Zhu Wen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Emperor Taizu of Later Liang後梁太祖 |
|||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
|||||||||||||||||
| Emperor of Later Liang | |||||||||||||||||
| Reign | June 1, 907 – July 18, 912 | ||||||||||||||||
| Predecessor | Dynasty founder | ||||||||||||||||
| Successor | Zhu Yougui | ||||||||||||||||
| Born | December 5, 852 Dangshan, Songzhou, Tang China (modern Dangshan County, Suzhou, Anhui) |
||||||||||||||||
| Died | July 18, 912 (aged 59) Kaifeng |
||||||||||||||||
| Burial | Xuanling Mausoleum (宣陵, in modern Yichuan County, Henan) | ||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||
| Dynasty | Later Liang | ||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Military general, monarch, politician | ||||||||||||||||
Emperor Taizu of Later Liang (後梁太祖), personal name Zhu Quanzhong (朱全忠) (December 5, 852 – July 18, 912), né Zhu Wen (朱溫), name later changed to Zhu Huang (朱晃), nickname Zhu San (朱三, literally, "the third Zhu"), was a Chinese military general, monarch, and politician. He was a Jiedushi (military governor) and warlord who in 907 overthrew the Tang dynasty and established the Later Liang as its emperor, ushering in the era of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms.
Biography
Zhu Wen was born the youngest of three sons, Quanyu, Cun and Wen. His father, Zhu Cheng (朱誠) was an instructor in the Five Classics. He died while Wen was still a boy.
Zhu Wen was brought up to be a family retainer or manor steward. In about 877 Zhu Wen and the second brother, Zhu Cun (朱存), joined the rebel army of Huang Chao when it fought its way through the region. Cun was later killed in battle, but Wen rose through the ranks until given a separate command following Huang Chao's capture of the imperial capital Chang'an in January 881.
With this army Zhu Wen attacked and captured nearby Tong Prefecture (同州, in modern Weinan, Shaanxi), becoming defense commissioner of that prefecture. He then chose to change sides and surrendered to the Hezhong Circuit (河中, headquartered in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi)'s military governor (Jiedushi), Wang Chongrong. As reward for his timely defection Emperor Xizong of Tang appointed Zhu Wen prefect of Bian Prefecture (汴州, in modern Kaifeng, Henan) and military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered at Bian Prefecture).
Taking advantage of the total chaos in the wake of Huang Chao's defeat, Zhu Wen was able to conquer parts of central China after destroying warlords such as Qin Zongquan, Shi Pu, Zhu Xuan, and Zhu Jin, although most of Shaanxi, Shanxi, and Hebei remained outside his reach, controlled by rival states Qi, Jin, and Yan respectively. Most of his later campaigns were directed at the Shatuo-ruled Jin state (later to become the Later Tang) based in Shanxi, but they failed because of the Jin leaders, Li Keyong and his son Li Cunxu. Due to his emphasis on unifying the north, Taizu was not able to make any inroads into southern China. Southern China came to be controlled by about seven different states, and the ruler Yang Wu and Former Shu was not submissive to him.
In fall 904, Zhu led soldiers into the Luoyang palace and had Emperor Zhaozong killed. He declared Li Zuo as new emperor (as Emperor Ai).
Shortly after Emperor Zhaozong's death, Zhu also had nine elder of the deceased emperor's sons (except Emperor Ai) killed, sparing Emperor Ai and his mother (Emperor Zhaozong's wife) Empress Dowager He.
The last two Tang emperors, Emperor Zhaozong of Tang (Li Jie) and Emperor Ai of Tang (Li Zuo) "ruled" as his puppets from 903 to 907. After they were both murdered, Zhu was proclaimed Emperor.
Zhu Wen used a combination of strict enforcement, ruthless violence and solicitation to ensure his officers stayed loyal to him. Zhu Wen's reign came to an end in 912 when he was murdered in his palace by his son Zhu Yougui.
Personal information
Parents
- Father: Zhu Cheng (朱誠), posthumously honored Emperor Wenmu (文穆皇帝) with the temple name of Liezu (烈祖) (honored 907)
- Mother: Lady Wang (died 891), Lady Dowager of Jin, posthumously honored Empress Wenhui (文惠皇后)
Consort and issue
- Empress Yuanzhen (元貞皇后) (honored 912) of the Zhang clan (张氏 )
- Zhu Youzhen (朱友貞) (888–923), the Prince of Jun (created 907), later emperor
- Zhu Youzi (朱友孜), the Prince of Kang (created 913?, executed by Zhu Youzhen 915)
- Consort Shi, Lady of Wuwei, of the Shi clan (石氏), younger sister of Shi Yanci (石彥辭) Baron of Wuwei
- Zhaoyi Chen, of the Chen clan (陳昭儀 陳氏), later Buddhist nun (tonsure 909)
- Zhaorong Li , of the Li clan (李昭容 李氏)
- Meiren, of the Duan clan (段美人), younger sister of Duan Ning
- Wife of Zhu Jin
- Unknown:
- Zhu Youyu (朱友裕) (died 904), posthumously created Prince of Chen (created 907)
- Zhu Yougui (朱友珪), the Prince of Ying (created 907), later emperor
- Zhu Youzhang (朱友璋), the Prince of Fu (created 907)
- Zhu Youyong (朱友雍), the Prince of He (created 907)
- Zhu Youhui (朱友徽), the Prince of Jian (created 907)
- Princess Anyang, wife of Luo Tinggui (羅廷規), son of Luo Shaowei
- Princess Changle, wife of Zhao Yan, son of Zhao Chou
- Princess Jinhua, second wife of Luo Tinggui, later Buddhist nun (tonsure 910)
- Princess Puning, wife of Wang Zhaozuo, son of Wang Rong
- Princess Zhenning
- Adopted Children
- Zhu Youwen (朱友文), né Kang Qin (康勤), the Prince of Bo (murdered by Zhu Youzhen on Zhu Yougui's orders 912)
- Zhu Youqian, né Zhu Jian (朱簡), the Prince of Ji
- Zhu Yougong (朱友恭), né Li Yanwei (李彥威) (executed and original name restored 904)
- Zhu Yourang (朱友讓), né Li Rang (李讓)
- Zhu Hanbin (朱漢賓), son of Zhu Yuanli (朱元禮) an officer killed in battle
