The An Lushan Rebellion, also known in Chinese historiography either as the An–Shi Rebellion, An–Shi Disturbances or Tianbao Chaos (天寶之乱), was an eight-year civil war during the mid-point of the Tang dynasty that started as a commandery rebellion against the Imperial Government, attempting to overthrow and replace it with the rogue Yan dynasty. The more commonly referred term Ān-Shǐ is used to recognize the two families that led the rebellion, originally by An Lushan, a fanzhen general officer and military governor of the Taiyuan Commandery who led the rebellion for two years before he was assassinated by his son An Qingxu. Two years after An Qingxu's ascension, Shi Siming, the governor of Pinglu Commandery and a close ally to An Lushan, violently usurped the leadership and killed An Qingxu. Shi Siming ruled for two years, but in turn fell victim to patricide by his own son Shi Chaoyi, who ruled for another two years before the rebellion was finally quelled by Tang loyalists.
Yang Guozhong, né Yang Zhao (楊釗), was a Chinese politician who served as leading chancellor from 752 to 756, late in the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang. Yang was a gambler and wastrel but rose rapidly to political power after his distant cousin, Yang Yuhuan, became Emperor Xuanzong's favorite consort in 744. His skills as a financial administrator helped him become leading chancellor in 752, but while he enjoyed Emperor Xuanzong's trust, he proved disastrously incompetent and incurred the wrath of many, including the general An Lushan, another imperial favorite. Yang was blamed for precipitating An's cataclysmic rebellion in 755. In the following year, he forced the Tang army of Geshu Han, then holding favorable defensive positions in Tong Pass, to confront the rebel army, leading to a rout of Tang forces and the fall of the imperial capital, Chang'an. Yang attempted to flee to his base in Chengdu with Emperor Xuanzong, but when the imperial party stopped at Mawei Station in modern Shaanxi, Yang and his family, including Yang Yuhuan, were massacred by imperial guard soldiers who blamed them for the chaos.
The Battle of Talas or Battle of Artlakh was a military encounter and engagement between the Abbasid Caliphate along with its ally, the Tibetan Empire, against the Chinese Tang dynasty. In July 751, Tang and Abbasid forces met in the valley of the Talas River to vie for control over the Syr Darya region of Central Asia. According to Chinese sources, after several days of stalemate, the Karluk Turks, originally allied to the Tang dynasty, defected to the Abbasid army and tipped the balance of power, resulting in a Tang rout.
An Lushan was a general in the Tang dynasty and is primarily known for instigating the An Lushan Rebellion.
Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, personal name Li Longji, was the seventh emperor of the Tang dynasty in China, reigning from 712 to 756 CE. His reign of 44 years was the longest during the Tang dynasty. In the early half of his reign he was a diligent and astute ruler. Ably assisted by capable chancellors like Yao Chong, Song Jing and Zhang Yue, he was credited with bringing the Tang dynasty to a pinnacle of culture and power. Emperor Xuanzong, however, because of his interest in his two beloved concubines who were involved in governmental matters, was blamed for over-trusting Li Linfu, Yang Guozhong and An Lushan during his late reign, with Tang's golden age ending in the An Lushan Rebellion.
Emperor Daizong of Tang, personal name Li Yu, né Li Chu, was an emperor of the Chinese Tang dynasty.
Duan Xiushi (段秀實), courtesy name Chenggong (成公), formally Prince Zhonglie of Zhangye (張掖忠烈王), was a general of the Chinese Tang dynasty. He was known for his strict military discipline. In 783, after Emperor Dezong fled the capital Chang'an in the midst of a revolt at Chang'an led by the general Zhu Ci, Duan made a desperate attempt to assassinate Zhu and was killed in the attempt.
Li Siye (李嗣業), formally Prince Zhongyong of Wuwei (武威忠勇王), was a general of the Tang Dynasty. He was known to have fought valiantly at the Battle of Talas after the defeat of the primary army commanded by Gao Xianzhi, and his efforts allowed Gao to escape from the pursuit of the Abbasid Caliphate forces. Li Siye later died from battle injuries whilst fighting against rebel forces during the An Lushan Rebellion.
Huang Chao was a Chinese rebel, best known for leading a major rebellion that severely weakened the Tang dynasty.
Feng Changqing (Chinese: 封常清; pinyin: Fēng Chángqīng; Wade–Giles: Feng Ch'ang-ch'ing was a general of the Chinese Tang Dynasty. Feng was described as ugly in his appearance, and when he first met Gao Xianzhi and asked to be a guard for Gao, Gao initially rejected him, but eventually agreed to take Feng as a soldier under his command. He distinguished himself under the commands of Gao and Wang Zhengjian, particularly in a battle against Greater Bolü in 753, eventually commissioned as a military governor. After failing to defeat An Lushan's rebellion in 755, however, both he and Gao were executed due to accusations against them made by the eunuch Bian Lingcheng.
Geshu Han, formally Prince Wumin of Xiping (西平武愍王), was a general of Tang China who was of Turgesh extraction. He became a powerful general late in the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang and in 756 became responsible for defending Tong Pass against the rebel forces of An Lushan.
An Sishun (安思順) was a general of the Chinese Tang Dynasty during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong, probably of Tujue (Göktürk) extraction. He was related to another general, An Lushan. After An Lushan rebelled against Emperor Xuanzong's rule in 755, another general who was inimical to An Sishun, Geshu Han, manufactured evidence that An Sishun was complicit in An Lushan's rebellion, and An Sishun was killed.
An Qingxu (安慶緒), né An Renzhi (安仁執), was a son of An Lushan, a general of the Chinese Tang Dynasty who rebelled and took the imperial title, and then established his own state of Yan. An Qingxu served as the Prince of Jin in 756–757, and later killed his father and took the imperial title for himself. He was eventually defeated by Tang forces and cornered at Yecheng in present-day Hebei. After An Lushan's general Shi Siming lifted the siege, An Qingxu met Shi to thank him, but Shi arrested and executed him.
Shi Siming, or Shi Sugan (史窣干), was a Chinese military general, monarch, and politician during the Tang Dynasty who followed his childhood friend An Lushan in rebelling against Tang, and who later succeeded An Lushan's son An Qingxu as emperor of the Yan state that An Lushan established.
Yu Chao'en, formally the Duke of Han (韓公), was a eunuch official of the Chinese Tang dynasty. He was powerful early during the reign of Emperor Daizong and was feared by others, including chancellors. At the urging of the chancellor Yuan Zai, Emperor Daizong secretly executed him at a meeting in 770, although Emperor Daizong publicly claimed that he committed suicide.
Li Zhongchen, né Dong Qin (董秦), was a general of the Chinese Tang dynasty. He was known as both a supporter of the imperial cause but also a corrupt and violent military governor (Jiedushi). He was later expelled by his own army and, because of his service to imperial causes, kept by Emperor Daizong and Emperor Dezong as an official at the Tang capital Chang'an. In 783, he joined Zhu Ci's rebel Qin state, and after Zhu's defeat in 784 was captured and executed.
Linghu Tao, courtesy name Zizhi (子直), formally the Duke of Zhao (趙公), was an official of the Chinese Tang dynasty. He was the leading chancellor during the last nine years of the reign of Emperor Xuānzong but was removed from his chancellor position after Emperor Xuānzong's death, subsequently serving several terms as military governor (Jiedushi) in the circuits.
Xiahou Zi, courtesy name Haoxue (好學), formally the Duke of Qiao Commandery (譙郡公), was an official of the Chinese Tang dynasty, serving two terms as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Xuānzong and Emperor Xuānzong's son Emperor Yizong.
Wang Duo (王鐸), courtesy name Zhaofan (昭範), formally the Duke of Jin (晉公), was a Chinese politician of the medieval Tang Dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Yizong and Emperor Yizong's son Emperor Xizong. After the agrarian rebel Huang Chao captured the Tang capital Chang'an in 880 and forced Emperor Xizong to flee, Wang was commissioned by Emperor Xizong to serve as the supreme commander of Tang forces in the central and eastern empire, effectively serving as viceroy with full imperial authorities to issue edicts, and Wang was instrumental in the various Tang maneuvers, including persuading Li Keyong and Zhu Quanzhong to join the Tang cause, in defeating Huang. In 884, on his way to his new post as the military governor (Jiedushi) of Yichang Circuit, Le Congxun (樂從訓) the son of Le Yanzhen the military governor of Weibo Circuit, enticed by the group of women that accompanied Wang, ambushed Wang and killed him, taking the women captive.
Shang Rang (尚讓) was a major follower of Huang Chao, an agrarian rebel leader against the rule of the Chinese Tang Dynasty and carried prominent titles after Huang declared himself the emperor of a new state of Qi. As Huang neared defeat in 884, Shang turned against him and submitted to the Tang general Shi Pu and participated in the final destruction of Huang's army. Shang himself was later killed by Shi.
