History
According to traditional Chinese historians, the title was first used by two refugee princes from Zhou who settled among the barbarian Wu. Their state of Wu had its capital first at Meili (traditionally held to be Meicun in modern Wuxi), then at Gusu (within modern Suzhou) and Helu City (present-day Suzhou). It was established independently but became a vassal to the Zhou dynasty after its conquest of the Shang dynasty. It became independent again during the Spring and Autumn period, but was annexed by the Yue state in 473 BC.
The title was somewhat infelicitous for the early Kings of the Han dynasty, who were quite autonomous and powerful before being reined in after an unsuccessful revolt in 154 BC. Therefore, the early princes are sometimes counted as "kings" as well. After the rebellion, the Wuyue region was divided up among different princes and the title was abolished until it was recreated during the Three Kingdoms era when Cao Cao recommended Sun Ce to be Marquis of Wu in 197. Sun Quan was created as King of Wu in 220 as a vassal ruler of Cao Wei. He later declared himself an independent king in 222 and proclaimed as emperor of the Eastern Wu in 229.
The Prince of Wu title was recreated during the Tang dynasty for 14th son of Emperor Gaozu, Li Yuangui. Li Ke was created as Prince of Wu in 636. The title was suspended in 653 when Li Ke ordered to commit suicide. He was found innocent in 705, and his son Li Kun was posthumously honored as Prince of Wu. The title remained suspended until near the end of Tang dynasty, Yang Xingmi was created Prince of Wu in 902, and his successor kept the Wu title even after end of Tang in 907. They remained independent as Southern Wu as King of Wu until Yang Pu declared himself an emperor.
During the Red Turban Rebellion, Zhu Yuanzhang declared himself King of Wu during the late phases of against the Yuan, just prior to his establishment of the Ming dynasty. His fifth son, Zhu Su, received the title as Prince of Wu after he became emperor in 1370. The title was vacated in 1378 after Zhu Su's title changed to Prince of Zhou. In 1399, Zhu Yuntong was recreated as Prince of Wu, but he was strip of the title after Jianwen Emperor was deposed by Yongle Emperor due to his relationship. The title became extinct since then.
Taizu is a temple name typically, but not always, used for Chinese monarchs who founded a particular dynasty. It may refer to:
Zhu Biao was the Hongwu Emperor's eldest son and crown prince of the Ming dynasty. His early death created a crisis in the dynasty's first succession that was resolved by the successful usurpation of his brother Zhu Di as the Yongle Emperor, an act with far-reaching consequences for the future of China.
After Liu Bang defeated Xiang Yu and proclaimed himself emperor of the Han dynasty, he followed the practice of Xiang Yu and enfeoffed many generals, noblemen, and imperial relatives as kings, the same title borne by the sovereigns of the Shang and Zhou dynasties and by the rulers of the Warring States. Each king had his own semi-autonomous kingdom. This was a departure from the policy of the Qin dynasty, which divided China into commanderies governed by non-hereditary governors.
Wu, also referred to as Huainan (淮南), Hongnong (弘農), Southern Wu (南吳), or Yang Wu (楊吳), was a dynastic state of China and one of the Ten Kingdoms during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. It existed from 907 to 937 with capital at Jiangdu Municipality.
Qian Liu, known as Qian Poliu during his childhood, was a warlord of the late Tang dynasty who founded the Wuyue kingdom.
Yang Xingmi, né Yang Xingmin, courtesy name Huayuan (化源), formally Prince Wuzhong of Wu, later posthumously honored King Xiaowu of Wu then Emperor Wu of Wu (吳武帝) with the temple name of Taizu (太祖), was a Chinese military general, monarch, and politician. He was the military governor (Jiedushi) of Huainan Circuit late in the Chinese Tang Dynasty, whose takeover of Huainan and several nearby circuits allowed him and his family to rule over territory that would eventually become the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms state Wu, including most of modern Jiangsu and Anhui and parts of modern Jiangxi and Hubei.
Zhu Can (朱粲) was an agrarian rebel leader during the disintegration of the Chinese Sui Dynasty. He was particularly noted for his cruelty and his penchant for favoring cannibalism, and he, while not having a set base of operation, generally roved with his army in the modern southern Henan area, claiming for himself the title of Emperor of Chu. He also at times submitted to Li Mi the Duke of Wei, the Sui emperor Yang Tong, Emperor Gaozu of Tang, and Wang Shichong the Emperor of Zheng. After finally breaking with Tang, he fled to the Zheng capital Luoyang, and after Luoyang fell to Tang in 621, he was executed.
This is a family tree of Chinese monarchs from the Northern and Southern dynasties period to the collapse of the Southern Song dynasty.
Queen Dowager Shi was a concubine of the late-Tang dynasty warlord Yang Xingmi and the mother of two of Yang Xingmi's sons, Yang Wo and Yang Longyan, both of whom would become rulers of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period state Wu, and thus was a queen dowager of Wu.
Du Hong (杜洪) was a warlord late in the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, who controlled Wuchang Circuit from 886 to 905. In 905, he was defeated and captured by Yang Xingmi, who executed him.
Prince or King of Yan was a Chinese feudal title referring to the ancient Chinese State of Yan and to its fiefs including the capital Yanjing.
Xu Wen, courtesy name Dunmei (敦美), formally Prince Zhongwu of Qi (齊忠武王), later further posthumously honored Emperor Wu (武皇帝) with the temple name Yizu (義祖) by his adoptive son Xu Zhigao after Xu Zhigao founded the state of Southern Tang, was a major general and regent of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period state Wu. He took over the reins of the Wu state after assassinating, with his colleague Zhang Hao, Yang Wo, the first Prince of Hongnong, and then killing Zhang. Xu was in essence the decision-maker throughout the reign of Yang Wo's brother and successor Yang Longyan and the first part of the reign of Yang Longyan's brother and successor Yang Pu. After his death, Xu Zhigao inherited his position as regent, eventually seizing the Wu throne and establishing Southern Tang.
Yang Wo, courtesy name Chengtian, formally Prince Wei of Hongnong, later further posthumously honored King Jing of Wu and then as Emperor Jing of Wu with the temple name Liezu, was the first independent ruler of the dynastic state of Yang Wu during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period of China.
Wang Jingren (王景仁), né Wang Maozhang, was a major general during the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period Later Liang state. He was originally a general under Yang Xingmi, the Prince of Wu in the late Tang Dynasty, but later got into a dispute with Yang's son and successor Yang Wo and was forced to flee to the domain of Qian Liu, who, as a Later Liang vassal, later sent Wang to Later Liang, whose Emperor Taizu was impressed with Wang's abilities and therefore made Wang a major general. Wang, however, was not successful in subsequent campaigns against either Wu or Later Liang's northern enemy Jin.
Yan Keqiu (嚴可求) was a key official of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period state Wu, as the chief strategist for the Wu regent Xu Wen and each of Wu's three rulers, Yang Wo, Yang Longyan, and Yang Pu.
Yang Longyan (楊隆演), né Yang Ying (楊瀛), also known as Yang Wei (楊渭), courtesy name Hongyuan (鴻源), formally King Xuan of Wu (吳宣王), later further posthumously honored Emperor Xuan of Wu (吳宣帝) with the temple name of Gaozu (高祖), was a king of the dynastic state of Yang Wu (Hongnong) during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period of China. He became its ruler and carried the title of Prince of Hongnong after the assassination of his brother Yang Wo in 908, but throughout his reign, the governance of the Yang Wu state was under the effective control of the regent Xu Wen.
Taizi was the title of the crown prince of imperial China.
Qian Yuanguan (錢元瓘), born Qian Chuanguan (錢傳瓘), formally King Wenmu of Wuyue (吳越文穆王), courtesy name Mingbao (明寶), was the second king of the state of Wuyue, during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period of China. During his reign, his kingdom was centred on modern Zhejiang. He ascended to the throne in 932, when his father Qian Liu left the state in his hands, to 941. He was the father to all three of Wuyue's subsequent kings.
Li Decheng (李德誠), formally Prince Zhongyi of Zhao (趙忠懿王), was a prominent general of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period Wu state. He and his family would remain highly honored during the time of Wu's successor state Southern Tang.
