of Shanxi and Hebei to its west and north respectively....
, 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...
), indicated that Zhang was from Hua Prefecture. In any case, Zhang apparently became an officer at 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...
), but later rebelled against 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...
) Gao Pian
Gao Pian
Gao Pian , courtesy name Qianli , formally the Prince of Bohai , was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty...
. He seized Fu Prefecture (復州, in modern Tianmen
Tianmen
Tianmen is a sub-prefecture-level city in central Hubei Province, Central China.It is on the west of Wuhan and east of Jingzhou. Formerly known as Jingling , it was renamed to Tianmen in 1726 during Qing Dynasty....
, 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...
) and claimed the title of prefect.
In 885
885
Year 885 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* The Vikings besiege Paris.* Godfrith, the Sea King is killed in Lobith...
, Chen Ru
Chen Ru
Chen Ru was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who ruled Jingnan Circuit from 882 to 885, most of that time as its military governor...
the military governor of Jingnan was faced with repeated raids against the circuit by Lei Man
Lei Man
Lei Man , courtesy name Bingren , was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who seized control of Lang Prefecture in 881 and controlled it and the surrounding region to accommodate him, who was made military governor until his death in 901...
the prefect of Lang Prefecture (朗州, in modern Changde
Changde
Changde is a city in the north of Hunan Province, China, with a population of 5,717,218 inhabitants at the 2010 census whom 1,232,182 in the built up area made of 2 urban districts .-History:...
, Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
). He invited Zhang and another former Huainan officer, Han Shide (韓師德), who had also rebelled against Gao and taken over Yue Prefecture (岳州, in modern Yueyang
Yueyang
Yueyang is a prefecture-level city at the northeastern corner of Hunan province, South Central China, on the southern shores of Dongting Lake.The Yueyang metropolitan area occupies 14,896 km². and the city proper occupies 304 km²...
, Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
) as its prefect, to serve under him and attack Lei. Despite initially accepting Chen's invitation, neither actually did so — Han pillaged the region and then returned to Yue, while Zhang attacked Chen and seized Jingnan himself, claiming the title of military governor for himself. When Chen tried to flee to Chengdu
Chengdu
Chengdu , formerly transliterated Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. It holds sub-provincial administrative status...
, where then-reigning 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...
was (Emperor Xizong having fled the imperial 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...
earlier due to the attack by the agrarian rebel Huang Chao
Huang Chao
Huang Chao was the leader of the Huang Chao Rebellion , known in mainland China as the Huang Chao Revolution in China that seriously weakened the once mighty Tang Dynasty of China...
), Zhang seized and imprisoned him.
Rule of Jingnan
It was said that Zhang Gui was greedy and violent, and he slaughtered many veteran Jingnan officers. When he realized that the former eunuch monitor of Jingnan, Zhu JingmeiZhu Jingmei
Zhu Jingmei was an eunuch late in the Tang Dynasty who, after killing Duan Yanmo the military governor of Jingnan Circuit , became the effective ruling authority for the circuit due to his command of the elite Zhongyong Army...
, who had retired, had much wealth, he had the soldiers attack Zhu's mansion at night, kill Zhu, and seize his wealth. He became fearful of the officer Guo Yu
Cheng Rui
Cheng Rui , adoptive name Guo Yu , formally the Prince of Shanggu , was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who ruled Jingnan Circuit from 888 to 903, when he was defeated in battle and committed suicide...
, who was considered a capable officer, and wanted to kill Guo. Guo, after receiving news, fled; Guo then attacked and seized Gui Prefecture (歸州, in modern Yichang
Yichang
Yichang is a prefecture-level city located in Hubei province of the People's Republic of China. It is the second largest city in Hubei province after the province capital, Wuhan. The Three Gorges Dam is located within its administrative area, in Yiling District.-History:In ancient times Yichang...
, 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...
), claiming the title of prefect.
Later in the year, Qin Zongquan, a former Tang military governor who had rebelled and claimed the title of emperor himself, sent his brother Qin Zongyan (秦宗言) to attack Jingnan Circuit. Qin Zongyan put Jingnan's capital Jiangling Municipality under siege. During the siege, the officer Zhao Kuang (趙匡) plotted to rescue Chen Ru from imprisonment. When Zhang realized this, he put Zhao and Chen to death. Meanwhile, the food supplies ran out, such that the people resorted to eating human corpses. However, Qin Zongyan was unable to capture the city, and withdrew in late 886
886
Year 886 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :...
.
In 887
887
Year 887 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* The city of Toledo rises against the Umayyad leader....
, Qin Zongquan sent another general, Zhao Deyin
Zhao Deyin
Zhao Deyin , formally the Prince of Huai'an , was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who initially served as a general under the pretender emperor Qin Zongquan...
, to attack Jingnan. In early 888
888
Year 888 was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* January 13 – With the death of Charles the Fat, the Frankish kingdom is split again, and this time permanently...
, the city fell, and Zhang was killed. Zhao left his officer Wang Jianzhao
Wang Jianzhao
Wang Jianzhao was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who controlled Jingnan Circuit from 887 to 888, and then Wutai Circuit from 888 to 896, when he surrendered to Wang Jian.- Background and control of Jingnan :Little is known about Wang Jianzhao's background, as there was no...
in control of Jingnan and withdrew back to his base at Shannan East Circuit (山南東道, headquartered in modern Xiangyang
Xiangyang
Xiangzhou District is a district of Xiangyang, Hubei, China. The district itself was formerly known as Xiangyang. It was a city famous for the Siege of Xiangyang by invading forces of the Mongol-founded Yuan Dynasty...
, 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...
).