Wikipedia

Han-Zhao

(Redirected fromFormer Zhao)

TheHan-Zhao(simplified Chinese:Hán Triệu;traditional Chinese:Hán Triệu;pinyin:Hàn Zhào;304–329 AD), orFormer Zhao(simplified Chinese:Trước Triệu;traditional Chinese:Trước Triệu;pinyin:Qián Zhào), was adynastic state of Chinaruled by the Liu (Luandi/Chuge) clan ofXiongnuethnicity during theSixteen Kingdomsperiod of Chinese history.[6]In Chinese historiography, it was given two conditional state titles, theNorthern Han(Bắc hán;Běi Hàn) for the state proclaimed in 304 byLiu Yuan,and theFormer Zhao(Trước Triệu;Qián Zhào) for the state proclaimed in 319 byLiu Yao.The reference to them as separate states should be considered misleading, given that when Liu Yao changed the name of the state from “Han” to “Zhao” in 319, he treated the state as having been continuous from the time that Liu Yuan founded it in 304; instead, he de-established his imperial lineage from theHan dynastyand claimed ancestry directly fromModu Chanyu.

Han-Zhao
Former Zhao
Hán (304–319)
Triệu (319–329)
304–329
Han-Zhao before split, c. 317, northern China
Han-Zhao before split,c.317, northern China
Han-Zhao (Former Zhao) after split, c. 326
Han-Zhao (Former Zhao) after split,c.326
CapitalLishi (304–305)
Liting (305–308)
Puzi (308–309)
Pingyang(309–318)
Chang'an(318–329)
Shanggui (329)
Religion
Tengriism,Buddhism
GovernmentMonarchy
Emperor
• 304–310
Liu Yuan
• 310
Liu He
• 310–318
Liu Cong
• 318
Liu Can
• 318–329
Liu Yao
• 329
Liu Xi
History
• Established
304
•Liu Yuan's claim of imperial title
2 November 308[1][2]
• Name change from Han to Zhao
319
•Liu Yao's capture byShi Le
21 January 329[3][4]
• Disestablished
329
Area
316[5]2,000,000 km2(770,000 sq mi)
Preceded by		 Succeeded by
Jin dynasty (266–420)
Later Zhao
Today part ofChina

The reason it is also referred to as "Former Zhao" in historiography is to distinguish it from thesimilarly-named dynastyfounded byShi Lein 319, which was also known officially as "Zhao" (labeled "Later Zhao" in Chinese historiography). Since both the Former Zhao and Northern Han were ruled by the same family, the Chinese scholars often conditionally combined them into a single Han-Zhao regime. Numerous Western texts refer to the two states separately; others referred to the Han state as the “Northern Han”, a confusing nomenclature given that the term also refers to theNorthern Hanstate of the laterFive Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.

During the Han period, the capital was frequently shifted aroundShanxibefore finally settling inPingyang.The Han was a driving force during theupheaval of the Five Barbarians,as they brought theDisaster of Yongjiaand demise of theWestern Jin dynastyby 317. At the height of its power, the Han ruled Shanxi,Shaanxi,easternGansu,and large parts ofShandong,Hebei,andHenan.AfterJin Zhun'scoup in 318, the empire, which renamed itself to (Former) Zhao in 319, was split into two betweenLiu Yaoand the warlord,Shi Le.Liu Yao moved the capital to the west inChang'an,retaining Shaanxi and eastern Gansu, while the eastern portion of the empire fell to Shi Le'sLater Zhao dynasty.

History

edit

Background

edit

Following the break-up of theXiongnu Empirein the 1st century, the Southern Xiongnu branch submitted to theHan dynastyand were resettled into the border commanderies. By the 280s, a huge number (approximately 400,000) of Xiongnu herdsmen resided in theOrdos DesertandBing provinceafterCao Caomoved them there and split them into "Five Divisions" ( năm bộ ). The Xiongnu continued their nomadic lifestyles of the steppes withhorse breedingand to some extent agriculture.[7]: 14–15 Sinicizationwas evident, especially among the elite;Liu Yuan,a commander of the Left Divison ( tả bộ, pinyin Zuǒbù), was educated inLuoyang,theWestern Jincapital, and was proficient in theChinese-Confucianist classics.He was even considered the post of the Jin forces commander for theconquest of Eastern Wubut was later dropped because of his Xiongnu ethnicity.

Nonetheless, among the Xiongnu elite and herdsmen, a keen sense of separate identity from the Chinese was retained. Most herdsmen still kept their horseback raiding and combat skills. Discontent against the Jin rule and of their subordinate position prompted them to seek an independent or self-governing Xiongnu entity. As one of the elites adequately puts it:

“In the past, our ancestors and those of the Han acted like brothers through joy and sorrow. However, since the fall of Han and the rise of Wei and Jin, our titles of chanyus hold no value, and we have not gained a foot of land since. Although we have been bestowed with many noble ranks, ourhouseholdsare all equally low. "

Liu Yuan inherited the Commander of the Left Division from his father,Liu Bao.Official history states that Liu Bao was the son ofYufuluo,one of the lastchanyusof the Southern Xiongnu, but modern historians have challenged this claim. Various passages in contemporaneous records refer to Liu Yuan and his family asChuge.The Chuge, also known as Xiuchuge ( Hưu chư các ), were an influential Xiongnu tribe that ousted the chanyu clan from power during theend of the Han dynasty.After the Xiongnu were divided, Liu Bao briefly unified the Five Divisions during the Jiaping era (249–254) before the Chinese court intervened and forced them back into five. It is speculated that Liu Yuan fabricated his lineage to the chanyu for legitimacy when he rebelled.[8][9]

Han (304–319)

edit

The Xiongnu Five Divisions began staging revolts during the early Jin period, and their insurbordination caused concern among a few ministers, who unsuccessfully pushed for their resettlement outside the frontiers. Developments in theWar of the Eight Princesfinally favored the Xiongnu, as infighting between the Jin princes over control of the developmentally-disabledEmperor Huiled to civil wars and widespread famines in northern China. In 304, the Xiongnu elites contacted Liu Yuan, who was serving as a general under the Prince of Chengdu,Sima YingatYe,and offered him to become their rebellion's leader. Liu Yuan agreed and took advantage of a commission from the desperate Sima Ying who was just being driven out of his base to gather 50,000 Xiongnu warriors. AtLishi,Liu Yuan declared himself the Grand Chanyu.

Later that year, Liu Yuan proclaimed himself the "King of Han," the same first title used byEmperor Gaozu of Han.As a descendant of the chanyu, Liu Yuan also claimed descent from theHan dynasty,as the chanyus used to marry Han princesses through marriage alliances or heqin. By portraying his state as a restoration of the Han, Liu Yuan was able to establish his legitimacy and potentially win over support from the Han Chinese. Liu Yuan honored the emperors of Western, Eastern andShu Han,and in 308, he elevated himself to Emperor of Han.

As the Jin civil war continued, more rebellions began breaking out on theNorth China Plain.To bolster their numbers, Liu Yuan welcomed these Han Chinese and non-Xiongnu rebels to join his ranks, such as the Chinese bandit,Wang Miand theJieformer slave,Shi Le.To ensure their loyalty, they were given high ranks and full command over their armies, but this practice also meant that they were also essentially warlords as the Han court had no actual means to restrain them. In 308, the Han conquered Pingyang Commandery, where they shifted their capital to Puzi ( bồ tử, in modernLinfen,Shanxi) and then to Pingyang city ( Bình Dương, also in modern Linfen), pressuring the Jin as they brought themselves closer to Luoyang.

Liu Yuan died in 310 and was succeeded by his sonLiu He.A week into his reign, He attempted to purge all his brothers before one of them,Liu Congretaliated and killed him. After his offer to his half-brother,Liu Aiwas rejected, Liu Cong took the throne for himself while still appointing Ai as his Crown Prince. He then intensified his attack on Luoyang, which had been left exposed by the departure of the Jin imperial army and a deadly famine. In 311, Shi Le annihilated the Jin imperial army at theBattle of Ningping,depriving Jin of its main force in the north. Han forces led byWang Mi,Huyan YanandLiu Yaothen descended upon Luoyang, capturing the defenseless city and Emperor Huai in an event known as theDisaster of Yongjia.

Despite the symbolic victory, Jin forces continued to resist in northern China, withEmperor Minbeing installed atChang'anin 312. More concerning was Shi Le gaining control of a significant part of the eastern empire after assassinating his fellow warlord, Wang Mi and absorbing his army. Liu Cong, fearing that Shi Le may outright rebel, did not punish him, while Wang Mi's subordinate,Cao Nicontinued to hold on to theShandongregion. In the west, Liu Cong heavily entrusted his cousin, Liu Yao, to lead the war against Emperor Min. After several years of campaigning, Liu Yao captured Chang'an in 316, ending the Western Jin dynasty. Both Emperor Huai and Min suffered similar fates; they were forced to serve as cupbearers for Liu Cong before they were executed out of fear they would rebel. After Emperor Min's capture, the imperial Sima family reestablished itself as theEastern Jin dynastyin 318 atJiankang,south of theYangtze river.

Within the Han court, Liu Cong also faced strong dissidence from his own ministers. Records depict him as a hedonistic ruler with a violent temperament, but restrained himself under pressure from his officials during his early reign. In his later reign, he had the unusual practice of havingthree empressesat a time, and he entrusted political affairs to hiseunuchsandconsort kins,which severely divided the court. He also began empowering his eldest son,Liu Can,threatening Liu Ai's position as Crown Prince. This power struggle culminated in a brutal purge in 317 orchestrated by Liu Can and Liu Cong's consort kins which saw Liu Ai and several prominent ministers executed.

After Liu Cong's death in 318, his successor, Liu Can and the rest of the imperial family in Pingyang were massacred in a coup by a powerful consort kin,Jin Zhun.Jin Zhun declared himselfHeavenly Kingof Han and invited the Eastern Jin court to assist him, but was ignored. Meanwhile, both Liu Yao and Shi Le combined their forces to oppose Jin Zhun. During the campaign, Liu Yao was acclaimed the new emperor by surviving Han officials fleeing from Pingyang. The rebellion was quickly defeated by the alliance, and Jin Zhun and his family were all killed.

Former Zhao (319–329)

edit

With the rebellion crushed, tension arose between Liu Yao and Shi Le. As Shi Le had cultivated a powerful base on the North China Plain, Liu Yao was convinced that he would take advantage of Han's vulnerability to launch a surprise rebellion. When Shi Le sent his envoy to congratulate him, Liu Yao had the envoy executed, which prompted Shi Le to declare independence. The empire was thus divided into two, with Liu Yao controlling the west and Shi Le controlling the east. As Pingyang had been devastated by the rebellion, Liu Yao shifted the capital to his base in Chang'an.

Unlike his predecessors, Liu Yao distanced the state away from the framing of Han restoration and appealed more to his Xiongnu ancestry. He renamed the state to Zhao (since one of Liu Yao's previous title was Prince ofZhongshan,and Zhongshan was in the ancient state ofZhao), and honoured his ancestor,Modu Chanyu,but still saw his state as a continuation of Liu Yuan's Han. Soon after, Shi Le also named his state Zhao, leading to historiographers to distinguish the two states as Former Zhao and Later Zhao.

In his early reign, Liu Yao expanded westwards while Shi Le dealt with his own matters in the east. InLongxi,he defeated the forces ofSima Bao,the last claimant to the Jin throne in the north, and later survived a major tribal rebellion by theDiandQiang,leading to the relocation of nearly 200,000 of their people to Chang'an. Liu Yao then defeatedChen An,a warlord in Longxi who nominally submitted to Former Zhao, before going on to force theFormer Lianginto submission and invadingChouchiby 323. At its prime, the Former Zhao's army reportedly numbered at around 285,000 strong. Despite the state's new positioning, Liu Yao maintained interest in integrating with Chinese culture, as evident by his opening of anImperial Universityin Chang'an taught byConfucianscholars.

War between the two Zhaos eventually broke out in 324, and in 328, Liu Yao led his forces to secure theHenanregion from Later Zhao. Liu Yao and Shi Le's forces came head to head at theBattle of Luoyang,and during the battle, Liu Yao, supposedly drunk, fell off his horse during a retreat and was captured by Later Zhao soldiers. He was then executed as his Crown Prince,Liu Xi,hastily succeeded him in Chang'an. In 329, Liu Xi was driven out of his capital and finally killed atShangguiby Later Zhao forces. The Han-Zhao dynasty was at its end, and the Later Zhao would rule most of northern China for the next 20 years.

Government

edit

When Liu Yuan established the Han, he retained most of the imperial Chinese government offices such as Grand Marshal, Minister of Works and Minister Over the Masses while introducing a few Xiongnu-influenced offices, most notably the Grand Chanyu. The Grand Chanyu was second to the emperor, tasked with managing the non-Chinese tribes and was usually deferred to the heir apparent.

In 314, while reorganizing the government, Liu Cong introduced a dual administrative system between the Han Chinese and non-Chinese people that would later be adopted by some of the Sixteen Kingdoms. He created the offices of the Left and Right Director of Retainers to manage the 200,000 Chinese households along with the Left and Right Assistant Chanyu to govern the 100,000 tribes, who were collectively known as the "SixYi"or" Six Barbarians "( sáu di ). Modern scholars have noted that the Xiongnu, specifically from the Five Divisions and Chuge branches, were not included in the" Six Yi ", and were instead administrated as part of the Han Chinese.[10][11]

Rulers of Han and Zhao

edit
Temple name Posthumous name Personal Name Duration of reign Era names
Han 304–319
Gaozu Guangwen Liu Yuan 304–310

Yuanxi ( nguyên hi ) 304–308
Yongfeng ( vĩnh phượng ) 308–309
Herui ( hà thụy ) 309–310

– Liu He 7 days in 310 None
Liezong Zhaowu Liu Cong 310–318

Guang xing ( quang hưng ) 310–311
Jiaping ( Gia bình ) 311–315
Jianyuan ( kiến nguyên ) 315–316
Linjia ( lân gia ) 316–318

– Yin Liu Can a month and days in 318 Hanchang ( hán xương ) 318
Former Zhao 319–329
– Liu Yao 318–329 Guangchu ( quang sơ ) 318–329
– Liu Xi 329 None

Note: Liu Xi was Liu Yao'scrown princewho was thrust into the leadership role when Liu Yao was captured byLater Zhao's emperorShi Le,but he never took the imperial title.

Rulers' family tree

edit

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^"Trung ương viện nghiên cứu trang web".
  2. ^Zizhi Tong gian,vol. 86.
  3. ^"Trung ương viện nghiên cứu trang web".
  4. ^Zizhi Tong gian,vol. 94.
  5. ^Rein Taagepera "Size and Duration of Empires: Growth-Decline Curves, 600 B.C. to 600 A.D.", Social Science History Vol. 3, 115–138 (1979)
  6. ^Grousset, Rene (1970).The Empire of the Steppes.Rutgers University Press. pp.56–57.ISBN0-8135-1304-9.
  7. ^Taskin V.S."Materials on the history of nomadic peoples in China. 3rd – 5th cc. AD. Issue 2. Jie",Moscow, Oriental Literature, 1990, pp. 14–15,ISBN5-02-016543-3
  8. ^Tang, Changru (December 2010). "〈 Ngụy Tấn tạp hồ khảo một đồ các 〉".《 Ngụy Tấn Nam Bắc triều sử luận tùng 》(in Chinese). Beijing:Commercial Press.ISBN9787100074513.
  9. ^Chen, Yong (2007)."Đi ti giám quốc bại cục cùng đồ các Lưu Báo quật khởi".Wenxue100.Retrieved10 October2023.
  10. ^Huang, Lie (July 1987).《 Trung Quốc cổ đại dân tộc sử nghiên cứu 》(in Chinese). Beijing:People's Press).
  11. ^Gao, Min (May 1998).《 Ngụy Tấn Nam Bắc triều nội quy quân đội nghiên cứu 》(in Chinese). Zhengzhou:Elephant Press.ISBN9787534721113.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Han-Zhao&oldid=1251086300"