Wang Shenzhi

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Emperor Taizu of Min
閩太祖
Prince of Min
Statue of Wang Shenzhi in Fuzhou. Uong Sing-di.JPG
Statue of Wang Shenzhi in Fuzhou.
Prince of Min (閩王)
ReignApril 27, 909 [1] [2] [3] – December 30, 925
Successor Wang Yanhan
Commandery Prince of Langya
(琅琊郡王)
Reign904–909
Jiedushi of Weiwu Circuit
(威武軍節度使)
Tenure898 – 925
Predecessor Wang Chao
SuccessorWang Yanhan
Born862 [4]
Gushi County, Guāngzhōu Prefecture, Huainan Circuit, Tang
DiedDecember 30, 925 [5] [1]
Fuzhou, Min
Burial
Xuanling Mausoleum (宣陵, in modern Jin'an District, Fuzhou)
Full name
Posthumous name
Prince Zhōngyì
(忠懿王, "faithful and benevolent"),
later Emperor Zhāowǔxiào
(昭武孝皇帝, "accomplished, martial, and filial")
Temple name
Tàizǔ (太祖)
House Wang
Dynasty Min

If soldiers die, I will replace the soldiers. If the generals die, I will replace the generals. If the soldiers and the generals all are dead, I will go myself.

Wang Yanfu and Wang Shenzhi, fearful of the rebuke, intensified their attacks. By summer 893, the food supply in Fu Prefecture ran out. Fan abandoned it and fled, and the Weisheng army, still on the way, hearing that Fan had fled, returned to Weisheng. Fan was killed by his soldiers in flight. Wang entered Fu Prefecture and claimed the title of acting governor. [11] After Wang Chao was subsequently made governor of Fujian, and then the military governor (with the circuit's name upgraded from Fujian to Weiwu (威武)), Wang Shenzhi served as deputy military governor. [12] It was said that whenever Wang Shenzhi had faults, Wang Chao would batter him, but Wang Shenzhi would not complain. In 897, when Wang Chao grew ill, he did not try to pass his authorities to any of his sons; rather, he entrusted the matters of the circuit to Wang Shenzhi. After Wang Chao died around the new year 898, Wang Shenzhi offered the authorities to Wang Shengui, who was then the prefect of Quan Prefecture, but Wang Shengui declined on the account that he considered Wang Shenzhi more accomplished. Wang Shenzhi thus claimed the title of acting military governor of Weiwu and submitted a report of what occurred to then-ruling Emperor Zhaozong, who commissioned him as acting military governor and later in the year made him full military governor. [13]

As military governor of Weiwu

In 900, Emperor Zhaozong bestowed the honorary chancellor designation of Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (同中書門下平章事) on Wang Shenzhi. [14] He was later successively given the honorary titles of acting Sikong (司空) and acting Situ (司徒) (two of the Three Excellencies). In 902, Wang built an outer wall for Fu Prefecture. In 904, Emperor Zhaozong created him the Prince of Langya. [15]

In 907, the major warlord Zhu Quanzhong the military governor of Xuanwu Circuit (宣武, headquartered in modern Kaifeng, Henan) forced Emperor Zhaozong's son and successor Emperor Ai to yield the throne to him, ending Tang and starting a new Later Liang dynasty with him as its Emperor Taizu. Wang Shenzhi recognized the new emperor, and was subsequently given the greater chancellor title of Shizhong (侍中). [16] In 909, Emperor Taizu created him the Prince of Min, [2] and also gave him the chancellor title of Zhongshu Ling (中書令, governor of Palace Secretariat). [15]

As Prince of Min

Map of warlords before the end of Tang dynasty, with the territory ruled by Wang Shenzhi End of Tang Warlords.jpg
Map of warlords before the end of Tang dynasty, with the territory ruled by Wang Shenzhi

Early reign

Meanwhile, also in 909, after Wang Shenzhi felt slighted by Zhang Zhiyuan (張知遠), the emissary from Hongnong (predecessor state to Wu, then ruled by Yang Wo, the Prince of Hongnong, who did not recognize the Later Liang emperor), Wang decapitated Zhang and broke off diplomatic relations with Hongnong. [2]

As prince, Wang was said to be frugal, often wearing hemp shoes, with his mansion remaining small and unexpanded. His criminal penalties were relaxed and tax rates were low; these policies were said to lead to both the government and the people becoming wealthy, and his realm to be calm. He submitted yearly tributes to the Later Liang emperor by sea route, via Later Liang's Deng (登州) and Lai (萊州, both in modern Yantai, Shandong) Prefectures, but the sea route was said to be so treacherous and corrupt that 40–50% casualties were common. [2]

In 916, Wang Shenzhi gave a daughter to Qian Chuanxiang (錢傳珦, later known as Qian Yuanxiang (錢元珦)), the son of Qian Liu, the prince of Min's neighbor to the north, Wuyue, in marriage. Qian Chuanxiang personally went to Min for the marriage, and it was said that after the wedding, the relationship between Min and Wuyue became more friendly. [17] Also in 916, Wang Shenzhi began to make lead coins, and thereafter, lead coins were circulated along with the traditional copper coins. [15]

Late reign

Tomb of Wang Shenzhi [zh] Tomb of Wang Shenzhi 4.jpg
Tomb of Wang Shenzhi  [ zh ]

In 917, Wang Shenzhi took Liu Hua, a niece of Liu Yan, the emperor of Min's southwestern neighbor Yue (which would later be known as Southern Han), whose title was Princess of Qingyuan, as the wife of his second son Wang Yanjun. [18] [19] (Written historical accounts indicated that she was a daughter of Liu Yan's, but her tombstone was subsequently discovered, revealing that she was actually the daughter of Liu Yan's older brother and predecessor, Liu Yin. [20] )

In 918, Wu, which was then ruled by Yang Wo's brother and successor Yang Longyan, launched a major attack, commanded by the general Liu Xin (劉信), on Tan Quanbo the military governor of Baisheng Circuit (百勝, headquartered in modern Ganzhou, Jiangxi), who was ruling the circuit in independence but whose nominal allegiance had vacillated between Wu and Later Liang. Tan sought aid from Min, as well as Wuyue and Chu. Min forces advanced to Yudu (雩都, in modern Ganzhou) to try to aid Tan, while Wuyue and Chu also sent troops. After Liu then defeated Chu troops, Min and Wuyue forces also withdrew. Subsequently, Liu captured Tan's capital Qian Prefecture (虔州), allowing Wu to directly take over Baisheng Circuit. [18]

Apparently sometime after Wang Shengui's death (the date of which was not recorded in traditional histories, but appeared to be 903), Wang Shenzhi allowed Wang Shengui's son Wang Yanbin (王延彬) to take over governance of Quan Prefecture, and later bestowed on him the title of military governor of Pinglu Circuit (平盧, whose territory was not under Min control, being headquartered in modern Weifang, Shandong). Wang Yanbin initially governed the prefecture well. However, later, after he received a white deer and a purple lingzhi, he became arrogant, believing in the prophecies of the Buddhist monk Haoyuan (浩源) that he would become prince in the future. He further secretly sent emissaries to Later Liang, seeking to be a Later Liang vassal independently of Wang Shenzhi. When Wang Shenzhi discovered this conspiracyin 920, he had Haoyuan and his associates executed and removed Wang Yanbin from his posts, sending him back to his mansion. [21]

In 922, there was an incident where Liu Yan (whose state had been renamed Han by that point and thereafter was known as Southern Han in traditional Chinese sources), believing in sorcerers who told him that he should go to Meikou (梅口, in modern Meizhou, Guangdong) to avoid a disaster. With Meikou on the border between Southern Han and Min, [21] the Min general Wang Yanmei (王延美), who might have been either a son of Wang Shenzhi's [22] or Yang Shengui's, [19] decided to launch an ambush on Liu. However, Liu received news of the ambush and left Meikou before Min forces could attack. [21]

In 923, Li Cunxu the Prince of Jin, whose state was an archrival of Later Liang's to its north, declared himself the emperor of a new Later Tang (as Emperor Zhuangzong), and later that year captured Later Liang's capital Daliang (today Kaifeng, Henan). The Later Liang emperor Zhu Zhen (son of Emperor Taizu) committed suicide, ending Later Liang. [23] Subsequently, emissaries were exchanged between Min and Later Tang, and Wang Shenzhi recognized Emperor Zhuangzong's suzerainty. [15]

In 924, Southern Han launched an attack on Min, with Liu Yan himself commanding the troops and reaching the borders of Min's Ting and Zhang Prefectures. A Min counterattack defeated Southern Han forces, however, and Liu Yan withdrew. [24]

In 925, Wang Shenzhi grew ill, and he put his oldest son Wang Yanhan, then the deputy military governor of Weiwu, in charge of the affairs of the state. [24] (A rumor at that time was that Wang Shenzhi's illness was due to poisoning by Wang Yanhan's wife Lady Cui.) [19] Later in the year, Wang Shenzhi died, and Wang Yanhan took over the state, although at that time claiming only the title of acting military governor/ jiedushi of Weiwu. [5]

Personal information

Notes and references

  1. 1 2 Academia Sinica Chinese-Western Calendar Converter.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 267.
  3. ↑ The start of Wang Shenzhi's "reign," as used here, is set at the time when Zhu Wen created him the Prince of Min. One can also set it at the time of the death of his brother and predecessor Wang Chao on January 2, 898, although Wang Chao did not carry any princely titles at that point and Wang Shenzhi did not carry any immediately after Wang Chao's death.
  4. 1 2 3 New History of the Five Dynasties , vol. 68.
  5. 1 2 Zizhi Tongjian , vol. 274.
  6. ↑ Wang Shenzhi's title, in Chinese, was Wang (王), which can be translated as either "prince" or "king" in English. It will be rendered "prince" here to distinguish it from the greater title of Guowang (國王), carried by some contemporary rulers, which would be translated as "king."
  7. ↑ New Book of Tang , vol. 190.
  8. 1 2 3 Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 256.
  9. 1 2 Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 254.
  10. ↑ Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 258.
  11. 1 2 Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 259.
  12. ↑ History of the Five Dynasties , vol. 134.
  13. ↑ Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 261.
  14. ↑ Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 262.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms (十國春秋), vol. 90.
  16. ↑ Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 266.
  17. ↑ Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 269.
  18. 1 2 Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 270.
  19. 1 2 3 Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms, vol. 94.
  20. ↑ Chen Hongjun, Study on and Examination of the Tombstone of Tang's Late Lady Minghui of Yan, Lady Liu of Pengcheng, Excavated in Fujian, Journal of Ningbo University (Liberal Arts Edition), vol. 23, no. 5 (Sept. 2010).[ permanent dead link ]
  21. 1 2 3 Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 271.
  22. 1 2 3 "Tombstone of the Prince of Min". Archived from the original on 2014-02-01. Retrieved 2014-01-19.
  23. ↑ Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 272.
  24. 1 2 Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 273.
  25. 1 2 According to the Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms, vol. 94, Wang Yanmei and Wang Yanwu were the sons of Wang Shenzhi's older brother Wang Shengui.
  26. ↑ Wang Shenzhi's tombstone does not mention Wang Yanzong, but he could have been born posthumously.
Wang Shenzhi
Traditional Chinese 王審知
Simplified Chinese 王审知
Transcriptions
Southern Min
Hokkien POJ Ông Sím-ti
Eastern Min
Fuzhou BUC Uòng Sīng-dĭ
Regnal titles
Preceded by
None (Founder of kingdom)
 Prince of Min
909–925		Succeeded by

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