Mavericks › Uprising Leaders
An Lushan
Frontier commander of Sogdian and Turkic descent, favoured by Emperor Xuanzong, who held three northern commands and in 755 launched the rebellion that bears his name
Mural of the event “An Lushan Rebellion”, which this person took part in.
By the late Tianbao era, the Tang court had concentrated extensive northern frontier commands in a small number of military governors while central military and fiscal coordination weakened. Holding three commands, An Lushan acquired the forces with which he rebelled at Fanyang in 755.
Also known as Ya Luoshan
- Roles
- Uprising Leaders
An Lushan came from Liucheng in Yingzhou (modern Chaoyang, Liaoning); his father's surname was Kang, and his mother, of the Turkic Ashide clan, was a shaman who later married An Yanyan, whose surname he took. Speaking six frontier languages, he began as a broker in the border markets and then fought so boldly under the Youzhou commander Zhang Shougui that Zhang adopted him. In 742 he became military governor of Pinglu, later adding Fanyang and Hedong, and with the favour of Emperor Xuanzong and Consort Yang he was made Prince of Dongping. In late 755 he rose at Fanyang, claiming to punish the chief minister Yang Guozhong, took Luoyang, proclaimed himself emperor of Great Yan early the next year, and saw his troops enter Chang'an that summer. Blind and violent in his last months, he was murdered in early 757 by his son An Qingxu and a eunuch. The revolt, known as the An-Shi Rebellion, ended only in 763 with the suicide of Shi Chaoyi.
Life and times
Dates 703 CE–757 CE
- c. 734Li Linfu Monopolizes the Chancellorshipage 31
- 755An Lushan RebellionTook partage 52
- c. 755An Lushan Captures the Two Capitalsage 52
- 755An Lushan Raises Rebellion at Fanyangage 52
- 756Luoyang Falls and Yan Is Proclaimedage 53
- 780The Twice-a-Year Tax ReformPrecursor