Yang Wu

This article is about the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period state. For the Zhou Dynasty state, see Wu (state). For the Three Kingdoms period state, see Eastern Wu.

Wu 吳
907–937
Capital	Guangling
Common languages	Middle Chinese
Government	Monarchy
Prince/King/Emperor
• 907-908	Yang Wo
• 908-921	Yang Longyan
• 921-937	Yang Pu
Historical era	Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period
• Foundation of the State of Wu under Tang rule	902
• Fall of the Tang Dynasty	June 1 907
• Yang Longyan proclaimed himself King and inaugurated a new era name	919
• Yang Pu acceded the throne as Emperor	November 29, 927
• Ended by the Southern Tang	937
Preceded by Succeeded by Tang Dynasty Southern Tang

Wu (吳), also referred to as Huainan (淮南), Hongnong (弘農), Southern Wu (南吳), or Yang Wu (楊吳), was one of the Ten Kingdoms in south-central China which was in existence between the years of 907 and 937. Its capital was Jiangdu Municipality (江都) (modern Yangzhou in Jiangsu Province).

Some historians consider Wu to have begun in 902, when Yang Xingmi was named Prince of Wu by the Tang dynasty. All 3 rulers of Wu after 907 (when Tang dynasty collapsed) were Yang Xingmi's sons. The first ruler Yang Wo was murdered by Xu Wen and Zhang Hao, and the other 2 after him were effective puppets dominated by Xu Wen and his adopted son Xu Zhigao, who usurped power in 937 to establish Southern Tang. Yang Pu, the last ruler, was the only one to have claimed the title of emperor, the other rulers were kings or princes.

Founding

The founder of Wu, Yang Xingmi, started his career as a volunteer soldier before seizing power in his home prefecture Luzhou in a military coup. The weak Tang court could only confirm his position. In 887 the governor of Huainan, Gao Pian, was captured by Bi Shiduo. Xingmi defeated Shiduo and captured the provincial capital Yangzhou later that year, but by then Pian had been put to death by Shiduo. Another rebel leader, Sun Ru had Shiduo killed and absorbed his forces. Yang Xingmi was forced to abandon Yangzhou and retreat to Luzhou. With Luzhou as his base, Xingmi increased his power by seizing neighbouring prefectures until he could recapture Yangzhou in 892. For this act, the Tang court granted him the military governorship of Huainan.

While still nominally loyal to the Tang dynasty, rival warlords were now carving out their own statelets. Yang Xingmi clashed with Zhu Wen of Later Liang in the north and Qian Liu of Wuyue in the south, successfully defending his territory. In 902 Yang Xingmi was named Prince of Wu by Emperor Zhaozong of Tang.

Independence

Yang Xingmi died in 905 and was succeeded by his oldest son Yang Wo. In 907 Zhu Wen forced the last Tang emperor to abdicate and proclaimed himself the first emperor of the Later Liang. Yang Wo refused to acknowledge this change and continued the use of the last reign name of Tang. From this point Wu was an independent, sovereign entity.

Subversion of power by Xu Wen

Young and untested at his father's death Yang Wo had relied on the director of the guard, Xu Wen, for his ascension, but later grew to resent Xu Wen's influence. However, before he could pull himself free, Yang Wo was assassinated by Xu Wen and his colleague Zhang Hao in 908. Wen and Hao had initially planned to divide Wu between themselves and submit to Liang, but they soon fell out. Xu Wen installed Yang Wo's younger brother Longyan and had Zhang Hao killed. Yang Longyan was a mere puppet with Xu Wen as the state's true ruler. Wen made himself Runzhou governor and moved his command to Jinling. The regular administration at the capital was left to his son Xu Zhixun. After Zhixun's murder in 918, this position was inherited by Wen's stepson, Zhigao. In 919, Yang Longyan proclaimed himself King of Wu and inaugurated a new era name, thus for the first time Wu officially claimed to be a sovereign state. Longyan died of illness in 922 and was succeeded by his brother, Xingmi's fourth son, Yang Pu. As before, Xu Wen had the real power. He prodded Yang Pu to proclaim himself emperor, but died in 927 before this could happen. 29 November 927 Yang Pu acceded the throne as Emperor of Wu. Xu Zhigao was made grand marshal and director of the Chancellery.

Territorial Extent

The Wu capital was at Guangling (present-day Yangzhou), and held present-day central and southern Anhui, central and southern Jiangsu, much of Jiangxi, and eastern Hubei.

End of the Kingdom

Xu Zhigao had been adopted by Xu Wen on Yang Xingmi's insistence and soon proved himself an able man. He came to power in Wu after his stepfather's death in 927 and continued to rule the state as governor of Jinling for some time. Finally in 937 he formally seized power for himself by proclaiming himself King of Qi and Yang Pu abdicated. Two years later, by claiming descent from a Tang prince Xu Zhigao and restoring his surname of Li, Xu Zhigao became Li Bian and proclaimed the restoration of the Tang. His state would be known to history as the Southern Tang.

Rulers

• 904–905: Yáng Xíngmì 楊行密 (Tài Zǔ Xiàowǔ Huángdì 太祖孝武皇帝)
• 905–908: Yáng Wò 楊渥 (Liè Zōng Jǐng Huángdì 烈宗景皇帝)
• 908–921: Yáng Lóngyǎn 楊隆演 (Gāo Zǔ Xuān Huángdì 高祖宣皇帝)
• 921–937: Yáng Pǔ 楊溥 (Ruì Huángdì 睿皇帝)

Wu and Southern Tang rulers family tree

Wu and Southern Tang rulers family tree

- Wu emperors;   - Southern Tang emperors Yang Xingmi 杨行密 874–905 Taizu 太祖 902–905 Xu Wen 徐溫 862–927 Yizu 義祖 Yang Wo 杨渥 886–908 Liezu 烈祖 (905–)907–908 Yang Longyan 897–920 Gaozu 高祖 908–920 Yang Pu 杨溥 900–938 Ruidi 睿帝 920–937 Li Bian 李昪 888–943 Liezu 烈祖 937–943 Xu Zhixun (elder) 徐知訓 d.918 Xu Zhixun (younger) 徐知詢 d.934 Kang of Donghai 東海康王 Yang Lian 杨琏 d.940 Jing of Hongnong 弘農靖王 Princess Yongxing 永兴公主 917－940 Princess Shangrao 上饶公主 d.937 Xu Jingqian 徐景遷 919-937 Ding of Chu 楚定王 Li Jing 李璟 916–961 Yuanzong 元宗 943–961 Li Jingsui 李景遂 920-958 Cr. Prince Wencheng 文成太弟 Li Jingda 李景達 924-971 Cr. Prince Zhaoxiao 昭孝太弟 Li Yu 李煜 937–978 Houzhu 后主 961–975

See also

• Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period

References

Sources

• Kurz, Johannes L. (2011). China's Southern Tang Dynasty (937-976). Routledge. ISBN -9780415454964.
• Ouyang Xiu (2004). Historical records of the five dynasties. trans. by Richard L. Davis. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-12826-6.

External links

• http://www.chinaknowledge.de/History/Tang/rulers-wu.html