Royals › Monarch / Emperor
Meng Chang
Last ruler of the Later Shu, who reigned at Chengdu for some thirty years under the era name Guangzheng and surrendered to the Song in 965
Mural of the event “Conquest of Later Shu by Song”, which this person took part in.
After Northern Song founded itself at Kaifeng, it faced surrounding regional regimes lined up in defense. Song Taizu Zhao Kuangyin formulated the south-first-then-north strategy and resolved to first clear the wealthy southern fragmentation.
Also known as Meng Renzan · Houshu Houzhu · Qin Wang · Chu Wang · Houshu Jiangwang
- Roles
- Monarch / Emperor
Meng Chang, first named Renzan and styled Baoyuan, was a son of the Later Shu founder Meng Zhixiang and was born at Taiyuan. He succeeded at sixteen in 934, kept the era name Mingde and changed it to Guangzheng in 938, then killed the overbearing general Li Renhan and ruled in person. When the Later Zhou retook Qin and Feng prefectures, he massed grain and troops at Jianmen and the Gorges, cast iron coins and monopolised iron goods, though favourites such as Wang Zhaoyuan knew nothing of war. In 964 the Song founder intercepted his secret letter proposing a joint attack with the Northern Han and sent Wang Quanbin against Shu, and early in 965 Meng surrendered. Taken to Kaifeng and made Duke of Qin, he died soon after and was posthumously named Prince of Chu, with the title Gongxiao. The History of Song records that he wrote a New Year couplet on peach-wood charms for his palace door.
Life and times
Dates 919 CE–965 CE
- 965Conquest of Later Shu by SongTook partage 46