An Lushan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids An Lushan 安禄山
Emperor of Yan
Emperor of Yan Dynasty
Reign	5 February 756 – 25 January 757
Predecessor	None
Successor	An Qingxu
Born	20th day of the 1st month (February), c. 703
Died	25 January 757(757-01-25) (aged 54)
Spouse	Lady Kang Empress Duan
Issue	An Qingzong An Qingxu, Emperor Ai An Qingzhang An Qinghe, Prince of Zheng An Qing'en six other sons
Full name Family name: Possibly originally Kāng (康), Later Ān (安) Given name: Originally ܪܘܚܫܐܢ Roχšan, "The Luminous", in Sogdian; or, Āluòshān (阿犖山), Yàluòshān (軋犖山), or, later, Lùshān (祿山), in Chinese transcription. Era dates Shèngwǔ (聖武) Regnal name Emperor Xiongwu (雄武皇帝) Posthumous name Emperor Guanglie (光烈皇帝) Temple name None
House	Yan
Mother	Lady Ashide

An Lushan (Chinese: 安祿山; pinyin: Ān Lùshān; 19 February 703 – 29 January 757) was a powerful general in the Tang dynasty of China. He is most famous for starting the major An Lushan Rebellion. This rebellion caused a lot of trouble for the Tang empire.

An Lushan had roots from the Sogdian and Göktürk people. He became a strong military leader by protecting the Tang empire's borders. He fought against groups like the Khitans in the northeast. He gained the trust of the Tang Emperor Xuanzong and his top official, Chancellor Li Linfu. This helped An Lushan build up a very large army in northern China. After Li Linfu died, An Lushan had disagreements with other important leaders. These tensions eventually led to a huge conflict.

In 755, after years of planning, An Lushan started his rebellion. He declared himself the ruler of a new dynasty called Yan.

An Lushan: A Powerful General

His Early Life and Background

An Lushan's mother was a Göktürk woman from the Ashide clan. She was a sorceress. Some historical records say his first name might have been Aluoshan or Yaluoshan. Yaluoshan is said to mean "war" in an old Turkic language.

His father died when An Lushan was young. His mother then married a Turkic general named An Yanyan. An Lushan took his stepfather's family name, An. Later, An Lushan moved to the Tang empire with his stepfather and his cousin, An Sishun. They settled in a place called Ying Prefecture.

His Family Background

Historians have different ideas about An Lushan's birth father. Some say his father's family name was Kang. Both Kang and An were common names for people from Sogdian kingdoms. These kingdoms were important trading centers in Central Asia.

One historian, Matsui Hitoshi, thinks An Lushan's father might have been from the Khitan people. This is because An Lushan lived near Khitan settlements. However, another historian, Edward H. Schafer, believes An Lushan's name comes from "Anxi" (meaning Parthian) and the Sogdian name Roxshan. This name means "the Bright."

His Youth and Early Career

People said An Lushan could speak six different non-Chinese languages. When he was older, he worked as an interpreter in military markets. These markets were where the Chinese government traded for horses and other goods.

He worked with Shi Siming, who became a good friend. In 732, a general named Zhang Shougui was in charge of You Prefecture. An Lushan was caught stealing sheep. Zhang Shougui was about to punish him severely. But An Lushan shouted, "Don't you want to defeat the barbarian tribes? Why would you kill me?"

Zhang Shougui was impressed by An Lushan's large build and his words. He decided to let An Lushan go. He made An Lushan a police officer, and An Lushan was good at catching criminals. Zhang Shougui later promoted him to a military officer. An Lushan was very overweight. He tried not to eat too much when Zhang Shougui was around, which pleased the general. Zhang Shougui treated him like his own son. An Lushan later married a woman named Lady Kang. She gave birth to at least one son, An Qingxu.

Service in Tang Armies

Rising Through the Ranks (736–742)

By 736, An Lushan was a general serving under Zhang Shougui. He was part of the Pinglu Army. In 736, An Lushan attacked the Khitan and Xi tribes without orders. He was defeated. According to military rules, he should have been executed.

Zhang Shougui sent him to the capital, Chang'an. Zhang hoped Emperor Xuanzong would pardon An Lushan. The top official, Zhang Jiuling, argued that An Lushan should be executed to maintain military discipline. Zhang Jiuling also thought An Lushan looked like someone who would rebel. But Emperor Xuanzong believed An Lushan was capable. He spared An Lushan but removed his titles. An Lushan went back to serving under Zhang Shougui.

In 740, An Lushan became a commander in the Pinglu Army. In 741, an official visited the Pinglu Army. An Lushan tried hard to impress him, even bribing the official's servants. When the official returned to Chang'an, he praised An Lushan. Emperor Xuanzong then promoted An Lushan. He became the commander of the Pinglu Army. His job was to defend against the Khitan, Xi, Balhae, and Heishui Mohe tribes. In 742, Emperor Xuanzong made the Pinglu Army a major military region. An Lushan became its military governor, known as a jiedushi.

Visiting the Capital (743)

In 743, An Lushan visited Chang'an to meet Emperor Xuanzong. The Emperor treated him very well. An Lushan was allowed to visit the palace whenever he wanted. He even started getting involved in court politics.

An Lushan often pleased Emperor Xuanzong by giving him rare and valuable gifts. These included unusual animals or jewels. By this time, An Lushan was even more overweight. Emperor Xuanzong once joked, "What does this big belly of yours contain?" An Lushan replied, "Only a loyal heart, nothing else."

Another time, Emperor Xuanzong's son, Li Heng, who was the Crown Prince, was present. An Lushan refused to bow to Li Heng. He said, "I am a barbarian, and I don't understand formal ceremonies. What is a crown prince?" Emperor Xuanzong explained, "He is the future emperor. After I die, he will be your emperor." An Lushan then apologized and bowed. Emperor Xuanzong thought he was honest and liked him even more.

An Lushan was allowed to enter the palace freely. He asked to become an adopted son of Emperor Xuanzong's favorite concubine, Consort Yang Guifei. Emperor Xuanzong agreed. One time, An Lushan bowed to Consort Yang first before bowing to the Emperor. He said, "Barbarians bow to mothers first before fathers." Emperor Xuanzong was very pleased. He believed An Lushan was as loyal as a son.

Back to the North (744–750)

A Tang Chinese ceramic statuette of a Sogdian merchant

In 744, An Lushan received more praise from powerful officials. He was made military governor of Fanyang Circuit, in addition to Pinglu. To show his military skills, he often attacked the Khitan and Xi tribes. His actions led to the deaths of two Tang princesses. These princesses had been married to Khitan and Xi leaders to keep peace. In retaliation, both groups rebelled in 745. But An Lushan defeated them.

Some historians believe An Lushan was already planning a rebellion. In 747, he asked another military governor, Wang Zhongsi, for troops. Wang Zhongsi suspected An Lushan's intentions. He reported to Emperor Xuanzong that An Lushan might be planning treason. However, the powerful chancellor Li Linfu was worried about Wang Zhongsi. Li Linfu used this report to have Wang Zhongsi removed from his post.

In 748, Emperor Xuanzong gave An Lushan a special iron certificate. This certificate promised that An Lushan would not be executed, unless for treason. In 750, An Lushan was given the title Prince of Dongping. This was unusual because he was not part of the imperial family.

New Time in Chang'an (751–754)

An Lushan visited Chang'an again in 751. He brought 8,000 captured Xi people as a gift to the Emperor. In 751, Emperor Xuanzong built a magnificent house for An Lushan in Chang'an. It was very expensive, with jade, gold, and silver decorations.

On An Lushan's birthday, 20 February 751, the Emperor and Consort Yang gave him many gifts. On 23 February, Consort Yang played a joke to amuse the Emperor. She had a huge baby blanket made and wrapped An Lushan in it. She pretended he was her baby. Everyone laughed, and Emperor Xuanzong was delighted. He gave many rewards to both Consort Yang and An Lushan. After this, An Lushan was allowed to enter the palace freely whenever he visited the capital.

An Lushan also asked Emperor Xuanzong to make him the governor of Hedong Circuit. The Emperor agreed. Two of An Lushan's sons, An Qingzong and An Qingxu, were given important government jobs. An Qingzong even married a princess from the imperial family.

An Lushan was arrogant towards other officials. But he was careful with powerful figures like Li Linfu. He saw how much respect others showed Li Linfu. So, An Lushan also worked to build a good relationship with Li Linfu.

Planning a Rebellion

Sogdian merchants from a 9th-century Buddhist fresco in Bezeklik, Xinjiang

It is said that An Lushan started to worry about what would happen after Emperor Xuanzong died. He remembered how he had refused to bow to the Crown Prince, Li Heng. He also noticed that the central part of the empire had weak defenses. So, he began to plan a rebellion.

He chose about 8,000 soldiers from different tribes. He called them the Yeluohe, meaning "the brave." He gathered many trusted advisors and generals for his plan.

In late 751, An Lushan attacked the Khitan people. He advanced quickly but was defeated due to heavy rains. He almost died himself. He blamed some of his generals for the defeat and executed them. His friend Shi Siming later helped repel a Khitan counterattack. In 752, An Lushan wanted to attack the Khitan again. But one of his generals rebelled, stopping the campaign.

Rivalry with Other Generals

Later in 752, Emperor Xuanzong noticed that An Lushan had bad relationships with other key generals. He tried to make them friends. He invited An Lushan, An Sishun, and Geshu Han to a feast. But An Lushan and Geshu Han got into an argument. The powerful eunuch Gao Lishi had to stop Geshu Han from responding to An Lushan's insults.

After Li Linfu died in 753, a new chancellor, Yang Guozhong, took his place. Yang Guozhong wanted to dishonor Li Linfu after his death. He asked An Lushan to confirm that Li Linfu was involved in a rebellion. An Lushan agreed. This led to Li Linfu being dishonored and his family exiled.

Despite this cooperation, An Lushan and Yang Guozhong soon became rivals. Yang Guozhong repeatedly told Emperor Xuanzong that An Lushan was planning a rebellion. But the Emperor dismissed these warnings. Yang Guozhong then formed an alliance with Geshu Han against An Lushan.

In 754, Yang Guozhong again told the Emperor that An Lushan would rebel. He said An Lushan would not come if summoned to Chang'an. But when Emperor Xuanzong summoned An Lushan, he immediately came. An Lushan claimed Yang Guozhong was making false accusations. After this, Emperor Xuanzong refused to believe any warnings about An Lushan. The Emperor even thought about making An Lushan a chancellor. But Yang Guozhong opposed it, so it didn't happen.

An Lushan then returned to Fanyang. He asked Emperor Xuanzong for permission to promote his soldiers without imperial approval. The Emperor agreed. This greatly increased An Lushan's power.

The An Lushan Rebellion

The An Lushan Rebellion lasted from 16 December 755 to 17 February 763. It was one of the deadliest wars in history. Some estimates say millions of people died. However, this number is debated. Some scholars believe the population drop was also due to problems with the Tang government's record-keeping.

The Rebellion Begins

In the spring of 755, tensions were very high. An Lushan asked Emperor Xuanzong to replace 32 Chinese generals under his command with non-Chinese generals. The Emperor agreed, even though Yang Guozhong and other officials warned against it. They saw this as a clear sign that An Lushan was planning to rebel.

Map of An Lushan Rebellion

Yang Guozhong kept warning the Emperor about An Lushan. Yang also attacked some of An Lushan's staff. An Lushan's son, An Qingzong, who was in Chang'an, reported these attacks to his father. This made An Lushan very worried. An Lushan then refused to attend an imperial funeral. He also did not send many horses to Chang'an, which made Emperor Xuanzong suspicious. The Emperor learned that An Lushan had bribed an official. He had that official executed. Then he sent another official to summon An Lushan, but An Lushan ignored the summons.

On 16 December 755, An Lushan started his rebellion. He claimed he had a secret order from Emperor Xuanzong to attack Chang'an and remove Yang Guozhong. Imperial officials were very worried because An Lushan had the strongest army in the empire. Emperor Xuanzong sent generals to build defenses. He also executed An Qingzong and An Lushan's first wife, Lady Kang. He forced An Qingzong's wife, Lady Rongyi, to take her own life.

On 8 January 756, An Lushan's army crossed the Yellow River. They quickly captured important cities. He approached Luoyang, the eastern capital. He easily defeated the Tang army there and captured Luoyang. An Lushan stayed in Luoyang, planning to declare himself emperor. Meanwhile, some Tang officials in the north resisted An Lushan.

An Lushan as Emperor of Yan

On 5 February 756, An Lushan declared himself Emperor in Luoyang. He named his new state Yan. He appointed his trusted advisors as chancellors. He made his son, An Qingxu, the Prince of Jin.

At this time, Tang generals Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi were fighting in An Lushan's territory north of the Yellow River. They cut off communication between Luoyang and An Lushan's base. This made An Lushan's troops very worried. An Lushan thought about retreating north.

However, Yang Guozhong and General Geshu Han started to distrust each other. Yang Guozhong convinced Emperor Xuanzong to order Geshu Han to attack An Lushan's forces. Geshu Han and other generals thought this was a bad idea. They believed it was better to defend their current position. But Emperor Xuanzong kept ordering the attack. Geshu Han was forced to attack and was defeated. He was captured and surrendered to An Lushan. An Lushan tried to make other Tang generals surrender, but they refused.

When An Lushan's forces captured Tong Pass, Emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guozhong panicked. They fled from Chang'an towards Shu Commandery. On the way, at Mawei Station, the imperial guards rebelled. They blamed Yang Guozhong for the rebellion. They killed Yang Guozhong and demanded the death of Consort Yang Guifei. The Emperor sadly agreed.

An Lushan's army slowly entered Chang'an. Former Tang officials surrendered to him. An Lushan had Emperor Xuanzong's sister and other imperial relatives executed. He also made his son, An Qingxu, a new Tang Emperor. Li Heng, Emperor Xuanzong's son, fled to Lingwu and took the Tang imperial title there. Emperor Xuanzong recognized Li Heng's actions and became the Taishang Huang (retired emperor).

His Death

After becoming emperor, An Lushan spent most of his time inside the Luoyang palace. His generals rarely saw him. His trusted advisor, Yan Zhuang, handled most important matters.

An Lushan suffered from ongoing eye problems and eventually became blind. He also had ulcers and was extremely overweight. Because of his sickness and blindness, An Lushan became very bad-tempered and paranoid. He would often hit or even kill his servants if they upset him. Even Yan Zhuang and his trusted eunuch, Li Zhu'er, were often hit.

An Lushan favored his son An Qing'en, who was the son of his second wife, Lady Duan. He was thinking of making An Qing'en his successor instead of An Qingxu. An Qingxu knew he was out of favor and feared An Lushan would kill him. So, An Qingxu, along with Yan Zhuang and Li Zhu'er, decided to assassinate An Lushan.

On the night of 29 January 757, Li Zhu'er went into the palace with a sword. An Lushan tried to fight back but couldn't find his sword. Li Zhu'er killed him.

The next morning, Yan Zhuang told the officials that An Lushan was very ill. He announced that An Lushan had appointed An Qingxu as the new emperor. After taking the throne, An Qingxu announced that An Lushan had died.

Two years later, in 759, Shi Siming killed An Qingxu and became emperor. Shi Siming buried An Lushan with the honors of a prince, not an emperor. He gave him the unflattering posthumous name La, meaning "unthinking."

Personal Information

• Father
  • may be surnamed Kang (康) (personal name unknown)
• Mother
  • Lady Ashide
• Stepfather
  • An Yanyan (安延偃)
• Wives
  • Lady Kang, mother of Prince Qingxu (executed by Emperor Xuanzong of Tang 756)
  • Empress Duan, mother of An Qing'en
• Children
  • An Qingzong (安慶宗) (executed by Emperor Xuanzong of Tang 756)
  • An Qingxu (安慶緒), the Prince of Jin (created 756), later emperor
  • An Qingzhang (安慶長)
  • An Qinghe (安慶和), the Prince of Zheng (created 756, executed by Emperor Suzong of Tang 758)
  • An Qing'en (安慶恩)
  • Six other sons, names unrecorded in history
• Other
  • An Sishun (relationship uncertain)

Popular Culture

• Portrayed by Wong Chun in TVB's 1997 Hong Kong television series The Hitman Chronicles
• Portrayed by Louis Yuen in the 2000 Hong Kong television series The Legend of Lady Yang
• Portrayed by Lam Suet in 2017 Chinese television series The Glory of Tang Dynasty

See Also

In Spanish: An Lushan para niños

• Li Baoyu (another Sogdian general, who fought for the Tang against An Lushan)